The social impact of religious and economic change (14)

Question 1

What direction did religious policy under Edward Vi seem to be moving?

Answer 1

Towards Protestantism

Question 2

What was Somerset’s religion?

Answer 2

He was a genuine, somewhat late, convert to Protestantism, and he welcomed religious radicals such as John Hooper and Thomas Becon into his household.

Question 3

Religious policy under Somerset proved cautious how is this exemplified?

Answer 3

By the moderate Book of Common Prayer written in 1549 by Archbishop Cranmer, who was himself cautious by temperament and anxious to avoid an increase in religious tension.

Question 4

What was the two key objectives of the moderate Book of Common Prayer?

Answer 4

1) It established a single form of services within the Church of England.
2) It translated the services into English to enhance understanding of the key texts.

Question 5

What was the more radical approach to adopt in some areas?

Answer 5

To embrace religious reform.

Question 6

What were the 4 policy changes under Somerset?

Answer 6

1) Denunciation of images in London- Feb 1547
2) Injunctions issued- Jul 1547
3) Dissolution of chantries and religious guilds- Dec 1547
4) Introduction of Book of Common Prayer- May 1549

Question 7

How were the social impact of these religious changes highly significant?

Answer 7

Given that they amounted to a sustained attack on the religious experience of ordinary people and enabled a renewed plundering of the Church’s resources.

Question 8

What did the injunctions of 1547 attack?

Answer 8

Many traditional Catholic practices.

Question 9

What was Northumberland’s twofold strategy?

Answer 9

1) he wished to continue the protestant reforms initiated by Somerset.
2) He sought to plunder more of its wealth.

Question 10

Give a reason for radical reform.

Answer 10

The tactically cautious Cranmer was beginning to move in a more radical direction. This was reflected in the much more radical Book of Common Prayer which he introduced in 1552.

Question 11

Give three other reasons for radical reform.

Answer 11

1) More radical senior clergy such as Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and the even more radical John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, were becoming more influential.
2) Eminent continental reformers such as Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr had moved to England and were becoming influential in decisions on religious matters.
3) Most importantly it reflected the increasing influence, as the reign progressed, of Edward VI on the policy-making process. The king took his role as head of the Church very seriously believed it was his mission to destroy idolatry.

Question 12

Where was the firmly Protestant nature of official doctrine confirmed?

Answer 12

In Cranmer’s Forty-Two Articles of Religion.

Question 13

What declined after 1540?

Answer 13

Expenditure on church goods.

Question 14

What were peoples views about leaving money to the Church?

Answer 14

There was little point is there was a chance that their legacy might be confiscated by the Crown.

Question 15

What was the thought about wills?

Answer 15

Many wills have not survived and in any case most people did not leave them.

Question 16

What were the three religious changes?

Answer 16

1) The removal of alters and reforms to Church services, combining Lutheran and Calvinist elements.
2) The 1552 Book of Common Prayer accompanied by another Act of Uniformity These: removed remaining conservative ceremonies and gave Protestant form to the baptism, confirmation, burial and Communion services.
3) Cranmer’s Forty-Two Articles of Religion 1553; these provided an official Protestant statement of doctrine.

Question 17

What were traditional practices like?

Answer 17

Not entirely destroyed; in 1550 the radical reformer John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester, admitted that the pace of reform was hampered by an uncooperative public.

Question 18

What was there a loss of?

Answer 18

Charitable functions of monasteries and chantries including care for the sick and elderly and the provision of education, would have impinged on many communities.

Question 19

Name 3 interconnected economic factors which helped bring about discontent during Somerset’s period of rule.

Answer 19

1) Inflationary pressures
2) Agrarian issues, particularly enclosure and harvest failure
3) Taxation

Question 20

What was the rate of inflation like during Henry VIII reign?

Answer 20

Had been increasingly rapid during the later stages, bringing about a marked reduction in real wages for many people, particularly those at the lower end of the income scale.

Question 21

What did Somerset carry on doing?

Answer 21

Carried on with Henry’s disastrous policy of debasing the coinage in order to finance the war against Scotland.

Question 22

How much debasing the coinage raise but what was the problem?

Answer 22

It raised £537,000, but it heightened the inflationary pressures and added to the social distress that many were feeling at the time.

Question 23

What reinforce inflationary pressures even more?

Answer 23

A bad harvest in 1548.

Question 24

What became a serious political issue during Somerset’s protectorate?

Answer 24

Enclosure

Question 25

What did Somerset think enclosure was the root cause of?

Answer 25

Many of the country’s social and economic problems.

Question 26

What did Somerset introduce and what was the effect?

Answer 26

A tax on sheep to deter enclosure however its main effect was to create huge financial pressure on small farmers in upland areas who had little choice but to rely on sheep for subsistence.