MID TUDOR CRISIS

• Who was in charge directly after Henry VIII's death?

  -the accession of 9 year old Edward in 1547 left the crown insecure

  -Henry VIII had established a Regency Council that would govern during Edward's minority

  -within days it was established, the title of Duke of Somerset given to Edward's uncle (by himself) and he became Lord Protector
• What was the Third Act of Succession?

  1543

  -superseded first (1534) and second (1536) whose effects declared Mary and Elizabeth bastards, removing them from succession to throne

  -new act returned both to line of succession behind Edward

  -Treason Act 1547, made it high treason to interrupt the line (what Ed did when he named Lady Jane Grey the heir)
• What was the Council of regency?

  -Henry VIII 16 named executors to act as Edward's council until 18

  -Hen didn't include appointment of protector, left to council

  -they were expected to rule collectively, those that voted Somerset were bribed with land
• How did Somerset rise to power?

  -Somerset was Edward's uncle

  -kept king's death a secret, had custody of the will and dry stamp

  -new titles and grants helped to win over other opposition

  -Had a strong military reputation

  -Promoted his own supporters, John Dudley, Archbishop Thomas Cramner was created Earl of Warwick in 1547
• What was Somerset's foreign policy?

  -war with Scotland kept failing and was very expensive, ending war was very unpopular but would've been easier as it was a financial burden

  -wanted to save money on invasions by garrisoning the Scottish lowlands, was a costly failure
• What was economy/finance's significance during Somerset's rule?

  -debasement still adding to the problem of inflation

  -was a high priority bc country was bankrupt

  -Somerset made no economic reforms, unpopular to make cuts in expenditure and raising taxes impossible

  -made him more unpopular
• What was Religion's significance during Somerset's rule?

  -Catholic Act of 6 Articles in force, reforms pushing for protestantism, couldn't support too much bc danger of provoking a Catholic rebellion

  -Mary 1 was the biggest problem bc was supported by leading figres in court and HRE

  -First Book of Prayer (1549) established a more moderate Protestant position but provoked rebellion in some parts of country, radicals still not satisfied
• Social order under Somerset

  -growing concern about poverty bc of social injustice, fear of the poor too, clamp down on vagrant (seen as threat to the order)

  -anger felt about enclosure, anti-enclosure policy see as a cause of the rebellion of 1549

  -widespread rebellions in summer of 1549 raised fears in elite
• What was the character of Somerset?

  -seen as the 'Good Duke'

  -established court of requests and heard cases of the poor at his own home, alienated the elite

  -refused to allow anyone to be burned or tortured
• What were the reasons for Somerset's fail?

  -poor leadership, alienated too many people

  -mishandling of Foreign Policy, failed campaign and declaration of war in France in August 1549 - disappointment the Council who saw FP as very important

  -social policy, views on social justice alienated the aristocracy which led to 2 major rebellions

  -religious policy, many leading Catholics opposed religious reform
• When was the coup?

  August 1549 - Northumberland suppresses Kett's rebellion and mobilises troops, Somerset then orders them to leave London

  -Somerset moves Edward, and is accused of kidnapping the king

  -Somerset surrenders and is imprisoned on 14th October
• How did Northumberland rise to power?

  -Somerset's poor leadership alienated the Regency council then Northumberland was able to get them on side

  -took on the title of Lord President of the Council, but gave dry stamp to another to give the illusion he wasn't concentrating power

  -plotted Somerset's removal
• What was Northumberland's character viewed as?

  -seen as the 'Evil Duke' the mastermind behind the coup

  -manufactured evidence for Somerset's arrest

  -seen as two faced on issue of religion

  -attempted to change the succession to gain more power
• How did Northumberland secure office?

  1549 - Plotted Somerset's removal

  1550 - became Lord President of the council

  1551 - became Duke of Northumberland

  -was concious to avoid concentration of power

  -appointed a vice-chamberlain of the household to ensure his control over the court (his own hardman) and gave dry stamp away
• How did they try to tackle debasement?

  -proclamations used to reduce the value of coinage in 1550, Northumberland telling people to lower their prices and trust the coinage without giving reason

  -Northumberland didn't dare call coins back in and replace them
• What was the style of gov of Somerset and Northumberland?

  (Somerset)-granted quasi-royal powers by letters patent in March 1547, not by parliament

  -made more proclamations than any other Tudor ruler (70 over 3 yrs)

  -had sole custody of dry stamp

  (Northumberland) -organised gov and council to secure position

  -staffed the household with his men who could control access to Ed

  -Gave dry stamp to Sir John Gates
• What was Somerset and Northumberland's use of the privy council?

  (Somerset) -effectively by-passed PC

  -council he called frequently at Somerset house was known as 'new council'

  (Northumberland) -extended use and importance of PC

  -made himself Lord President of the council

  -assumed King's power to create new councillors, reformed PC
• What was Somerset and Northumberland's main focus?

  (Somerset) -main concern was winning Scottish war, 1547-49 cost £58,039, Boulogne continued to be fortified

  (Northumberland) -gov plan to end debasement, reduce expenditure to match income and allowed king to 'live his own' and have his majesty out of debt
• What was the significance of the 1549 rebellions?


  -were significant and frightening for those in authority but their demands didn't threaten the established order or suggest a replacement for Edward

  -Huge geographical extent of rebellions made them serious
• What was the Western rebellion?

  June 1549 in Cornwall and Devon

  -(causes) articles wanted the reintroduction of catholicism (reinstating Henry VIII's act of Six Articles, prayers for the dead and mass on sunday)

  -(trigger causes) in cornwall, WIlliam Body commissioner investigating church property, destruction of church images and intro of New Prayer Book. In Devon, provoked by priests' use of new prayer book
• What was the Western rebellion? (pt 2)

  'we will have' - demanding and aggressive

  -Somerset struggling to suppress enclosure riots in the Midlands

  -forces at Scottish border and watch for French aggression

  The advances were stopped by Lord Russell
• What was Kett's rebellion?

  July 1549 in Norwich

  "we pray" - want to work with king, less agressive, willing to compromise

  -(Causes) enclosure, rents (complained about rise in rents due to rapid inflation)

  -trigger causes, unpopular lawyer John Flowerdew in dispute with locals over local abbey he was pulling down

  -local gentry found it very difficult to control

  -government offered a full pardon to those who dispersed but Kett rejected (farmer)
• What were the consequences of the rebellion?

  -many believe Somerset's handling of rebellions led to his downfall

  -Northumberland's quick military suppression of Kett's added to his own political credibility and status

  -need for troops meant those garrisoning the Scottish border scaled down
• What was the extent of the threat of the 1549 rebellions?


  (was a threat) -local gentry failed to deal with uprisings

  -raising troops was difficult and expensive

  -Somerset had to bring troops back from Scotland to assist in crisis

  (wasnt a threat) -no attempt at synchronisation between uprisings

  -rebellions not directed at the gov/monarch
• What were the 4 phases of religious change under Edward?

  Religious change wasn't pre-planned, stop-start approach and gov struggled to appease radicals & traditionalists

  1. Removal of Catholicism (destructive)
  2. State of Limbo (dealing with Protestant activity)
  3. Formative (Protestant form of Worship and belief established)
  4. Completion (reform saw establishment of full Protestantism)
• What was Phase 1?

  Destructive

  (1547) clergy to preach in English, superstitious images removed

  -Act of Six Articles repealed, catholic doctrine removed

  -Treason Act repealed, removed old heresy laws and allowed discussion of religion freely without fear of arrest, could print & publish freely
• What was phase 2?

  state of Limbo

  (1548) Proclamations to dampen protestant unrest, to assert that catholic rights should still be adhered to (play for time while Cramner produced the New Prayer Book)

  -Proclamations stating no preaching until new litergy, how church service should be performed
• What happened in Phase 3?

  (1548-52) Formative

  1548- First Prayer Book writen by Cramner outlining liturgy

  -Act of Uniformity (1549) Book of Common Prayer is official liturgy

  -1552, New Treason Act, becomes an offence to question the royal supremacy or any articles of faith in the church
• What was the First Book of Common Prayer?

  By Cramner, containing what he thought would be politically acceptable

  outlined the liturgy: services in english, clerical marriage allowed

  -no prayers for the dead or transubstantiation
• What happened in Phase 4?

  Completion

  -2nd Book of Common Prayer (Jan 1552) highly protestant document that removed all traces of catholicism

  -2nd Act of Uniformity, enforce the book of common prayer and made it an offence for clergy and laity to not attend church of england services

  -short catechism, manual to teach beliefs of the church

  -2nd Book of Common Prayer, clearly established eucharist ceremony in line with Calvin's beliefs in spiritual presence, under act of conformity
• What was the impact of religious changes on society? 


  -services became plainer and traditional religous practice declined

  -people less inclined to leave money to their parish church

  -traditional practices were not entirely destroyed, in 1550 Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester admitted pace of reform stopped by uncooperative people

  -loss of charitable functions of monasteries and chantries, care for sick and elderly people
• What was the impact of economic changes?

  -economic situation in 1547 was poor, Henry's expenditure on war and inflation

  -unemployment was high, high growth of population, increasing enclosure and fall of cloth exports

  -steps to address the issue - debasement of the coinages (increased inflation),

  -Poor Law (1552) created a 'collector of Alms' in each parish to register those eligible for poor relief (trying to remedy the rebellions, Northumberland)
• What were the reasons for radical religious reform?

  -Edward VI's influence on policy increasing, as he was a committed protestant

  -Cramner becoming more radical (seen in his book of common prayer 1552)

  -eminent continental reformers moved to England, influencing decisions
• What was the legacy left by Henry VIII?

  left a legacy of debasement and debt

  -Henry's reign had been dominated by his quest for honour and the defeat of France, captured Boulogne in 1544

  -Edward was constantly living in his shadow
• What was the role of Edward in government?

  -difficult to tell how much influence Edward had

  -Ed was young and did influence in later years

  -appeared keen in terms of religious settlement
• Was Edward trapped in Henry VIII's old ways?

  -Treaty of Grennwich (1543) had arranged for marriage of Edward VI and Mary Queen of Scots

  -Treaty of Ardres (1546) left Boulogne in English hands until it was bought back by the French

  -Auld Alliance between Scotland and France, permanent threat of a war on 2 fronts
• What were the main events in Europe during Edward's reign?

  -For over 30 years Europe had been dominated by Henry, Francis and Charles V

  -Charles' position of dominance is disrupted by Habsburg-Valois war (1519-59) Charles flees HRE and abdicates

  -Charles V was very important because fear of invasion to restore catholicism was very strong, needed his support in conflict with Scotland and France

  -Charles' territories in Netherlands by far England's most important trading partner
• What were Somerset's FP aims?

  -Somerset had a distinguished military record, wanted a military solution to England's FP

  -wanted to achieve marriage between Edward and Mary and conquest of Scotland

  -wanted to prevent auld alliance retrieval (had proven costly and unpopular)
• What was the FP with Scotland? (Ed)

  -Somerset launched a naval and land invasion, left garrisons to maintain control

  -policy of Garrisoning was expensive and ineffective

  -10,000 French troops arrived in Scot in June 1548, treat rapidly signed
• What are the pros and cons of garrisoning?

  Pros - Garrisons would enable the English to launch rapid reprisal raids after Scottish attacks

  -expected to be a long term solution to Scottish policy of hit and run guerilla warfare

  -permanent english presence hoped to secure acceptance of edward and Mary's marrying

  Cons - Garrisoning proved more expensive than Henry's raids (£351,321 spent by Somerset)

  -when garrisons ran out of supplies they would steal from locals, worsening relations

  -control of troops was very difficult, soldiers rebelled against/ran away from awful conditions