Edward VI, Somerset and Northumberland

• When did Edward VI become King?

  Edward VI became King in 1547 following the death of his father, Henry VIII.
• What problems immediately arose following Edward VI's ascension to power?

  - Edward was just nine years old and so was unable to run the country on his own

  - Religious divisions between Protestant and Catholic, this reflected the rampant factionalism within the Country at the time

  - Weakened economy following expensive wars against Scotland and France, war also meant that the overall foreign policy was not overly peaceful

  - Debasement of the Coinage led to rising inflation and decreasing real incomes

  - A lack of monastic lands to sell off to make additional money
• What was Edward VI like?

  - Self-disciplined

  - Cold (including towards his own family members)

  - Well-educated (learning to speak 6 languages)

  - Intelligent (as all Tudor monarchs were)

  - Serious

  - Assertive (later in his reign)

  - Had the potential to be a great monarch, knowledgeable on the makings of a king

  - Talented

  - Serious minded

  - Hard-working

  - Vindictive

  - Distrustful

  - Seen as some sort of 'puppet king' but did contribute to some decisions during his reign
• How was the country meant to be governed whilst Edward was still a child?

  Henry had a regency council set up which comprised sixteen members and a further twelve to assist as required. The Council would decide on implementing decisions through majority votes.
• Did this regency council idea work?

  The Council was meant to be balanced between Protestants and religious Conservatives. However, Norfolk was soon arrested and Gardiner was expelled from the Council which led to there being an imbalance. Naturally, Hertford (Edward VI's uncle) became Protector and later titled himself as the Duke of Somerset.
• What was the Duke of Somerset like?

  - Committed to a marriage alliance foreign policy between Edward VI and Mary, Queen of Scots

  - Radical Protestant

  Autocratic ruler- rude, arrogant, difficult to work with, dictatorial

  Lavish spender

  - He had a strong military reputation and was also known for the decisive victory against the Scots with the Battle of Pinkie in 1547.

  - Had custody over the will and dry stamp (the King's signature, used to approve decisions)

  - Granted loyal supporters with grants of Crown lands and promotions within the peerage

  - Ruled from his own property, Somerset House

  - He declared war on France in August 1549

  - Vagrancy Act (1547)- able-bodies persons who were out of a job for three days would be sold into slavery for two years, further offences made punishment more permanent, these provisions were not put into effect

  - Anti-enclosure stance since he saw it as a detriment to the economy. In June 1548, there were proclamations issued enforcing all statutes against enclosure for grazing. March 1549= 5% tax on personal property + special tax on sheep

  - Heavy military expenditure. For example, his campaigns in Scotland cost £580, 393 for just 3 years.

  - Boulogne was fortified

  - No attempt at ending debasement of the coinage

  - Used more proclamations than any other Tudor monarch in just three years

  - His household servants were made government officials

  - By-passed the Privy Council

  - He is known as the 'Good Duke' given his establishment of a Court of requests which might've heard poor people's cases

  - He didn't want anyone to be tortured or burned

  - Somerset also aimed to fix rents and abolish enclosures

  - Somerset was a critic of wealthy, self-seeking men

  - The Act of Six Articles and Treason Laws were repealed

  - Somerset was often restrained by fear of Charles V

  - He was a moderate enforcement of Protestantism

  - Domestic and foreign problems constrained him in regards to religion

  - Associated with bad handling of rebellions
• What happened with the Duke of Somerset?

  - Forced out of power following a coup in 1549, he was later imprisoned

  - He was soon able to be released and even return to the Privy Council

  - However, he attempted a counter coup against the Duke of Northumberland which failed because he was unable to outsmart him

  - Somerset was executed in 1552
• What was the Duke of Northumberland like?

  - He was certainly a skilled politician, this role came before all else and he tended to be opportunistic

  - Unfortunately, he suffered with illness and depression

  - One of Northumberland's strengths was that he was good with delegating responsibility

  - He was able to crush Kett's Rebellion in August 1549

  - Northumberland planned Somerset's removal

  - Towards the end of Edward's reign, Northumberland wanted to change succession to his own advantage

  - Northumberland repealed the Sheep Tax in 1550 and enforced existing enclosure legislation as well as repealed Vagrancy Act

  - Northumberland made the decision to end debasement in April 1551

  - He had returned Boulogne to France for £133,333 and withdrew garrisons from Scotland

  - Northumberland's work on the economy meant that the country's debts were reduced £300,000 in 1550 to £180,000 in 1553, this was often through the sale of crown and chantry lands

  - Northumberland was unable to restore full confidence in the currency, but still managed to reduce government expenditure

  - Northumberland organised government and council in order to secure his position. For example, he staffed the household with his men who then had access to Edward. Sir John Gates was his Vice Chamberlain and also had access to the dry stamp.

  - As opposed to Somerset, Northumberland extended the use of the Privy Council by making himself Lord President so that he could fix agendas and meetings and bar or create councillors

  - He was also much more ruthless as he purged people who helped him in the coup

  - Northumberland was the one who ordered Somerset's arrest and made up evidence which ultimately got him executed

  - It is hard to pinpoint Northumberland's stance on religion as he was two-faced. He appeared Catholic during the Coup but implemented radical Protestant practices such as the Second Prayer Book and Act of Uniformity

  - Northumberland was more so pragmatic and thus practical and realistic

  - Northumberland was able to stabilise the foreign and domestic situation. This can be seen with the Treaty of Boulogne on 28 March 1550. This involved the handing over of Boulogne for 400,000 crowns, a marriage alliance between Edward VI and Elizabeth (daughter of Henry II), would not declare war unless provoked, defensive alliance with France, English claim to French throne was not abandoned but the King of France no longer had to pay a pension to King of England

  Boulogne was a significant loss
• What are some Historian's views on the Duke of Northumberland?

  Northumberland was mostly seen as ruthless and unscrupulous at first due to his coups against Somerset and the Conservatives as well as Somerset's execution and alterations to the succession. However, his reputation has since been reassessed mostly by American Historian Dale Hoak who claimed that he was no more unscrupulous than any other Tudor politician. Hoak also considered him to be 'one of the most remarkably able governors of any European state during the sixteenth century'. David Loades offered more measured evaluation, citing him as 'a major figure in English government for a crucial decade' but also acknowledges that, whilst he was a 'hardened professional', he 'destroyed himself by a major miscalculation which left his reputation as discredited as his career'.
• What was the problem with succession?

  Edward VI fell ill with a chest infection and later fatal septicaemia at just 15. According to the Third Act of Succession that was created just before Henry VIII's death, if Edward VI were to pass away before producing an heir, the throne would be given to Mary, the oldest of his sisters. However, Mary was a Catholic and Edward was worried that she would return England to a State of Catholicism. Northumberland attempted to help Edward through changing the succession with the next in line being Lady Jane Grey, this was known as the Devyse. Lady Jane Grey was the Great Niece of Henry and cousin of Edward and was also the Duke of Northumberland's daughter-in-law. After Edward died in 1553, Lady Jane Grey was given the throne, though it took Northumberland an additional three days to make this possible, Parliament could meet and ratify the new succession at the time of Edward's death (6 July). Nevertheless, the popularity of Mary for the throne was massively underestimated and, soon enough, Mary had come to take the throne back for herself. The Duke of Northumberland was soon executed and Lady Jane Grey was arrested until her execution in February 1554.
• How did Somerset and Northumberland approach foreign policy?

  In 1543, the Treaty of Greenwich was signed which made Edward VI and Mary, Queen of Scots formally betrothed. Somerset wanted reassert Edward's claim to the Scottish throne and continue pursuing the marriage. Somerset aimed on defeating Scotland through building forts and Garrisoning which would then force Scots into submission. The Battle of Pinkie occurred in September 1547 and led to Somerset being victorious against the Scots. However, his approach ultimately failed since forts were difficult and expensive to garrison and England was also unable to capture significant castles. Somerset had also underestimated the cooperation between Scotland and France which had reformed their Auld Alliance. After this, France took Mary to France in 1548 in order to marry the Dauphin.

  
  

  Contrarily, Northumberland ended the wars with Scotland and France. He returned Boulogne to France for the price of £133,333 which was agreed upon with the Treaty of Boulogne in 1550. In regards to Scotland, he had abandoned the garrisons.
• KEY PERSON OVERVIEW: Who was Sir Michael Stanhope (d.1552)?

  - Nottinghamshire gentleman

  - Owed position to marriage of his sister to the Duke of Somerset

  - A key household officer under Edward VI as Groom of the Stool and Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamber

  - Imprisoned when Somerset fell from power

  - Executed after involvement in Somerset's attempted coup against Northumberland.
• KEY PERSON OVERVIEW: Who was John Dudley, Viscount Lisle, Earl of Warwick, Duke of Northumberland (1504-1553)?

  - Son of Edmund Dudley, Henry VII's tax gatherer

  - A soldier with a political career which progressed during the 1540s

  - Enjoyed a good working relationship with Somerset which later deteriorated

  - Overthrew Somerset in October 1549 and became Lord President of the Council

  - Became the Duke of the Northumberland in 1551

  - Executed for treason after failing to successfully put Lady Jane Grey on the throne
• KEY PERSON OVERVIEW: Who was Sir William Paget (1505-1563)?

  - A prospering diplomat and administrator under Henry VIII

  - Clerk to the Privy Council in 1540

  - In 1543, he was one of Henry's two principal secretaries

  - Close to Somerset, but also served Northumberland and Mary

  - Excluded from the Privy Council by Elizabeth
• KEY PERSON OVERVIEW: Who was Sir John Gates (1504-1553)?

  - Owed his initial advancement to Sir Anthony Denny, his brother-in-law

  - Became Vice Chamberlain of the household and one of the Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamberlain

  - Mary felt animosity towards him as he prevented her from attending Mass

  - Executed alongside Northumberland in 1553
• KEY PERSON OVERVIEW: Who was Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554)?

  - Great-granddaughter of Henry VII

  - A protestant

  - Married to Guildford Dudley, son of the Duke of Northumberland

  - Became the object of the Devyse

  - Declared as the queen by the Privy Council after the death of Edward VI

  - Abandoned by her councillors after they noticed Mary's popularity

  - Was initially spared by Mary, but was ultimately executed in 1554