Elizabethan England

• Elizabethan England


  • Often violent and dangerous
  • No police force or permanent army
  • Clear social structure where everybody knew their place and had a role
  • Equality was not important
  • Society, government and law and order were based on inequality
  • God was at the top, followed by the monarch
• Elizabeth's government


  • The court
  • The Privy Council
  • Parliament
  • Lord Lieutenants
  • Justices of the Peace
  • The monarch
  • The Secretary of State
• The court


  Made up of noblemen who acted as the monarch's advisers and friends. They advised the monarch and helped display her wealth and power. Members of the court could also be members of the Privy Council
• The Privy Council


  Members of the nobility who helped govern the country. They monitored parliament, Justices of the Peace, and oversaw law and order and the security of the country
• Parliament


  Advised Elizabeth's government, made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords was made up of noblemen and bishops. The House of Commons was elected, though very few people could vote. Parliament passed laws and approved taxes (extraordinary taxation – extra taxes required to pay for unexpected expenses)
• Lord Lieutenants


  Noblemen, appointed by government, who governed English countries and raised the local militia (army raised in an emergency)
• Justices of the Peace

  Large landowners, appointed by the government who kept law and order locally and heard court cases
• The monarch


  Government in Elizabethan England centered on the monarch. Monarchs of England believed they had the right to rule by 'the Grace of God' – known as the divine right. Elizabeth I made government policy, making all the important decisions with the advice of her Privy Council. She could declare war, make peace, call and dismiss Parliament, rule in some legal cases, grant titles, lands, money and jobs
• The Secretary of State

  Most important Privy Councilor – the person in government that she was closest to, and advised the queen on matters important to the Crown. The most important person to hold this position was Sir William Cecil who held the position until 1573
• Elizabeth had to get the choice of her Privy Councillors right because the men were responsible for the Crown's finances and spending. They met frequently and advised on big decisions. If she got it right then she would have a loyal team to help her run the country. As soon as she became Queen she appointed Sir William Cecil (Secretary of State). She appointed the rest of her Council quickly (approx 20) in the first three months. She was cautious and sensitive in her choices – she kept 10 men who had served under Mary including high-ranking and powerful nobles with considerable influence. She chose the rest from her relatives and trusted colleagues. She acted cautiously and decisively – one of the successes of her reign
• In 1558, the royal finances...

  
  

  
  

  
  

  had been severely strained by the war with France, she had inherited a debt of £300,000. To strengthen the finances, Elizabeth severely cut back government spending, exchequer officials ordered to balance the accounts and make sure all debts were called in. Crown lands were sold off for £600,000. By 1585 she had paid off Mary's debts and built up a reserve of £300,000
• Threats from abroad that Elizabeth faced

  • Scotland (ruled by Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's cousin, who had strong links with France)
  • Spain (most powerful and wealthy country, devoutly Catholic country committed to preventing Protestantism spreading)
  • France (in 1558, France was at war with both England and Spain. France had a direct interest in England as Mary, Queen of Scots was married to the French King's son. France was a Catholic country and many Catholics thought Mary should be Queen)

  
• Elizabeth's options regarding the threat from France

  1. Continue with war

  2. Make peace with France
• Elizabeth and her councillors decided to...

  
  

  make peace with France which was signed in January 1559 – Treaty of Cateau – Cambresis and Calais would be lost forever. Elizabeth spent £100,000 at the start of her reign on military arms and munitions, which required taking out massive loans. This was the clearest example that Elizabeth saw invasion as one of her biggest problems that she faced
• Religious divisions Elizabeth faced

  • The Tudor period had been a religious rollercoaster – Henry VIII had changed from Catholicism to Protestantism, and then it had switched back to Catholicism during Mary I's reign. Mary had burnt 300 martyrs who refused to change their beliefs.
  • The majority of the people in the country were Catholic especially in the North. Elizabeth was a Protestant, majority of advisers who were mainly Protestant.
• It was widely believed that women should not be rulers, they should be silent, obedient and domestic. Women were seen as too weak to keep their powerful nobles under control. Nothing Elizabeth could do unless she married immediately and handed power over to her husband so that England had a male ruler. This would take time to prove she was a good ruler
• Some people questioned Elizabeth's legitimacy due to Henry's father divorcing prior to marrying Elizabeth's mother. Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII had divorced Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother. The Pope refused to recognise this divorce. When Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, Henry excluded Elizabeth from the succession, although he did reverse this decision. Even marriage and children would not change this view of her legitimacy. She had to hope people loved her
• People expected Elizabeth to marry quickly to provide stability. If she married an English nobleman it could cause anger and jealousy among other nobles. Marrying a foreigner was at least as big a problem. She decided to remain loyal to her country and not marry
• The quality of harvests and epidemics of diseases affected peoples prosperity. This could not be controlled by the monarch. Elizabeth was anxious about food riots and other social unrest after bad harvests in the 1550s, the harvest of 1558 was good which gave Elizabeth breathing space. Bad weather was not something Elizabeth could control
• Differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism

  • Pope is the head of the Church vs No Pope
  • Underneath the pope are cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests vs Not necessary to have a hierarchy
  • The Bible and church services should be in Latin vs Bible and church services should be in your own language
  • Church acts as an intermediary between God and the people vs People have their own, direct relationship with God through prayer and Bible study
  • Church can forgive sins vs Sins can only be forgiven by God
  • During mass a miracle occurs when the bread and the wine become the body and blood of Christ vs Bread and wine simply represent the Last Supper in the Bible – no miracle
  • Priests are special and should wear special clothing (vestements) vs Priests are not special and should not wear special clothing
  • Churches should be highly decorated in honour and glory of God vs Churches should be plain and simple so as not to distract from worshipping God
  • Seven sacraments (special church ceremonies) vs Only two sacraments – Holy Communion and baptism
  • Priests are forbidden to marry vs Priests are permitted to get married if they wish
• Divisions in England in 1558

  • Clergy (religious leaders – bishops/priests): most of England's bishops were Catholic, changing the religion needed an Act of Parliament
  • Geographical divisions: parts of England were more Catholic than others, people there less likely to accept Protestantism. These areas tended to be further away from London (e.g. Lancashire, Durham). The more remote a community, the more likely it was to be Catholic. East-Anglia and the South-East tended to be more Protestant
  • Puritans (extreme Protestants): Mary I was Queen, 300 Protestants burnt alive for their religious beliefs. Many more escaped into exile in more tolerant Protestant states, such as the Netherlands. They returned to England when Elizabeth came to the throne, as much more committed Protestants with more extreme Protestant beliefs
• Elizabeth's Religious Settlement, 1559

  • Act of Supremacy: This made Elizabeth Supreme Governor of the Church of England – all clergy and royal officials had to swear an oath of allegiance to her as head of the Church. The Ecclesiastical High Commission was established – maintained discipline within the Church and enforced the Religious Settlement
  • Act of Uniformity: Established the appearance of the Church and a set form of Church services in the Book of Common Prayer. The clergy had to use the working of the Prayer Book when conducting services. Anyone who refused it was punished. Wording deliberately unclear so that Catholics could take it as meaning bread/wine becoming body and blood of Christ, while Protestants could do it as an act of remembrance. Made clear that Priests wore special clothes. Everybody had to attend Church on a Sunday and other Holy Days, otherwise fined
  • Royal Injunctions: This was a set of instructions issued by Cecil on behalf of the Queen to the clergy, which reinforced the acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. It included instructions on how people should worship God and the structure of services. All clergy were to teach the Royal Supremacy (Monach head of Church), refusing to attend Church – reported to the Privy Council, each parish was to have an English bible, had to have a license to preach, and pilgrimages were banned. The clergy wore special vestements
• By introducing the Religious Settlement, Elizabeth aimed to be inclusive and designed to be accepted by as many of her subjects as possible. The wording of the new Prayer Book could be understood to mean different things by Catholics and Protestants
• 8,000 clergy out of about 10,000 accepted the Religious Settlement. Many Bishops who had served under Mary I opposed the settlement and had to be replaced. The majority of ordinary people accepted Elizabeth's religious settlement and attended the church services, even though many of them held onto Catholic beliefs. As long as people conformed outwardly, Elizabeth did not want to persecute them. Elizabeth hoped the Catholic faith would fade away
• Role of the Church of England in society

  • Church ran courts and judged on minor issues and disputes on moral issues such as bigamy and slander. They also dealt with wills and inheritance
  • Helped enforce the settlement through visitations and inspections. The first one took place in 1559, and 400 clergy were dismissed
  • Gave guidance to the communities – people would turn to the Church in times of hardship and uncertainty
  • Preached the government's message – priests needed a government's licence to preach. This ensured the clergy preached Elizabeth's religious and political messages, as those who refused would be denied a licence
  • Legitimised Elizabeth's rule – the Church encouraged people to remain loyal to and not rebel against their monarch
• Role of the parish clergy in village life

  • In all parishes the clergymen was a major figure in the village community and conducted church services including baptisms, weddings and funerals
  • Clergy offered spiritual and practical advice and guidance to people, especially when times were difficult (poor harvests)
  • Clergy funded by taxes or tithes or by other sources of income, such as the sale of church pews. The gentry funded some parishes while others remained independent of local landowners
• Role of the parish clergy in town life

  • Parish churches in towns contained a much wider collection of people, including merchants, craftsmen, laborers and vagrants. Wider range of religious beliefs too, especially in London, which contained mainstream Protestants, Puritans and Catholics
  • Role of the clergy varied both within towns and between them. In London a wide variety of parishes existed, some of which were very wealthy while others were relatively poor
  • Due to overcrowding, parish clergy in towns had a wider range of issues to deal with than was the case in rural parishes
• Clergymen


  Major figure in the village community who conducted church services including baptisms, weddings and funerals
• Clergy


  • Offered spiritual and practical advice and guidance to people, especially when times were difficult (poor harvests)
  • Funded by taxes or tithes or by other sources of income, such as the sale of church pews
  • Some parishes funded by the gentry while others remained independent of local landowners
• People in parish churches in towns

  • Merchants
  • Craftsmen
  • Laborers
  • Vagrants
• Parish churches in towns

  • Contained a much wider collection of people
  • Wider range of religious beliefs too, especially in London, which contained mainstream Protestants, Puritans and Catholics
• Role of the clergy

  • Varied both within towns and between them
  • In London a wide variety of parishes existed, some of which were very wealthy while others were relatively poor
• Parish clergy in towns

  • Had a wider range of issues to deal with than was the case in rural parishes, including vagrancy and diseases
• The Puritan clergymen ignored/disobeyed parts of the Religious Settlement – the act of uniformity in the conduct of church services was not met
• Some of the Puritan clergymen wanted the abolition of organ music, accompanying hymns and certain holy days
• The Puritans presented a direct challenge to Elizabeth and her authority as Supreme Governor of the Church
• Crucifix Controversy


  1. Puritans felt it represented idols, but Elizabeth liked them

  2. Elizabeth backed down as she could not ignore their concerns and could not replace them
• Vestement Controversy


  1. Some Puritans felt that they should not have special clothing, others thought it should be plain and simple

  2. Elizabeth wanted the clergy to wear special vestments as set out in the Royal Injunctions

  3. In 1566 the Archbishop of Canterbury held a special exhibition to show priests what they should wear, 110 were invited, 37 refused to attend and lost their posts

  4. But they generally consented to Elizabeth's insistence that special vestments be worn
• Puritans


  • John Foxe
  • Thomas Cartwright
  • John Field
• Puritanism had less of an impact on northern England, where people remained mostly Catholic in outlook