Mary S

• Reasons why a female ruler was feared

  • A woman would be unable to control faction
  • A woman would be unable to lead an army in battle
  • A woman was expected to marry, and the marriage question raised problems
• Problems regarding Mary’s marriage prospects

  • If Mary married an Englishman, the power of her husbands family would increase and they would dominate court
  • If Mary married a foreigner, there were fears that the country would be dominated by foreigners
• Which theologian expressed the view that it was unnatural and insulting to God to let a woman rule

  John Knox
• Who were the only two realistic candidates for marriage

  • Edward Courtenay,
  • Phillip of Spain
• Courtenay was descended from royal blood, but Mary’s preference was Phillip, as it would bring England closer to the Habsburgs, the family which her mother was related
• After Mary announced her marriage in October 1553, there was a petition from the House of Commons opposing her decision.
• The men behind the Wyatt rebellion were the political elite who had all held office under Henry VIII and Edward, but they feared with the Spanish marriage, they would loose influence and court would be dominated by Spaniards.
• The rebels did get to the gates of London, but Mary’s resolution and refusal to leave the city were factors in its defeat and a sigo that a female ruler was not necessarily week.
• Despite the defeat of the rebellion, it did have an impact on stability because the marriage did not take place until twelve months after Mary came to the throne.
• During the spring and summer of 1553, a plot developed to change the succession, exluding Mary. Following this, Edward named Lady Jane Grey as his successor.
• Factors to suggest Northumberland was behind the exclusion of Mary

  • It was essential to preserve his power,
  • As a protestant, he would lose power when Mary came to the throne
• Evidence to suggest that Edward was behind the exclusion of Mary

  • He was playing a greater role in the government, attending privy council meetings and setting some agendas
  • Edward was a committed protestant, he did not want the throne to go to a catholic
  • he wanted the religious reform programme to continue
• what year was the devise for succession initially drawn up in

  1553
• The plot was poorly managed and this supports the view that it was Edward, rather than Northumberland, behind its organisation
• • As an experienced soldier Northumberland would have ensured he had sufficient forces to take control, but the professional forces had been dismissed in 1552
  • he would have ensured Mary was captured, but instead she escaped to East Anglia
  • he would have launched a propaganda campaign to prepare the nation for the change in succession
• The question of legitimacy was especially important to the ruling and gentry class because if they supported an illegal claimant all laws could be challenged and their right to land questioned. It was in their interests to support the rightful ruler
• When Mary died, the crown was peacefully offered to her sister, suggesting legitimacy and the succession as stated by Henry in the Third Succession Act was more important than issues of religious belief.
• Mary’s Privy council was large as she brought in her own supporters who had helped her gain the throne, but also kept many experianced administrators. This lead to some to argue that her council was ineffective.
• Counter arguments for the ineffectiveness of Mary’s Privy Council

  • It was rare for all councillors to be present
  • The average size of meetings was similar to those held under Northumberland
  • Committees were established in 1554 which excluded casual councillors
  • In 1555 and ‘inner council was established’
  • Phillip’s departure in 1555 and the death of Gardiner in November 1555 allowed Paget to dominate and establish a conciliar form of government
• Gardiner and Paget


  • There were clashes between Gardiner and Paget, initially over Mary’s marriage, but also over the revival of the Hersey laws
  • In April 1554 parliament rejected their reintroduction and did not agree to them until they had guarantees that monastic lands would not be restored to the church
  • this provides clear evidence of the unpopularity of Mary’s policy
  • However the struggle to reintroduce them was part of the factional struggle between Paget and Gardiner
• The Impact of Pole

  • it could be argued that the arrival of Cardinal Pole as Papal legate changed the nature of court politics
  • It has been argued that Mary was aware of the divisions among her councillers and had everything referred to Pole, or the Spanish ambassador
• Who was the Spanish Ambassador

  Simon Renard
• What was Pole’s position

  papal legate
• For Mary, all other policies were secondary To religion
• Methods used to increase income during Mary’s reign

  • rents on crown lands were reevaluated and raised - estimated to have raided by £40,000 per annum
  • The Exchequer successfully pursued crown debtors — some of who had been in debt for 40 years
  • A new Book of Rates was introduced in 1558
  • The cost of garrisoning Calais was removed
  • Plans were made to reissue the coinage, after the debasements made under Edward’s reign, this did not take place until Elizabeth however
• The Exchequer 


  central financial institution
• The Social and Economic problems of Mary’s reign

  • In 1555 and 1556, rain caused the worst harvest failure of the century, leading to increase in grain prices and widespread famine
  • 1956/58, typhus epidemics were followed by an outbreak in influenza which killed 1/10 people. This was the only time since records began that the death rate was twice as high as normal - the population may have dropped by 5%
  • Mary should bear as little responsibility for these crises and her government policies were as effecting and responsive as any contemporary regime could have been