chapter 13 Somerset & Northumberland

• Edward’s rule is mostly controlled by the Privy council. 

  He was 9 when he became king and his uncle, Edward Seymour, (brother of Jane and later Duke of Somerset) seized power as Lord protector.
• Edward faced a number problems on becoming king:

  1. Religious division 
  2. The crown lacked money due to Henry VIII’s wars with France
  3. The coinage had been debased 
  4. Henry VIII had sold monastic lands cheaply
• In the will of Henry VIII it set up a Regency council to run the kingdom during Edward VI’s minority. 

  The council had 16 members with 12 assistants

  Decisions would be made by a simple majority.

  The power was balanced between protestants (like Edward Seymour and Archbishop Cranmer) and conservatives (more catholic) 

  The great noble families were under-represented.

  The regency council was quickly dissolved.

  Somerset became Lord Protector following its dissolution
• Archbishop Cranmer wrote a homily message to read out in churches on obedience. It stressed that the king’s view was that of gods and going against him would be a sin.
• John Dudley, earl of Warwick seizes power following the downfall of Somerset. He took the title of Lord President and then became the lord chamberlain which gave him control over the court and was promoted to Duke of Northumberland.

  He immediately removed conservatives from the council
• Northumberland takes control:

  • Northumberland operated effective government through the privy council 
  • William Cecil (formerly a somerset loyalist) was able to become Northumberland’s key administrator
  • Somerset was readmitted to the council but he tried to become lord protector again and was executed.
  • Northumberland rejected the Conciliar approach to government and took direct power himself. → enemies like Paget were removed from the council 
  • Northumberland was supported by his ally, Gates, who had possession of the DRY STAMP which could affix the king’s signature to documents. 
• Northumberland stabilised government but his reputation is tarnished by his attempts to alter the succession

  • Henry VIII’s will stated that Mary was next in line. But mary was Catholic
  • In February 1553 he was taken ill.
  • Northumberland wanted to stop the Catholic Mary from becoming Queen.
  • Edward wanted a protestant continuation in England and was prepared to exclude them from succession. They were declared illegitimate. 
  • Northumberland preferred the great-granddaughter of Henry VII Lady Jane Grey (who was married to his son Guilford Dudley) as she would continue protestantism in England.
• Edward dies on the 6th of July, before parliament had been summoned to make Edwards written document (the Devise) law. 

  Northumberland was slow to act. He announced edwards death and proclaimed jane as queen on the 9th july 1553.
• Somerset took an aggressive approach towards scotland. He supported the ancient claim of Edward I to the crown of Scotland. 

  Somerset wanted to enforce a marriage between Edward VI and the infant Mary Queen of Scots. This would unite the crowns and ensure English domination.
• • Somerset’s strategy was to establish garrison in south Scotland
  • In 1547 Somerset’s army defeated the scots at the battle of pinkie
  • After the victory his strategy begins to fail as garrisons were expensive + England was poor
  • couldnt capture castles at Dunbar and Edinburgh.
  • Somerset also underestimated the ‘Auld alliance’
  • French sent a fleet down the firth of fourth to help Edinburgh
  • The french gain control of Mary, Queen of Scots → taken to France to marry the dauphin

  He couldnt secure the marriage with Mary, Q of S and relations with France deteriorated
• Northumberland’s foreign policy:

  • Ends the wars with france and scotland to try and restore royal finances 
  • The French are in a powerful position and make demands: England have to concede the port of Boulogne (which had been expensive to occupy anyway). The Fench agree to pay £133,333 in order to recover the port.
  • Withdrawing garrisons from southern scotland also helped to recover royal finances