Government

Question 1

What is the traditional view of Mary’s relationship with Parliament?

Answer 1

Mary had a poor relationship with Parliament, especially over religion and marriage (however, Parliament met more frequently and legislated more under Mary I than under Edward VI)

Question 2

Examples of Parliament working with Mary?

Answer 2

Retail Traders Act and Woollen Cloth Act

Question 3

Example of Mary having to concede to Parliament?

Answer 3

Had to agree not to touch ex-monastic lands to pass the 2nd Act of Repeal

Question 4

Example of the HoC and HoL working together against Mary?

Answer 4

Worked together on rules curtailing Philip’s power in England

Question 5

How many MPs opposed the reversal of Edward’s religious legislation?

Answer 5

about 80

Question 6

Example of defeat in Parliament?

Answer 6

A bill in 1555 to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles was defeated

Question 7

Successes of Mary’s first Parliament

Answer 7

Mary’s legitimacy established, Acts of Uniformity repealed to reverse Edward’s religious changes

Question 8

Failures of Mary’s first Parliament

Answer 8

Parliament refused revival of Papal power and declined Mary’s longing to dispense with her title of Supreme Head of the Church (this didn’t affect Mary too much as she stopped using the title in December 1554)

Parliament also refused restoration of Church lands and a penalty for not attending mass

Question 9

Successes of Mary’s second Parliament

Answer 9

Ratification of the marriage treaty passed smoothly

Question 10

Failures of Mary’s second Parliament

Answer 10

Mary’s heresy bills defeated

Fifteen bills in total failed to complete their passage through the Lords

Question 11

Successes of Mary’s third Parliament

Answer 11

Parliament agreed on a reunion with Rome

Heresy bill passed after defeat in previous Parliament

Question 12

Failures of Mary’s third Parliament

Answer 12

Parliament refused the return of ex-monastic lands

Question 13

Successes of Mary’s fourth Parliament

Answer 13

Repeal of anti-papal legislation from Henry VIII’s reign, bill to return first fruits and tenths to the papacy passed (but only by 193 votes to 126)

Question 14

Failures of Mary’s fourth Parliament

Answer 14

A bill to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles defeated

Question 15

Successes of Mary’s fifth Parliament

Answer 15

Lords and Commons united to raise taxation for the defence of the realm

John Guy - a ‘landmark in military organisation’ - Act for the Taking of Musters and Act for the having of Horse Armour and Weapons passed

Question 16

How many new councillors did Mary appoint to the Privy Council?

Answer 16

43 - made decision-making inefficient

Her working council was much smaller (around 20), however, and dominated by experienced figures like Gardiner and Paget

Question 17

What 3 developments made the PC more efficient?

Answer 17

In 1554, the council established a system of committees on a number of matters such as naval administration and the sale of Crown lands

In 1555, Philip helped establish an ‘inner council’ of nine trustworthy men, known as the Select Council

When Philip left England in 1555, Paget was able to dominate and complete the reforms

Question 18

Did Mary ever attend a PC meeting?

Answer 18

No (but she would have been implicitly aware of what was happening)

Question 19

Why was Mary’s PC split?

Answer 19

Split along religious lines - pro-Catholic group headed by Gardiner and a conservative group under Paget

However, most of the time the council was able to put rivalries aside

Question 20

Who did Mary pack into her PC?

Answer 20

Packed PC with loyalists known as the Kenninghall faction

e.g. Earl of Oxford, Earl of Arundel

Question 21

Example of factional rivalry manifesting itself

Answer 21

Friction between Paget and Gardiner - e.g. Paget urged the Lords to reject Gardiner’s proposals to revive the heresy laws in 1554 (and then a similar bill was supported by Paget months later)