Topic 1: Queen, gov and religion 1558-69

• What percentage was the social hierarchy of the countryside?

  90% population of Elizabethan England lived in countryside.
• What percentage was the social hierarchy of towns?

  10% population of Elizabethan England in towns.
• Who's who in the countryside?

  • nobility= major landowners; lords, dukes and earls
  • gentry= smaller estates
  • yeoman farmers= a small amount of land
  • homeless and vagrants= moved from place to place looking for work
• Who's who in the towns?

  • merchants= traders who were very wealthy
  • professionals= lawyers, doctors and clergymen
  • business owners= craftsmen, such as silversmith
• problems Elizabeth faced when becoming queen:

  • age (21 yrs old), no experience
  • unmarried
  • she was protestant not catholic
  • Her legitimacy (lawfully entitled to rule)
• Elizabeths character and strengths:

  • charismatic
  • well educated
  • understood politics
  • protestant, growing making her position of queen secure
• What was the financial weaknesses in 1558?

  a need to improve quality of money to help Englands fiances

  e.g crown in debt of £300000
• How monarchs could raise money:

  • rent their own lands
  • taxes from trade
  • loans
  • profits
• The word crowns refers to the government which means the monarch and her advisers.
• What Elizabeth could do solver her financial problems?

  • raise taxes to boost crowns income
  • improve quality of money by increasing the gold and silver content in coinage
• pro and cons of raising taxes:

  • ask parliament for subsides
  • additional taxes be unpopular with people, risk of unrest
• pros and cons of improving quality of money:

  • crown was slow to respond (Thomas Gresham)
  • struggle to exchange older coins with new
• What she did:

  • didn't raise taxes instead hoarded her income
  • sold crown lands raising £1200000
• Challenges abroad she faced in 1588:

  • the French threat
  • under the treaty of cateau-cambresis
  • the auld alliance
• Religious divisions in England and Europe 16Th century:

  • Northern Europe - Protestants
  • divided catholics and protestants from 1517
  • some protestants became puritans
• catholics beliefs:

  • pope head of church and helped by cardinals
  • church is the go between god and people
  • 7 sacraments
  • priests are celibate
• Catholics practices:

  • services in latin
  • priests wear vestments
  • churches highly decorated
• Catholics support:

  • catholics the majority in north and west England
• Protestants and puritans beliefs:

  • no pope
  • personal direct relationship with god via prayer and bible.
  • 2 sacraments baptism and holy communion
  • priest can marry
• protestants and puritans practises:

  • priests wear simple vestments
  • services in English
  • churches plain and simple and no decorations
• Elizabeths religious settlement:

  • act of supremacy
  • royal injunctions
  • ecclesiastical high commission
  • book of common prayer
• What was the royal injunctions?

  A set of instructions to the clergy that reinforced the acts of supremacy and uniformity. Instructions how people should worship God.
• Impacts of the religious settlement:

  • 8000 clergy out of 10000 accepted religious settlement
  • many Marian Bishops opposed the settlement
  • many people accepted Elizabeths religious settlements
• Role of Church of England in society:

  • responsible for church courts
  • visitations
  • legitimised elizabeths rule
  • enforced elizabeths religious settlement 1559
  • preached the governments message