The Later Years 1588 - 1603

Question 1

Irish rebellion (give examples + explain significance)

Answer 1

Tyrone rebels in 1995 after being overlooked by Elizabeth at court + turning to Gaelic lords for support

• Span. Arma sent to help 1597 but fails
• English 4,000 defeated at Yellow Ford 1598
• Essex sent with 16,000 in 1599 but signs truce and returns to disgrace (lost 12,000 to disease/desertion + costs of £300,000)
• Mountjoy takes command, suppresses rebellion 1602

Long lasting direct military threat to English forces, dampens influence in Ireland, hugely expensive, facilitates foreign threat in Spain.

Question 2

Popular rebellion

Answer 2

Mounting protests from poor over inflation + food prices

• Oxfordshire rising 1596 aimed to pull down enclosures + march on London -> 4 turned up
• Priv. Council alarmed, tortured + executed rebels
• Parl’t passed legislation against enclosure 1597-8

Dissatisfaction but amongst working class, no genuine threat, Council alarm suggests fear of mass revolt -> E. unpopular

Question 3

Essex rebellion

Answer 3

Essex attempts rebellion to remove Cecil faction + E from power acter losing influence

• 1600 lost sweet wines monopoly, £16,000 debts
• tried to rally support in London w/ 300 followers
• failed, tried + executed Feb. 1601

Disrupted council + delayed 1601 parl’t to Oct, opposition of the ‘favourite’ + nobles to E, narrowed advisory base in difficult time, no real threat to authority

Question 4

Poor harvests

Answer 4

Series of poor harvests exacerbated problems

• succession of poor harvests 1594-97 increased food prices
• food riots across country eg. 1800 apprentices + disbanded soldiers took part in London 1595

Civil unrest across England, affected growing pop., inflamed epidemics + starvation, potential of rebellion, fuelled inflation -> economic pressure

Question 5

Succession

Answer 5

Issue of succession throughout reign, pressure from commons

• publication from Parsons 1595 (opposed James being crowned)
• uncertainty over successor: James VI, Arabella Stuart, Edward Seymour
• Cecil corresponded w/ James from 1601 + drafted proclamation of James’ accession upon E’s death 1603

Succession was a long standing uncertainty -> parliamentary unrest, transition of power v. smooth, political stability despite academic opposition

Question 6

Death of the ‘old guard’

Answer 6

Elizabeth’s senior ministers died, allowing new councillors to emerge

• Walsingham died ‘90, Hatton died ‘91
• Burghley old, combined offices of Treasurer + Secretary until ‘96, died ‘98
• new factions emerging w/ Cecil against Devereux, argued on foreign policy

Ended stability of Privy Council, narrowed advisory body, disrupted gov’t + relationship w/ Queen (Essex quarrel in ‘98)

Question 7

Continued war with Spain

Answer 7

Continuation of conflict w/ Spain posed constant military threat

• 3400 spanish troops garrisoned at Kinsale amidst Irish rebellion
• attempt to send armada to Ireland 1597 fails

Constant direct threat, supported any catholic opp. to E, expensive to fight -> crippled economy + overseas trade

Question 8

Finance

Answer 8

Towards end of reign, gov’t in desperate need for money

• Cecil called for £300,000 in subsidies from 1601 parl’t to fund war
• E left debt of £400,000 for James

exacerbated economic problems (inflation, low wages), increased crown debts

Question 9

Parliament challenges

Answer 9

Parl’t more contentious as E becomes more conciliatory

• ‘89 protests to Queens prerogative right of purveyance
• grievance on monopolies raised ‘97, again in 1601 - salt, vinegar + woad revoked

Disrupted gov’t slightly, issue resolved, E reliant on tem for tax

Question 10

Vagrancy

Answer 10

Poverty was rife under E, particularly due to inflation and poor harvests

• 1598 Act for punishment of rogues, dangerous rogues banished or sent to galleys
• 1598 Poor relief act, encouraged individuals to look after eg. ‘Overseers of the Poor’ -> made permanent 1601

Widespread, further strain on economy, contribute to unrest, no threat to E or gov’t

Question 11

Monopolies crisis

Answer 11

Monopolies granted nobles huge influence over prices

• Oct 1600 E refuses to renew Essex’s sweet wines monopoly, pushing him towards edge of precipice
• parl’t unhappy called for redress ‘97, again in 1601, E grants it

increased inflation cause for parliamentary opposition, upset nobles when stripped, problem largely resolved by end of reign