The Duke Of Somerset 1547-49 Flashcards
Who was the Duke of Somerset?
Known as:
- Edward Seymour
- Earl of Hertford
- Lord protecter
He was key leader of reforming group in regency council
What was his coup d’etat (take over power)
Agreed that regardless of Henry’s wishes for a balanced regency council
The earl would take power as lord protector
He bribed other councils and earl of Hertford took power in a bloodless coup d’etat
What years was Somerset in power for?
1547-49
Problems facing Somerset (short term 3)
- whether or not to continue the wars against Scotland and France
- question of religious reforms
- finding ways of raising more revenue
Problems facing Somerset (long term 1)
Population increase - major threat to gov as biggest cause of inflation which added to cost of administration + threatened living standards
Caused more poverty and unemployed
Problem 1 : war with Scotland resume?
Yes
- sake of national prestige
- retain support of nobility
No
- country would be plunged further into debt
Problem 2 : should religious reform along Protestant lines be encouraged officially?
Yes
- to not lose support of Protestant activists
- such loss of support might allow catholic revival which would endanger Somerset’s hold on power
- reforming regency council
No
- if he went too far, reformers might provide the catholics into open rebellions
Problem 3/4 : should the gov make economic and financial reform a priority?
Yes
- rising discontent among people over economic conditions
- might lead to popular uprisings
No
- whatever action he took, likely to cause as many problems as it solved
- making changes to enclosure rights, would attack the gentry class on whom the gov depended on support
What did Somerset actually do?
- continue the war
- cautiously introduced some religious reforms
- tried to dampen down popular discontent
What was Somersets plans for the regency council?
- to govern eng
- 16 members supported by further 12 to assist as required
- decisions need a majority
- balanced Protestants and conservatives
Were the regency plans realised?
- didnt last long - delegated power to Hertford (protector)
- ## controlled privy chamber through Stan hope
How was Somerset able to come to power?
- intervened in Scotland (defeated at battle of pinkie)
- Duke of Norfolk arrested 1546
- became lord protector
- ‘good duke’ as tried to help the poor but reached major crises by 1549
Somerset’s style of gov
Personal and centralised
3 key domestic changes Somerset made
Treason act 1547
Chantries act 1547
Proclamation act 1549
Treason act 1547
Repealed old heresy, treason and censorship laws which:
- free religion
- enabled literature on religion
- importation of Lutheran and Calvinist literature from the continent
Treason act 1547 consequences
Disorder and riots
Attacks on churches
Left local authorities less powerful
Chantries act 1547
Close chantries (people pay to go heaven)
Confiscated lands and property, protests and increased coinage
Chantries act 1547 - Long term
Added to inflation
Prices for grain rose rapidly
Fuelling discontent among poor
Proclamation act 1549
Repealed this act, stating that royal proclamations should be obeyed as if they were acts of parliament
(Somerset tried to give himself more freedom)
Proclamation act 1549 consequences
However there was actually an increase in use of proclamations under Edward VI
- 6 times a year under HVIII
- 19 times a year under EVI
Somersets 2 economic problems
Enclosures
Inflation
Economic problem : enclosure
- Commission to investigate legality of recent enclosures but led to frustration among rich + poor
- landowners feared if enclosures reversed it would severely limit wealth from sheep farming
- poor hoped reversal would bring lands back
- gov needed support of landowners to maintain law + order
Economic problems : inflation
- politicians didn’t understand inflation
- increasing population was main cause as greater demand for goods pushed up prices
- threatened living standards
- more unemployment
- rising food prices
Somerset foreign policy successes
- strengthened defences at Calais, Bologna and new haven
- battle of pinkie + Scot’s defeated = victory for Somerset to occupy all the main border strongholds
Somerset foreign policy failures
- tried to isolate the Scot’s by negotiating with France for defensive alliance but death of Francis I and the accession of Henry it ended any hopes of a compromise with french
- extremely costly - 600k in time of financial pressure
