ELIZABETH AND GOVERNMENT

• What did Elizabeth do to the Privy Council?

  - Reduced it from 50 to 19 men

  - self-made men such as Francis Bacon were appointed

  - When people in the council died, she did not replace them, meaning by the 1590s, the council was only 9 men, leading to a lack of diversity
• How did Christopher Haigh describe the Privy Council?

  - "Dangerously narrow and weak in its membership"
• Why did Elizabeth remove William padget from her council?

  - He was a devout Catholic and refused to conform to Elizabeth's Protestant religious settlement
• What did Elizabeth do to Clerics in the Privy Council?

  - signaled that while religion would be a concern of the state, it would not dominate it.

  - Controversial as they were highly valued, educated people in society

  - Emphasised by the Erastian nature of the church
• How did Elizabeth use the Privy Council?

  - She used them as an advisory body

  - The council would propose the Policy to Elizabeth and then she would decide whether to pass it to parliament

  - It gave her wishes a practical effect by sending her wishes to local authorities

  - In the Star Chamber in the 1590's to help suppress the Presbyterian movement
• Who is the Earl of Pembroke?

  - The Queen retained a number of councillors from Mary's regime, such as the Earl of Pembroke. - Although Elizabeth did not trust him, she felt he was too powerful to exclude, and since he had served under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I, he had a stake in the continuance of the Tudor monarchy.

  - This strategy worked and Pembroke proved a loyal servant.
• Did Elizabeth attend Privy Council meetings?


  - Often she did not

  - William Cecil would inform her of what was discussed
• How did Elizabeth use the court?

  - Elizabeth used the Court for advice outside the Privy Council

  - 500 members of court and sometimes over 2000 attended
• Did the council ever do something without Elizabeth's permission?

  - Normally no

  - However, in 1587, William Davidson sent out a warrant for Mary Queen of Scot's execution
• Who was Peter Wentworth?

  - Peter Wentworth became a famous Member of Parliament in the reign of Elizabeth I after he was arrested on three separate occasions for arguing that the Commons should have the freedom to discuss whatever it wished, especially on the controversial topic of religion, without fear of reprisal from the Queen.

  - arrested in 1593 and died in 1597
• How many times did Elizabeth call Parliament?

  - 10 times
• What were Floor Managers?

  - Organised by William Cecil, they were an organised group of people who aimed to derail the Speaker of the House (Who Elizabeth could not pick)

  - Help avoid topics such as marriage and Mary Queen of Scots

  - This led to a dampening of any opposition and a parliament weighted in favour of Elizabeth

  - By 1601, 2/3 of the lords owed loyalty to Elizabeth
• What did Robert Cecil do when he became Chief Secretary?

  - elected 31 new MPs, 6 of whom were members of his household
• What happened to John Stubbs?

  - Had his hand chopped off in 1579 for "seditious writings"

  - Proposed a marriage to the Duke of Anjou
• Why did Elizabeth shut down Parliament in 1563 and 1566?

  - They were pushing the idea of marriage onto her

  - Royal prerogative

  - In retaliation, Elizabeth would block bills parliament put forward, blocking 60 bills across her reign and 15 in 1585 alone
• How JPs were in each county?

  - by 1600 there were 50 on average per county
• How many acts were passed through Parliament?

  - 438
• What happened in 1586?


  - The Commons introduced several bills to curve the powers of Bishops

  - In response, Elizabeth warned them not to meddle in Religious affairs

  - The Commons refused to admit and issued a petition to abolish all existing laws which concerned ecclesiastical government

  - As a result, Elizabeth banned a group of Presbyterian MPs from parliament
• What were the Puritan Choir?