Mid Tudor Crisis

• The Devise for Succession in 1553 made Lady Jane Grey heir. It was suggested that Northumberland was behind it to gain more power, or Edward did it so England did not become catholic
• Mary's gender caused instability as she could not control faction, lead the army, and was expected to marry
• the death of Edward created instability with the raising of armed forces
• If marry married a foreigner is was believed that he would influence English politics. An englishmen would not create an alliance
• Mary gained control over Philip, which shows that female rule helped to preserve the monarchy and did not threaten stability
• Parliament created petitions in 1553 against marriage to Philip, but she ignored it and a marriage treaty was produced in 1554
• The marriage treaty did not help to prevent rebellion, as the wyatt rebellion took place in 1554
• The Wyatt rebellion was 6 months after the LJG rebellion which suggests that female rule causes instability
• The Wyatt rebellion was crushed but it meant that the wedding did not take place for 12 months
• As Edward was 9, the regency council was set up. Somerset became Lord Protector after his success as a soldier
• Concerns about a minor as king

  • could not lead the army
  • other states could exploit weakness
  • civil war
  • factional struggles
• After unrest in 1549, an anti-Somerset faction was created. Northumberland/Warwick wanted to increase his power
• Somerset ruled by proclammation- 70 in 3 years
• Somerset lost power after an attempted kidnapping, which led to Northumberland becoming Lord Protector in 1550. Somerset was executed in 1552
• Despite the factional struggle in 1549-50, the efficiency of the govt was not majorly affected
• Mary had a very large Privy Council which led to arguments, making it ineffective
• Privy Council = Commitees were established in 1554, excluding casual councillors.
• 1555 = Mary established an inner Privy Council
• 1555 = death of Gardiner allowed Paget to dominate
• The 1554 Heresy laws were not passed initially as Gardiner was behind them, but then when Paget backed them they were passed. Delay in legislation due to the faction between Paget and Gardiner
• The Cardinal Pole arrived which suggested that Mary was aware of the divisions among Privy Councillors, so had everything referred to him
• Somersets policy to convert to protestantism was slow and cautious
• The 1547 Book of Homilies involved protestant sermons for priests that could not preach. It prevented catholic teachings.
• The 1547 Dissolution of Chantries provided gold for Somerset and led to inflation
• in 1548 there was iconoclastic attacks, which led to the government issuing proclamations to resotore order
• The 1549 Act of Uniformity involved the new Book of Common Prayer. This led to burnings of the book and the Western Rebellion
• When Somerset lost power, religious change increased
• The 1552 Second Prayer book was by Northumberland and was more protestant. It became an offence to not go to church
• Edward only ruled for 6 years so difficult to enforce policies
• Repeated legislation for the removal of superstitious images (1547, x2 1548) shows that change was not always successful.
• Evidence for protestantism in 1553

  • 1552 - Catholic practices abolished, altars replaced with wooden tables
  • The Kett's rebellion wanted change at a faster rate
  • 9 bishops supported the change
  • policies subtly introduced so peaceful
  • church warden accounts show reform
• Evidence for no protestantism in 1553

  • majority of the population still catholic
  • 1552 Act took 12 months to come into effect
  • localised - protestantism in the South East, Catholicism in the North
  • Western Rebellion
• Parliament opened with a mass when Mary became Queen, even though it was illegal - showing the support for Catholicism
• The 1553 Act of Repeal undid the changes made by Edward and made the Pope the head of the church
• The 1553 Act of Repeal did not provoke much opposition apart from the Wyatt Rebellion, but that was before any significant change
• The 1554 Royal Injunctions restored Catholic practices, so 243 priests lost their posts
• The Heresy laws introduced in 1554, opposition to them was mainly due to factional struggle instead of religion
• Evidence for support of Mary's Catholicism

  • bells and hymns sounded when she became Queen
  • large numbers at her coronation
  • 800 clergy lost their livings - changes worked
  • local authority informed of protestants
  • opposition to laws was more due to factional or economic concerns
  • parishoners donated
• Evidence for no support of Mary's Catholicism

  • 19,000 copies of the Prayer Book smuggled in
  • 283 burnings - not supported
  • John Foxe's Book of Martyrs - provided opposition
  • 800 wealthy protestants went into exile
  • wyatt rebellion - marriage secured catholicism
• The First Burning was in February 1555 - John Rogers