Early Elizabethan England 2 Flashcards
(96 cards)
1
Q
Elizabeth’s government on accession.
A
Elizabeth became queen of England in 1558. She didn't possess complete power. She could not pass laws without parliament's approval, or raise taxes without parliament's agreement. >The court. >The Privy Council. >Justices of the Peace. >Parliament. >Lord Lieutenants.
2
Q
Elizabeth’s government on accession - the court
A
> Made up of noblemen who acted as the monarch’s advisers and friends.
They advised the monarch and helped display her wealth and power.
Members of the court could also be members of the Privy Council.
3
Q
Elizabeth’s government on accession - the Privy Council
A
> Members of the nobility who helped govern the country.
>They monitored parliament, Justices of the Peace and oversaw law and order and the security if the country.
4
Q
Elizabeth’s government on accession - Parliament
A
> Advised Elizabeth’s government, made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
The House of Lords was made up of noblemen and bishops.
The House of Commons was elected, though very few people could vote.
Parliament passed and approved laws and approved taxes (extraordinary taxation).
5
Q
Elizabeth’s government on accession - Justices of the Peace
A
> Large landowners appointed by government, who kept law and order locally and heard court cases.
6
Q
Elizabeth’s government on accession - lord lieutenants
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> Noblemen, appointed by government, who governed English counties and raised the local militia.
7
Q
Key term definition - extraordinary taxation
A
> Extra taxes required to pay for unexpected expenses, especially war.
8
Q
Key term definition - militia
A
> A force of ordinary people (not professional soldiers) raised in an emergency.
9
Q
Society on Elizabeth’s accession
A
> Elizabethan society was very rigid, based on inequality and a social hierarchy or structure where everyone knew their place.
10
Q
The social hierarchy of the countryside
A
> 90%of the population of Elizabethan England lived in the countryside.
- Nobility - major landowners; often lords, dukes and earls.
- Gentry - Owned smaller estates.
- The Yeoman Farmers - owned a small amount of land.
- Tenant Farmers - rented land from yeoman farmers and gentry.
- The landless and labouring poor - people who didn’t own or rent land, and had to work or labour to provide for themselves and their families.
- Homeless and vagrants - moved from place to place looking for work.
11
Q
The social hierarchy of towns
A
> 10% of the population of Elizabethan England lived in towns.
- Merchants - traders who were very wealthy.
- Professionals - lawyers, doctors and clergymen.
- Business owners - often highly skilled craftsmen, such as silversmiths, glovers, carpenters or tailors.
- Craftsmen - skilled employees, including apprentices.
- Unskilled labourers and the unemployed - people who had no regular work and could not provide for themselves and their family.
12
Q
Society on Elizabeth’s accession - Obedience and Care.
A
> Wherever you were in Elizabehtan society, you owed respect and obedience to those above you and had a duty of care to those below.
Landowners ran their estates according to these ideas.
Ideally they would take care of their tenants, especially during times of hardship.
Households were run along similar lines to society:
-The husband and father was head of the household.
-His wife, children and any servants were expected to be obedient to him.
> This would be a feature of Elizabethan society.
13
Q
Key term definition - legitimacy
A
> Refers to whether a monarch is lawfully entitled to rule.
14
Q
Virgin Queen: legitimacy, gender and marriage.
A
> When Elizabeth became queen following the death of her older sister, Mar, she had to find a way of establishing her authority.
15
Q
Virgin Queen: legitimacy, gender and marriage - problems when she became queen.
A
> Elizabeth was young (21yrs) and lacked experience.
Elizabeth’s government needed money.
Elizabeth’s legitimacy was in doubt as the pope had refused to recognise her mother’s marriage to Henry VIII.
Catholics refused to acknowledge Elizabeth’s right to rule England.
Elizabeth was Protestant. Her predecessor, Mary, was Catholic.
To pass laws Elizabeth needed the support of parliament.
Elizabeth was unmarried and it was unusual for a queen to rule in her own right, as Christian traditions suggested that women should follow men’s authority. Many people disapproved of the idea of a queen regnant (a queen who actually ruled).
16
Q
Virgin Queen: legitimacy, gender and marriage - why did Catholics dislike Elizabeth?
A
> Many Catholics, especially in the north, disliked the way Henry had taken over the Church in 134 (the Act of Supremacy) and dissolved the monasteries.
They questioned Elizabeth’s legitimacy, claiming that she had no right to rule.
They preferred a Catholic monarch and there was a real risk of rebellion.
17
Q
Why was Elizabeth’s legitimacy in doubt?
A
> Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, had divorced Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s mother.
The pope refused to recognise this divorce.
When Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, Henry excluded Elizabeth from succession, although he reversed this decision before his death.
18
Q
Virgin Queen: legitimacy, gender and marriage - Key issues facing Elizabeth
A
> It was widely expected that Elizabeth would marry. However, this would reduce Elizabeth’s power, as her husband would be expected to govern the country and deal with parliament.
Elizabeth’s inexperience meant that she needed the support and advice of her Privy Council, especially her Secretary of State, Sir William Cecil.
Elizabeth could issue royal proclamations and had prerogative powers, enabling her to govern without parliament’s consent, especially in foreign policy. However, laws could only be passed with parliament’s approval as Acts of Parliament.
19
Q
Virgin Queen: legitimacy, gender and marriage - The problems of marriage.
A
> If Elizabeth married a Protestant, this would anger Catholics.
If she married a Catholic, this would upset Protestants.
Marriage could involve England in expensive wars, damaging royal finances and requiring taxation. The Crown was already £300,000 in debt.
Yet marriage was important, as Elizabeth needed an heir. If she died without an heir, the throne would be vacant and this could lead to a civil war.
20
Q
Virgin Queen: character and strengths
A
> Elizabeth was known as ‘the Virgin Queen’ because she remained unmarried.
Many people in the 16th century felt this meant she couldn’t rule alone.
However, Elizabeth had a number of strengths as a ruling monarch.
21
Q
Elizabeth’s character and strengths
A
> Elizabeth was confident and charismatic - this enabled her to win over her subjects and command her support in parliament.
Elizabeth was resilient - she had spent time in the Tower accused of treason and facing possible execution. She could cope with the pressures of being a queen.
Elizabeth was well educated - she spoke Latin, Greek, French and Italian.
Elizabeth had an excellent grasp of politics - she understood the interests and ambitions of her subjects, and was able to use her powers of patronage effectively.
Although Elizabeth was Protestant, the number of Protestants in England was growing, making her position as queen more secure. She could claim divine right with growing conviction.
22
Q
Virgin Queen: character and strengths - Reinventing the role
A
> Elizabeth was able to use strengths to reinvent herself as a different type of monarch.
She liked to demonstrate that, even though she was female, she was no ordinary woman.
She therefore argued that she did not need to marry and could govern England on her own.
23
Q
Virgin Queen: character and strengths - Elizabethan propaganda
A
> Throughout her reign, Elizabeth was happy to portray herself as strong, legitimate, popular monarch and a ‘Virgin Queen’ - married only to England and not to a prince or king.
This is reflected in paintings such as the one of her coronation, which shows a confident but feminine monarch rightfully crowned queen.
24
Q
Key term - Patronage definition
A
> The monarch could use the granting of lands, jobs and titles to reward her supporters.
People who received these positions could use them to become wealthy.
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Key Term - Divine Right definition
>The idea that God alone appointed the monarch, meaning that to challenge the monarch was to challenge God.
>Successful monarchs claimed divine providence (Godly approval) of their actions, reinforcing their legitimacy.
>Less successful monarchs could face charges of Godly disapproval and find their legitimacy undermined.
26
Challenges at home: financial weaknesses in 1558
>There was a need to improve the quality of money to help England's finances:
- The Crown was £300,000 in debt and had an annual income of only £286,667.
- Over £100,000 of Crown debts was owed to foreign moneylenders (the Antwerp Exchange), which charged a high interest rate at 14%.
- Mary Tudor had sold off Crown lands to pay for wars with France, so the Crowns income from rents was falling.
- Elizabeth needed money to remain secure on the throne, as she could use it to reward her supporters.
- Since the 1540s, the Crown had debased (devalued) the coinage, by reducing its silver and gold content, in order to make more money to fight was against France. This resulted in inflation, as the value of the currency fell (coins were worth less, so people charged more for what they sold).
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What does the word 'Crown' refer to?
>The word 'Crown' refers to the government, which means the monarch and her advisers (Privy Councillors).
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Challenges at home: financial weakness - How monarchs could raise money
>Rents and income from their own lands (Crown lands).
>Taxes from trade (known as custom duties).
>Special additional taxes, known as subsidies, which had to be agreed by parliament.
>Profits of justice (fines, property or lands from people convicted of crimes).
>Loans (sometimes loans were 'forced', meaning they were compulsory and never repaid).
29
What could Elizabeth do to solve her financial problems in 1558?
1. Raise taxes to boost the Crown's income:
- The queen could convene parliament and ask for subsidies (special additional taxes).
- Additional taxes would be unpopular with ordinary people, increasing the risk of unrest.
2. Improve the quality of money by increasing the gold and silver content in the coinage:
- In 1560, Thomas Gresham, the Crown's financial adviser, suggested this to William Cecil, but the Crown was slow to respond.
- Any 'new' coinage would be traded alongside older, less valuable coins. People would struggle to exchange older coins for new ones.
30
Challenges at home: financial weakness - the effects of Elizabeth's policies.
>In site of Elizabeth's careful management of Crown finances, there was limited reform.
>Parliamentary grants were raised locally, with many landowners acting as Lord Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace, pocketing some of the proceeds before the rest was sent to the Crown.
>This meant that ordinary people faced a heavier financial burden while the wealthy benefitted.
31
Challenges at home: financial weakness - what Elizabeth did
>She didn't raise taxes but instead hoarded her income and cut her household expenses by half.
>Like her predecessors, she sold Crown lands, raising £120,000.
>By 1574, the queen could claim that the Crown was out of debt for the first time since 1558.
32
Challenges abroad: France, Scotland and Spain.
>When she became queen in 1558, Elizabeth faced a number of challenges form France, Scotland and , to a lesser extent, Spain and its influence in the Netherlands.
33
Challenges from abroad facing Elizabeth in 1558
>The French threat: France was wealthier than England and had a bigger population. Elizabeth's cousin, MQoS, was married to the French king, Francis II. Mary had a strong claim to the English throne and English Catholics might rally to her if the French invaded.
>Under the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis England had lost Calais to France. This was England's last remaining territory on the continent and there was pressure on Elizabeth to regain it. However, war with France would be expensive.
>The Auld Alliance: France's alliance with Scotland threatened England. Mary of Guise (James V's widow), who ruled Scotland on behalf of her daughter MQoS kept French soldiers there, who could attack England. The relationship between France and Scotland was further strengthened by the marriage of Francis II and MQoS in 1559.
>War was an expensive business and the Crown was in debt. England could not afford a war with France, Scotland or Spain, as this would be ruinously expensive and deepen the government's debts.
>France had ended its war with Spain. French military resources were no longer stretched by war with Spain, making a war with England more likely. There was also the possibility that France and Spain, both Catholic countries, would unite against Protestant England. Spain also had troops in the Netherlands, not far from England.
34
Challenges abroad: France, Scotland and Spain - how Elizabeth dealt with the challenges from abroad
>Elizabeth did her best to avoid upsetting Europe's most powerful countries:
- She sought to avoid war with France by signing the Peace of Troyes (1564), which recognised once and for all the French claim to Calais.
- Elizabeth was able to deal with the threat posed by Scotland by placing MQoS who fled Scotland in 1568, in custody in England.
- By imprisoning Mary and making peace with France, Elizabeth only had one significant threat by 1969: Spain.
35
Religious divisions in England in 1558
>Elizabeth was a Protestant queen taking over a country that was still largely Catholic,
36
Religious divisions in England in 1558 - why was religion important in Elizabethan England?
>Religion was central to life in England. Religious teaching and practices guided people's morals and behaviour as well as their understanding of the world. Birth, marriage and death were all marked by religious ceremonies.
>People believed that going to church, attending pilgrimages, and confessing sins reduced time in purgatory where the soul was purged of sin using 'spiritual fire' before reaching heaven.
>Religious festivals (holy days), such as St Swithin's Day (15th July) and Lammas Day (2nd August), marked the agricultural year and were seen as essential to a good harvest.
37
Religious divisions in England and Europe in the 16th century
>Protestants tended to be found in northern Europe, especially in Netherlands, Scandinavia and Germany.
>Since the 1530s, many Protestants fleeing persecution in Europe had landed in England, settling in London, East Anglia and Kent. The number of English Protestants was growing.
>Some Protestants became Puritans - people who wanted to purify the Christian religion by getting rid of anything not in the Bible.
>The north of England, especially Durham, Yorkshire and Lancashire, remained largely Catholic.
>The Reformation divided the Christian Church between Catholics and Protestants from 1517.
38
Elizabeth's religious settlement
>Elizabeth's religious settlement (1559) aimed to establish a form of religion that would be acceptable to both Protestants and Catholics.
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Key Features of Elizabeth's religious settlement of 1559
>The Act of Uniformity established the appearance of churches and how religious services were to be held. It required everyone to attend church.
>The Act of Supremacy: Elizabeth became Supreme Governor of the Church of England. All clergy and royal officials had to swear an oath of allegiance to her.
>The Royal Injunctions: This was a set of instructions to the clergy that reinforced the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. It included instructions on how people should worship God and how religious services were to be conducted.
>An Ecclesiastical High Commission was established to keep discipline within the Church and enforce Elizabeth's religious settlement. Disloyal clergy would be punished.
>The Book of Common Prayer (1559) introduced a set church service to be used in all churches. The clergy had to follow the Prayer Book wording during services of be punished.
40
Ecclesiastical definition
>Ecclesiastical means anything to do with the Church.
41
The aims of Elizabeth's religious settlement
.Elizabeth's religious settlement was inclusive and designed to be accepted by as many of her subjects as possible. Therefore, the wording of the new Prayer Book could be understood to mean different things by Catholics and Protestants.
-The Communion Sacrament referred to in the Book of Common Prayer could be interpreted as the body and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation). This would have appealed to Catholics, while Protestants could view it as an act of remembrance.
>Protestants would have approved the ban on pilgrimages to 'fake' miracles, while Catholics would have approved the possibility of 'real miracles'.
>Catholics would also have approved of the use of candles, crosses and vestments in church services.
42
Impacts of the religious settlement
>8000 clergy out of about 10,000 accepted the religious settlement.
>Many Marian Bishops (Catholic Bishops appointed by Mary Tudor) opposed the settlement and had to be replaced.
>The majority of ordinary people accepted Elizabeth's religious settlement and attended church services, even though many of them held on to Catholic beliefs.
43
Religious settlement - The Royal Injunctions
>These stated that all clergy were required to:
- teach the Royal Supremacy.
- report those refusing to attend church to the Privy Council - absentees were fined a week's wages.
- keep a copy of the Bible in English.
- have a government licence to preach.
- prevent pilgrimages, religious shrines and monuments to 'fake' miracles.
- wear special clothes (vestments).
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Church of England: its role in society
>The Church of England played an important role in national government, and in town and village life.
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Role of the Church of England in society
```
>Preached the government's message.
>Provided guidance for communities.
>Responsible for Church Courts.
>Visitations.
>Legitimised Elizabeth's rule.
>Enforced Elizabeth's religious settlement of 1559.
```
46
Role of the Church of England in society - preached the government's message
>Priests needed a government's licence to preach.
>This ensured the clergy preached Elizabeth's religious and political message, as those who refused to do so would be denied a licence.
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Role of the Church of England in society - provided guidance for communites
>The parish church helped people in times of hardship and uncertainty.
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Role of the Church of England in society - responsible for Church Courts
>These dealt with marriage, sexual offences, slander, wills and inheritance.
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Role of the Church of England in society - visitations
>Bishops carried out inspections of churches and clergy, to ensure they obeyed the religious settlement.
>These took place every 3-4 years.
>Visitations also involved checking the licences of physicians, midwives and surgeons.
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Role of the Church of England in society - legitimised Elizabeth's rule
>The Church encouraged people to remain loyal to and not rebel against their monarch.
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Role of Parish Clergy in village life
>In all parishes the clergyman was a major figure in the village community and conducted church services including baptisms, weddings and funerals.
>The clergy offered spiritual and practical advice and guidance to people, especially when times were difficult (such as during a poor harvest).
>The clergy were funded by taxes or tithes, or by other sources of income, such as the sale of church pews. The gentry funded some parishes while others remained independent of local landowners.
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Tithe - definition
>A tax worth 10% of people's income or goods produced.
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Role of parish clergy in town life
>Parish churches in towns contained a much wider collection of people, including merchants, craftsmen, labourers and vagrants. There was often a wider range of religious beliefs, too, especially in London, which contained mainstream Protestants, Puritans and Catholics.
>The role of the clergy varied both within towns and between them. In London a wide variety of parishes existed, some of which were very wealthy while others were relatively poor.
>Due to overcrowding, parish clergy in towns had a wider range of issues to deal with than was the case in rural parishes. These included poverty, vagrancy and diseases, such as smallpox and plague.
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The Puritan Challenge
>Many radical protestants, or Puritans, challenged Elizabeth's religious settlement of 1559.
>However, by the late 1560s most Protestant clergy were doing as the required.
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Who were the Puritans?
>Puritans were radical Protestants who wanted to 'purify' the Christian religion by getting rid of anything that wasn't in the Bible.
>Puritans wanted to develop their own Church, which would not be controlled by the queen. There would be no bishops, and priests would not wear vestments.
>Puritans wanted to make the world a 'more godly' by banning 'sinful' activities, such as gambling and cock fighting.
>Puritans wanted a simpler style of worship, whitewashed churches and no 'graven images' (worship of religious idols), including crucifixes and statues, which were seen as ungodly and too Catholic.
>A minority of Puritans believed the monarch could be overthrown in certain circumstances. This was especially the case if the monarch was Catholic.
>Many Puritans were anti-Catholic and believed the pope was the 'anti-Christ'. Other Puritans -millenarians-believed the world was ending and that Christians had to prepare for Jesus' return.
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The nature of the Puritan challenge
1. Crucifixes: Elizabeth, anxious not to upset her Catholic subjects, demanded that a crucifix be placed in each church. Puritans opposed this, and, when some Puritan bishops threatened to resign, Elizabeth backed down, as she couldn't replace them with educated Protestant clergy of similar ability.
2. Vestments: Elizabeth wanted the clergy to wear special vestments, as described in the Royal Injunctions. Puritans resisted this, arguing that clergy should either wear no vestments or simple vestment. In 1566, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Parker, required priests in his Book of Advertisements to attend an exhibition showing the vestments they must wear. This resulted in the resignation of 37 Puritan priests, who refused to attend church and to wear the new vestments as required.
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The Extent of the Puritan Challenge
>Puritans were a very vocal group within English society. Puritans, such as John Foxe, Thomas Cartwright and John Field, were openly anti-Catholic and opposed to bishops.
>While Puritans were very active in London, Cambridge, Oxfords and parts of East Anglia, Puritanism had less impact on northern England, were people remained mostly Catholic in outlook.
>The government ignored Puritan demands for reform of the Church of England, including the Admonition to Parliament in 1572, suggesting that Puritanism's support was limited.
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The Catholic challenge at home
>The Catholic Church became increasingly hostile to Protestantism and Elizabeth's rule.
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The Catholic challenge at home - The Counter Reformation
>The Catholic Church's attempt to reverse the Protestant Reformation in Europe and stop its spread was known as the Counter Reformation.
>Protestants in Europe were charged with heresy. Heresy involves denying the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church dealt with heretics severely, with many being executed fir their beliefs.
>In 1566, the pope issued an instruction to English Catholics to not attend Church if England services.
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Timeline of the Counter Reformation
>1517 - Start of the Reformation under Martin Luther King.
>1534 - Act of Supremacy: the king and not the pope is head of the Church of England.
>1553-58 - Catholicism is restored under Mary Tudor.
>1545-69 - Council of Trent and Counter Reformation leads to determination to reverse gains made by Protestantism in Europe and England since Reformation.
>1559 - Elizabeth's religious setlement.
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The nature of the Catholic threat at home
1. Counter Reformation in Europe attempts to reverse the spread of Protestantism.
2. Catholic hostility towards Protestants.
3. The pope instructs English Catholics not to attend Church of England services.
4. One-third of the English nobility and a large part of the gentry are recusants.
5. Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569-70)
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Recusants
>Recusants practised the Catholic religion in secret.
>Elizabeth initially tolerated them, as she did not want to turn them into religious martyrs and to avoid a Catholic rebellion.
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The extent of the Catholic threat
>Up to one-third of the nobility and many gentry were recusants, especially in the north and northwest England.
>Catholic nobility tended to be from traditional and powerful families that had prospered under Mary Tudor, such as the Nevilles and the Percys. They resented their loss of influence under Elizabeth and disliked the growing influence of her favourites, such as Sir William Cecil and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who they saw as Protestant upstarts.
>The nobility in the north were very influential and had always enjoyed independence from the Crown, so they were well placed to incite a rebellion against Elizabeth.
>This threat was increased by the pope's instruction that Catholics were not to attend Church of England service. This gave them powerful religious reasons to rebel.
64
The Catholic challenge abroad
>Many of Europe's most powerful rulers tended to be Catholic and, encouraged by the pope, represented a real threat to Queen Elizabeth's monarchy, as they could seek to remove her from the throne and replace her with a Catholic monarch.
>By 1570, Elizabeth was surrounded by potentially hostile Catholic powers that could seek to overthrow her and replace her with a Catholic monarch.
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The Catholic challenge abroad - France
>When religious war began in France, in 1562, Elizabeth backed French Protestants, hoping to take back Calais in return. Yet this policy failed, as French Protestants made peace with the Catholics later that year.
>Elizabeth couldn't afford to upset both France and Spain, as this would increase threats to her throne.
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The Catholic challenge abroad - The papacy
>The Counter Reformation meant the pope was prepared to end Protestant rule in England.
>He disapproved of the steps that Elizabeth had taken to suppress Catholicism following the revolt of the Northern Earls.
>The pope had already excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570. This could only encourage Catholic powers, such as France and Spain, to attack England.
67
The Catholic challenge abroad - Spain
>In 1566 the Dutch rebelled against Spanish occupation. Elizabeth outwardly condemned the Dutch rebels, known as the Sea Beggars, but many made their way to England. Spanish atrocities against Protestants (hundreds were put to death in the Netherlands) put Elizabeth under pressure to shelter rebels, who attacked Spanish ships in the Channel.
>Spain was further angered by England's seizure of the Genoese loan in 1568. The Italian city of Genoa lent gold to the Spanish government. Ships carrying the loan sheltered in English ports, where Elizabeth seized it, arguing it belonged to Italian bankers not Spain.
>By 1570, Spanish rule in the Netherlands was secure. The Privy Council now feared a Spanish invasion, as Spanish troops were in the Spanish Netherlands close to England.
>The presence of MQoS as an alternative Catholic monarch encouraged the Spanish government to plot against Elizabeth.
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Excommunication - defintion
>Excommunication means being formally excluded from the Catholic Church and unable to receive its sacraments.
69
Mary's claim to the throne
>Mary, Queen of Scots, had a legitimate claim to the English throne and was at the centre of many plots designed to overthrow Elizabeth.
>MQoS was Henry VII's great-granddaughter and Elizabeth's second cousin.
>She was descended from Margaret Tudor, Henry VIIIs sister, was Catholic and had a legitimate throne to the English throne.
>Mary was married to the French king, Francis II, and inherited the Scottish crown when she was only 6 days old.
>While Mary was in France, her mother, Mary of Guise, ruled Scotland.
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Why was Mary important?
>Mary was Catholic, which meant that many Catholics, including members of the nobility, would be prepared to support her claim to the throne.
>Mary's claim was strengthened by the fact there were no concerns about her legitimacy. Elizabeth's legitimacy was questioned by Catholics, however, as her mother Anne Boleyn's marriage to Henry VIII was seen by many Catholics as illegitimate. This undermined Elizabeth's claim to the throne.
>Mary, therefore, would always be at the centre of Catholic plots and conspiracies against Elizabeth. These involved both English plotters and foreign powers.
71
Mary leaves Scotland
>On the death of Francis II in 1560, Mary returned to Scotland and married Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley), producing an heir, James.
>Darnley was subsequently murdered (possibly with Mary's involvement) and this time married the Earl of Bothwell.
>Many Scots assumed that Mary had murdered Darnley and, in 1568, they rebelled against her, imprisoned her and forced her to abdicate in favour of her son, James.
>Mary escaped and raised an army, but this was defeated at Langside near Glasgow.
>Mary subsequently fled to England, seeking her cousin Elizabeth's help against the Scottish rebels.
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Mary's imprisonment in England, 1568
>Mary was held in England in comfort but under guard while Elizabeth decided what to do with her.
>The Scottish rebels demanded that Mary be handed over and tried for the murder of Darnley.
>Mary's arrival in England created a problem for Elizabeth:
-By remaining in England she could encourage rebellion, as many members of the Catholic nobility believed they could overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne.
-However, to take action against Mary, as an anointed monarch, would also reduce Elizabeth's own statues, power and authority.
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Mary vs Elizabeth
>Relations between the 2 monarchs remained tense, as Elizabeth became increasingly concerned about the presence of MQoS, in England between 1568-69, and the threat posed to her throne.
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Elizabeth's options with M,QoS in 1568-69
1. Help Mary to regain her throne.
2. Hand Mary over to the Scottish lords.
3. Allow Mary to go abroad.
4. Keep Mary in England.
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Elizabeth's options with M,QoS in 1568-69 - help mary regain her throne.
>Helping Mary to regain her throne would anger the Scottish nobility and leave Elizabeth facing a Catholic monarch on her northern border. The Auld Alliance with France could then be revived to threaten her.
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Elizabeth's options with M,QoS in 1568-69 - hand Mary over to the Scottish lords
>Mary was the former wife of Francis II. Her trial, imprisonment and execution by Scottish noblemen with Elizabeth's permission could provoke France, driving them into an alliance with Spain, which could lead both countries into war with England.
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Elizabeth's options with M,QoS in 1568-69 - allow Mary to go abroad
>Allowing Mary to go abroad could see her return to France. This could provoke a French plot that aimed to remove Elizabeth from the English throne and replace her with Mary.
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Elizabeth's options with M,QoS in 1568-69 - Keep Mary in England
>Keeping Mary in England was probably the best option for Elizabeth. However, it carried the risk that Catholic plotters might try to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
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The Casket Letters Affair
>A meeting was set up at York to hear the case against Mary between Oct 1568 and January 1569.
>The Scottish lords brought love letters with them, apparently demonstrating that Mary was guilty of murdering Lord Darnley.
>Mary said that she could not be tried because she was an anointed monarch, and would not offer plea unless Elizabeth guaranteed a verdict of innocence.
>Elizabeth refused, but she did not hand over Mary for trial.
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The Casket Letter Affair -consequences
>By not handing over Mary, Elizabeth ensured:
-The Scottish nobility would not imprison or execute Mary.
-The French would be satisfied.
-Her subjects did not punish an anointed monarch.
>The conference did not reach any conclusions, Mary, therefore, stayed in England, in captivity.
>But she remained a threat to Elizabeth, because plots against her, especially those involving Catholics, would seek to replace Elizabeth with Mary.
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Why did Elizabeth not make Mary her heir?
>One further possibility was that Elizabeth would acknowledge Mary as her heir.
>However, to do so would upset English Protestants, including those on her Privy Council.
>Without the support of these Privy Councillors, Elizabeth - already distrusted by many Catholics - would have few supporters left.
>Moreover, the prospect of a Catholic heir would, in the event of Elizabeth's death, result in civil war.
82
The Revolt of the Northern Earls
>The Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569-70) was a key turning point in Elizabeth's reign.
83
Why did the Northern Earls rebel?
>The earls and their followers wanted to make England Catholic again. They especially resented the appointment of James Pilkington, a Protestant, as Bishop of Durham in 1561.
>The earls had lost much of their influence at court under Elizabeth. They resented the 'new men', such as William Cecil, John Forster and Robert Dudley.
>Elizabeth's refusal to name an heir, or to marry and have a child created uncertainty. The earls feared civil war and loss of power and wealth under a future Protestant monarch.
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The rebels of the Northern Earl's revolt
>Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland - a major Catholic northern landowner.
>Ann Percy, the wife of Thomas Percy.
>Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland - a major Catholic northern landowner.
>Jane Neville was the wife of Charles Neville and the Duke of Norfolk's sister.
>Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, a senior noble and Protestant, with family links to the old, northern Catholic families. He planned to marry MQoS.
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The Revolt of the Northern Earls - the marriage plan
>Mary would marry the Duke of Norfolk, depose Elizabeth and become queen herself. She told the Spanish Ambassador in 1569 that she 'shall be Queen of England in 3 months' and that 'mass shall be said all over the country'.
>Robert Dudley told Elizabeth of the plot, leading to Norfolk's arrest and imprisonment in the Tower.
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The Revolt of the Northern Earls - progress of the rvolt
>Northumberland and Westmoreland, with their wives' support, continued with the revolt. They took control of Durham Cathedral, celebrating mass there, as well as in other northern churches, and began to move south.
>Elizabeth moved Mary to Coventry, to stop her escaping to join the rebels.
>Though the rebels captured Hartlepool, support from Spain never arrived.
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The Revolt of the Northern Earls - why did the revolt fail?
>Support from Spain never arrived.
>Many northern landowners, especially those in Lancashire and Cheshire, remained loyal to Elizabeth.
>Many landowners didn't want to risk wealth gained from the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII by backing a failed revolt.
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The Revolt of the Northern Earls - the revolt's significance
>It showed MQoS could not be trusted - and she remained in prison.
>The pope excommunicated Elizabeth (1570) and called on loyal Catholics to depose her. This encouraged further Catholic plots against her.
>The loyalty of England's Catholics was now in doubt, forcing the government to take harsh steps against them.
>Elizabeth's control over the north of England was strengthened.
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The Ridolfi Plot - background to the plot
>The failure of the revolt of the northern earls and the Papal Bull of 1570 meant that Elizabeth and her Privy Council treated Catholics with suspicion.
>The Earl of Huntingdon, a committed Protestant, led the Council of the North. He implemented laws against Catholics in the north of England. This angered many Catholics, who were now prepared, with the pope's backing, to plot against Elizabeth.
>The Ridolfi Plot 1571.
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The progress of the Ridolfi Plot
1. Roberto Ridolfi was an Italian banker who lived in England and worked as a spy for the pope.
2. In 1571, Ridolfi plotted to murder Elizabeth, start a Spanish invasion and put MQoS on the English throne. Mary would then marry Duke of Norfolk.
3. In March 1571, Ridolfi travelled to the Netherlands to discuss the plot with the pope, Philip II and the Duke of Alba. Ridolfi had a letter signed by the Duke of Norfolk in which Norfolk declared himself Catholic and pledged to lead the rebellion with Philip II's support.
4. Philip II instructed the Duke of Alba to prepare 10,000 troops to send across the English Channel in support of the revolt.
>Sir William Cecil discovered the plot and, by autumn 1571, was able to prove that Norfolk was guilty of high treason. Ridolfi remained abroad and never returned to England.
6. When parliament reconvened in May 1572, it demanded the execution of both Norfolk and MQoS. Elizabeth signed Norfolk's death warrant leading to his execution in June 1572. Yet Elizabeth was reluctant to punish Mary, and even refused to remove her from the succession.
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The significance of the Ridolfi Plot
>It reinforced the threat from Spain, as Philip II would support any plots against Elizabeth.
>The threat from Spain meant that England needed to improve relations with France, as England could not fight both countries at once.
>It confirmed that English Catholics and MQoS, remained a threat to Elizabeth.
>The government now began to monitor Catholics more closely and treat them more severely. Two laws passed in 1581 meant that families would be fined for sheltering priests and charged with treason if they converted people to Catholicism.
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The Throckmorton Plot
>1583.
>The French Duke of Guise, a cousin of MQoS, plotted to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth, free Mary and make England Catholic again.
>Philip II offered to help pay for the revolt and the pope approved of the conspiracy.
>Francis Throckmorton, a young Englishman, would pass letters between the plotters and MQoS.
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The failure of the Throckmorton plot
>Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's Secretary of State, discovered the plot in May 1583.
>In November 1583, Walsingham's spies found papers at Throckmorton's house that revealed his part in the conspiracy.
>Throckmorton was arrested and tortured. He confessed to his involvement and was executed in May 1584.
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WHhy was the Throckmorton Plot significant?
>Revealed extent of threat posed by foreign Catholic powers, English Catholics and MQoS.
>Showed potential threat from France and Spain. Elizabeth had to take care these Catholic powers did not unite against her.
>Throckmorton's papers included a list of Catholic sympathisers in England, confirming government's fears of 'enemy within'.
>Government treated English Catholics with greater suspicion. Many fled England after the plot. Up to 11,000 were imprisoned, or kept under surveillance or house arrest. An Act of Parliament of 1585 made helping or sheltering Catholic priests punishable by death.
>1584 Bond of Association passed. If Elizabeth was under threat MQoS would be executed.
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The Babington Plot and the execution of MQoS
1. The Duke of Guise would invade England, murder ELizabeth and put MQoS on the throne. Philip II and the pope supported the plot.
2. Anthony Babington, a Catholic, wrote to Mary in July 1586 about the conspiracy.
3. Sir Francis Walsingham intercepted and read Babington's letters to Mary, which clearly demonstrated her awareness of, support for and involvement in the conspiracy.
4. Babington and the plotters were sentenced to death and hanged, drawn and quartered.
5. In October 1586, Mary was sentenced to death for her part in the plot. Elizabeth delayed, but signed Mary's death warrant in February 1587. Mary was beheaded shortly afterwards.
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Why was the Babington plot significant?
>Elizabeth's situation was more precarious than with previous plots.
>By 1585, England and Spain were virtually at war.
>Elizabeth's government became determined to crush the Catholic threat.
>The persecution of Catholics intensified. In 1585, 11,000 Catholics were imprisoned or place under house arrest. 31 priests were executed across the country in 1586.
>The plot led to the execution of MQoS ending any hope of replacing Elizabeth with a Catholic heir.
