Edward VI

Question 1

Initial problems

Answer 1

• Too young to rule in own right
• Factionalism
• Religious differences
• Depleted crown finances
• Rising inflation & falling income
• Income from monastic lands lost

Question 2

Henry’s plan for the succession

Answer 2

26 Dec 1546 altered succession -
reintroduced Mary & Elizabeth

Planned for balance regency council
of 16 members

Question 3

Actual succession

Answer 3

Sir Denny (reform faction)
used dry stamp to alter Henry’s will
strengthen power of regency council

One clause gave council
power to award gifts
Henry indented to make before death

Edward Seymour (Hertford) used to seize power
as Edward’s Protector
& reward own supporters

Hertford took title Duke of Somerset

Question 4

Key rivalry

Answer 4

Somerset & Northumberland

Northumberland = John Dudley
(Viscount Lisle, Earl of Warwick)

Question 5

Somerset & Northumberland’s wrestle for control’

Answer 5

1. Somerset declares himself Lord Protector
   arrogant & dictatorial style of gov made many enemies
2. Thomas Seymour & Earl of Southampton(Wriothesely)
   plotted against Somerset - unsuccessful
   discredits Somerset
   Seymour executed - Wriothesely betrayed him & readmitted to council

3.1549 rebellions weakened Somerset
Dudley & Southampton plot to remove him
Somerset fled London with Edward
forced surrender Oct 1549 & arrested
returned to council Apr 1550 - not in charge

4. Dudley in position of power in council
   purged remaining conservatives inc. Southhampton
   Feb 1550 promoted Lord President of the Council
5. 1551 Dudley awarded Duke of Northumberland title
   involved Edward more in gov & invited council meetings
6. Somerset accused plotting to regain power
   arrested Oct 1551 & executed Jan 1552

Question 6

Foreign policy aims - Somerset

Answer 6

1. Secure marriage of Edward & Mary Queen of Scots
2. Secure alliance with France
3. Secure French agreement not intervene Scottish affairs
4. Ensure dominance over Scotland

Question 7

Battle of Pinkie

Answer 7

Sep 1547

Henry II took over French throne - more aggressive
Henry II renewed Auld Alliance
sent fleet of warships & 4000 troops to Scotland

Somerset launched land invasion
22,000 men, 30 warships & 50 supply ships

Scottish army poorly equipped - defeat south of Edinburg
Somerset controlled boarder region - set up forts/garrisons
could not make further gains

Garrisons expensive to maintain
Failed to control strategically important castles - Edinburg/Firth of Fourth
French still able to supply Scottish army

Cost £600,000
Gained some south Scottish land
Mostly strengthen Franco-Scottish relations

Question 8

Foreign policy aims - Northumberland

Answer 8

1. Cut expenditure
2. Secure alliances with France & Scotland

Question 9

Treaty of Boulogne

Answer 9

1550
Peace treaty with French

Terms:
1. England return Boulogne
French pay £133,333 compensation
had been expensive to maintain
2. Remove garrisons & troops from Scotland
3. English-Scottish boarder returned to 1542 position
4. Perpetual peace alliance
5. Marriage of Edward & Henry II’s daughter

Question 10

Relations with Charles V

Answer 10

Angered by closed English-French relations
Opposed increasingly radical religious reforms

Considered English invasion 1551
Response Northumberland put trade embargo on sale of cloth to Netherlands

By June 1552 Charles improved relations for economic reasons

Question 11

Financial policy - Somerset

Answer 11

War in Scotland cost £600,000 1547-49
Put immense pressure of Crown finances

£300,000 financial deficit by 1550

Foreign policy paid for by debasement of the coinage
raised £500,000 1547-51

Dissolution of Chantries may have financial motives

Crown effectively insolvent

Question 12

Taxation policy - Somerset

Answer 12

1548 Subsidy Act
1p tax on each sheep
1/2 p tax on each pound wool exported
had little impact on crown finances

1549 introduced tax on personal property
also unpopular

1549 rebellion partly caused by unpopularity of policies

Question 13

Social & economic policy - Somerset

Answer 13

1520-1550 food prices doubled
wages were stagnant
exacerbated by debasement of the coinage

Sharp decline in wool trade after 1551 Antwerp crash
bad harvests led to greater hardship

Somerset favoured anti-enclosure polices
appointed Enclosure Commission
to stop/reverse policy
origin of reputation ‘friend of the poor’

1547 Vagrancy Act
stated able bodied people out of work for 3 days
would be branded
children could forced to be sent to work as apprentice
harsh but rarely used

Question 14

Nature of Somerset’s government

Answer 14

Somerset granted himself quasi-Royal powers 1547
own household officials dominated gov
often by-passed Regency Council

Used Royal Proclamations
to increased own power & reduce factionalism
Issued 71 proclamations

Question 15

Finance & taxation policy - Northumberland

Answer 15

Sir William Paulet appointed Lord Treasurer 1550
Took advice from experts
William Cecil & Walter Mildmay

Aimed to
reduced expenditure, increased income & clear debts

Planned to issue recoinage 1551
not carried out until 1552 due to Antwerp Crash

Repealed Subsidy Tax of 1548

Question 16

Poverty policy - Northumberland

Answer 16

1552 New Poor Law
made parishes legally responsible for
raising money to look after
‘deserving’ poor
(each had different approach - inconsistent)

Sponsored Voyage of Discovery from 1552
way of expanding & promoting trade
(high risk - no guarantee of discovery)

Question 17

Policy to reduce expenditure - Northumberland

Answer 17

Ended costly war
Treaty of Boulogne 1550 received £133,333 from France

Mildmay led Commission
enquire into national finances
(not back until Mary’s reign)
resulted introduction of new accounting methods
(similar to Henry VII’s use of Chamber)
more efficient & less corrupt system collecting revenue

Debts reduced
£300,000 in 1550
£180,000 in 1553
partly funded by selling Chantry buildings
critics called plundering church

Question 18

Northumberland’s style of government

Answer 18

Sought advice from key councillors
eg. William Cecil

Expanded council to 33 members

Weakened gov to assert own authority
Removed opposition (less balanced)
eg. Earl of Southampton & William Paget

Somerset re-admitted 1551
removed & executed 1552

1550 Treason Act
re-imposed censorship
helped restore law & order
helped end social discontent 1547-49

Question 19

Religion background

Answer 19

1547 20% people in London Protestant

Question 20

Government approach to religion

Answer 20

Somerset’s policy was cautious
Archbishop Cranmer was also cautious
Northumberland’s policy was more radical

Question 21

Causes of religious change

Answer 21

1. Role of monarch
2. Role of men in gov
3. Influence of others
   eg. Hooper, Luther, Zwingli & Calvin
4. Financial motives

Question 22

Book of Homilies & Paraphrases

Answer 22

July 1547
New book of homilies to be put in every church
One of which based on Luther’s idea of
justification by faith alone

Book written by Erasmus put in every church

In almost every parish church by 1549

Steven Gardiner & Bishop of London
objected & arrested

Question 23

Royal injunctions

Answer 23

July 1547
All clergy preach in English
& English bible in every church

superstitious images removed from churches (iconoclasm)

Question 24

Chantries Act

Answer 24

Nov - Dec 1547 meeting of Parliament
Ordered closure of all chantries

3000 chantries, 90 colleges & 110 hospitals closed

Unease & opposition
feared without prayer for souls of dead
remain in purgatory

Question 25

Act of Six Articles repealed

Answer 25

Nov - Dec 1547 meeting of parliament Act had re-established some Catholic practises Effectively left church without official doctrine

Question 26

Treason Act repealed

Answer 26

Nov - Dec 1547 meeting of parliament removed old heresy, treason & censorship laws allowed discussion of religion freely led to rapid spread of radical ideas

Question 27

All images to be removed from churches

Answer 27

Feb 1548 Iconoclasm continued Most visible change for church goers

Question 28

Royal Proclamations

Answer 28

April - Sep 1548 Only authorised clergy could preach No new ideas could be preached unless liturgy approved

Question 29

First Book of Common Prayer

Answer 29

1549 Services in English Communion in both ways (ambiguous/transubstantiation) Kept all but 2 sacraments Allowed clerical marriage Worship of saints discouraged Traditional vestments to be worn in Church Fasts & holy days remained

Question 30

Second Book of Common Prayer

Answer 30

Jan 1552 Denied transubstantiation No traditional vestments to be worn Stone alters replaced with communion tables Restriction on music

Question 31

Act of Uniformity

Answer 31

April 1552 Became offence to not attend CoE services punishable by fines & imprisonment

Question 32

Issuing of the 42 Articles

Answer 32

June 1553 Established justification by faith alone Gave first encounter with Calvinist idea of Predestination Radically Protestant Delayed by council issued weeks before Edward's death immediately removed by Mary Form basis of Elizabeth's 39 Articles

Question 33

Causes of Western Rebellion

Answer 33

April 1548 William Body was murdered had been tasked with removing images from church sparked local protest - mostly over iconoclasm Introduction of Book of Common Prayer in 1549 citied as main reason religious grievances ran deeper wanted reversal of all religious reform Cornish leaders demanded restoration of Catholic doctrine & practises Resentment gentry gained land from monasteries closure Impact of debasement & inflation Increased enclosure Farm labourers resented sheep tax

Question 34

Extent of threat of Western Rebellion

Answer 34

Gathered at Crediton in Devon before advanced to Exeter & set up camp Challenged by local JP & dispute escalated Made no attempt to march beyond Devon waited for King's troops to march to them Somerset underestimate seriousness Troops stationed in north to defend against Scotland and along coast Coincided with Kett Rebellion divided royal forces further Lord Russell had to rely on foreign mercenaries to defeat rebellion Many lacked central genuine purpose reflected desperation of poorest classes

Question 35

Causes of Kett rebellion

Answer 35

Bad harvests Rapid prices rises Resentment at gov officials profiteering from absence of strong king Resentment at poor administration of local landowners - powerful Howard family Anger at enclosure Demands for dismissal of inadequate clergy

Question 36

Extent of threat of Kett Rebellion

Answer 36

Gangs May-June 1549 tore down hedges to break enclosure Robert Kett landowner agreed to end enclosure Did not march to London instead camped outside Norwich ran mostly peaceful campaign Kett claimed 15,000 men would stand if army attacked Captured Norwich in July Dudley set out to meet rebels 27 August defeated army included foreign mercenaries 4,000 dead from both sides no change to enclosure/local gov Revealed huge weakness in gov gave Somerset's critics opportunity to strike

Question 37

Succession crisis

Answer 37

Edward died 6 July 1553 Mary next in line to throne Northumberland & Edward plotted to place Lady Jane Grey on throne Lady Jane Grey married Guildford Dudley Northumberland's son June 1553 Edward declared Mary/Elizabeth illegitimate ↓ Edward drafted will signed by 102 nobility leaving succession to Grey & her heirs Known as Devyse ↓ Edward died before devyse ratified by parliament ↓ Northumberland proclaimed Grey queen 9 July 1553 ↓ Mary gathered catholic supporters & nobility in Norfolk ↓ Northumberland summoned 2000 troops Members of army/navy proclaimed support for Mary ↓ Council proclaimed Mary queen 19 July 1553 ↓ Northumberland proclaimed Mary queen 20 July 1553 ↓ Northumberland executed for treason Aug 1553 ↓ Grey held prisoner executed for treason 1554 after later rebellion