Mid-tudor crisis Flashcards
Treason Act (1547)
- Under Somerset
- Allowed religious issues to be discussed and removed censorship
- Protestant material could be brought into England for the first time legally
Protestant Book of Common Prayer and act of Uniformity (1549)
- Under Somerset
- Translated traditional services into English
- Ambiguous in relation to the Eucharist using words which still might allow transubstantiation
Reforms to Church services under Northumberland
- Removal of altars
- Combining lutheran and calvinist elements
1552 Book of Common Prayer and Act of Uniformity:
- Under Northumberland
- Removed remaining ‘conservative’ ceremonies
- gave Protestant form to the baptism, confirmation, burial and Communion services
Impact of religious change under Edward:
- services became plainer and people were less inclined to leave money.
- Loss of charitable functions of monasteries and chantries.
Economic changes under Edward:
- Situation was poor after Henry’s expenditure on war and inflation
- increasing enclosure leading to unemployment
- Steps taken include Somerset’s proclomation against enclosure and tax on sheep
debasement of the coinage
Northumberland’s commission to improve royal financial administration
Western rebellion (1549):
- Devon and Cornwall
- Prompted by religious grievances (catalyst being the new Book of Common Prayer) and sheep tax (uncaring government in London hitting farmers)
Kett’s rebellion (July 1549)
- Motivated by : Hatred of local government officials, resentment of enclosure, local fustration over the maladministration of the Howards
- Rebellion was brutally suppressed and Kett hanged
- Presented some danger as Somerset was preoccupied with Scotland and France
Disagreement’s over Mary’s religious policies and succession:
- A significant minority of MPs opposed the reversal of Edwardian religious legislation
- MPs proved reluctant to restore ex-monastic land to the Church
- Parliament defeated a 1555 bill to allow the seizure of property of Protestant exiles
The Spanish Marriage (1554):
- Without consultation of the privy chamber.
- marriage treaty:
Gave Philip the title of King but no power
Forbade foreigners from holding English offices
Ruled that Philip had no claim on the English crown if Mary died before he did
Absolved England from any involvement in, or financial support, for Philip’s wars.
Mary’s relations with foreign powers:
- Desire to restore papal supremacy and to advance Philip as her choice of husband
- Election of fiercely anti-Spanish pope restored state of war between France and Spain
- Mary decided to support Spain and go to war against France
- Lost Calais to France in 1558
Problem:
Strong protestant minority in London.
Reformed Protestant Church had been established by statute law
Many people from the political elite had acquired Church land and were not keen to return it
Actions:
- Protestant clergy were deprived of their livings
- Foreign protestants were ordered to leave country
- Around 80 MPs voted against religious changes of Mary’s first parliament
- Edwardian religious changes were repealed but the legal status of the Church of England was retained
Pope Julius III demanded that the Church submit to Rome before dispensations to landowners of ex-church property could be granted:
- Pope Julius agreed not to try claim back Church land that had been sold (reduced opposition to the return of Catholicism)
Heresy laws (1554):
- made it punishable by death to deny papal supremacy
- around 280 Protestants were burnt at the stake
Act of Supremacy (1555):
Made the Pope the leader of the Church again
