Mary I

• Mary I became Queen

  Became Queen in East Anglia in 1553 after rallying support against Northumberland
• How had Mary's position previously become jeopardised

  Edward's decision to remove her from the succession and make Jane Queen
• Why did people support Mary initially

  • People supported her due to her Catholic values, Northumberland's unpopularity and her determination
• Traditional view on her reign

  Mary was a poor monarch, overshadowed by Elizabeth. She is seen as incompetent, "moving England away from development"
• Revisionist view on her reign

  Developments that took place in Mary's reign laid the foundations for Elizabeth's successes. She is a victim of Protestant propaganda.
• Issues initially faced by Mary


  • Religious divisions (she was a Catholic in a Protestant country)
  • She was not brought up to rule or politically experienced
  • Her supporters had little political experience or influence
  • She had to rely on Edward's Protestant advisors
  • She was unmarried and had no children
  • Her only heir was her half-sister Elizabeth
  • The economy was in ruins eg cloth trade, inflation, unemployment
  • Poor harvests, poverty and increasing population were proving more difficult to combat
• Mary's key objectives


  • To restore Catholicism
  • To make herself 'legitimate'
  • To secure the succession
• Mary's first action as queen


  Passed a law legalising her parent's marriage and making herself legitimate, repealing Edward's religious legislation and renouncing the title of the Supreme Head of the Church
• How Mary reorganised the Privy Council

  • Appointed around 50 councillors during her reign
  • She effectively kept a loyal council and didn't cause political tensions
• Issue with her Privy Council


  Although she was never fully trusting of her advisors, and this played a role in her lack of success in government
• How Parliament opposed Mary

  • Refused to exclude Elizabeth from succession and comply with taxation demands
  • They attempted to act against Phillip of Spain by inhibiting his coronation
  • 80 MP's opposed the First Act of Repeal (1553), which would go back on all of Edward's religious polices
• Occasions when Mary and Parliament worked together

  They were willing to compromise on occasions regarding social and economic policies
• How Mary changed Revenue Administration

  Aimed to raise revenue from crown lands, aided by Lord Treasurer Winchester
• 1558 Book of Rates


  Revaluated customs rates, increasing revenue during Mary's reign
• Mary's plans for recoinage

  Initiated in 1556-58 to remove debased coinage from circulation
• Why recoinage plans failed

  Due to a combination of war and harvest failures - the plans were put off indefinitely
• Boroughs


  System to ensure stability in towns, granting rights to town councils
• Charters of Incorporation


  Outlined rights of towns as individual bodies, and they could put forward proposals/grievances. Mary and Parliament would respond to these proposals appropriately.
• How Mary reformed the Navy and Militia

  Under Mary, improvements in the naval and militia systems were made, and the provision of weapons was modernised
• National system of musters

  Introduced under Mary with penalties for absence and corruption in the military
• Why was Mary anxious to get married

  To restore the legacy of Catholicism, and avoid passing the throne to Elizabeth
• Why did Mary reject an English husband


  She didn't want to increase the status of that person's family or faction
• Who was the most qualified suitor

  Phillip of Spain was the most qualified suitor, as he was a relative, Spanish (like her mother), and a trusted Catholic
• Conditions of their marriage


  • Phillip could not enjoy the privileges that came with being king of England
  • His followers could not hold public offices in England
  • His children had no claim to the English throne
• Who opposed the marriage


  Protestants - Phillip was a devout Catholic, and he would add to Mary's determination to reverse the Reformation
• What did people think were Phillip's motives

  Phillip was heir to the Spanish throne, and people thought he would use this as a tool to place England under the Spanish empire
• Wyatt's Rebellion (1554)


  Sir Thomas Wyatt planned a Protestant rebellion against Mary, attempting to replace her with a Yorkist king. The rebellion was anti-Spanish and anti-Catholic. It was also an uproar against economic problems.
• Wyatt's original plan


  Originally the rebellion was meant to be four separate ones, although Wyatt's was the only one that materialised. He managed to gather about 3000 men and march into London, although ultimately this failed and the rebellion collapsed within a week.
• How much of a threat was Wyatt's rebellion to Mary


  It threatened the capital, but it failed to gain support, and so was not that serious. Wyatt was executed.
• Who did Mary execute in 1554 and why

  Lady Jane Grey - her living would continue the threat of rebellion, so she and her husband were executed. Elizabeth was also arrested.
• Mary's background in terms of religion

  She was a devout Catholic, and wanted to restore this the England. She needed to focus on changing laws to bring back Catholicism.
• Religious problems Mary faced

  Protestantism was still strong, and legally England was a Protestant country.
• Religious reform passed in 1553


  The First Act of Repeal was passed, which swept away all of the Protestant legislation from Edward. The church was restored to it's state before Henry VIII, and Protestants were exiled.
• Who arrived in England in 1554


  Arrival of Cardinal Pole in England from Catholic exile under Edward.
• What did the Second Act of Repeal do


  1554 - abolished all doctrinal legislation since 1529. This included the 1534 Act of Supremacy, which ultimately made England Catholic once more and restored the Pope as the head of the church, and the restoration of the heresy laws.
• What happened to the monastic land that had previously been sold

  It was agreed that monastic land would stay on the possession of its new owners, rather return to the church.
• Decided punishment for Protestants who would not renounce their faith


  Being burnt at the stake
• How did Mary earn her reputation as 'bloody Mary'


  The amount of people she burnt - the first being John Rodgers in 1555.
• How did relations with the Pope change in 1555


  Pope Julius III died and was succeeded by Pope Paul IV, and due to Paul's conflict with the Spanish, it meant that Mary had to acknowledge her husband and his Spanish allies rather than the Pope.
• Successes of Mary's religious policy


  • The First Act of Repeal successfully revoked Edward's reforms
  • 800 Protestants fled into exile
  • The Second Act of Repeal restored the Pope as the head of the church
  • No rebellions suggested popularity of her reforms
  • Successful return to Catholic practices eg mass
  • There was suggested cooperation from priests as most of them kept their position, just adhered to Mary's policy