Mid-Tudor Crisis

• The Will

  • By 1546 it was clear that the King’s declining health meant a minor would succeed him.
  • The will proposed a regency council, consisting of Conservatives and Reformists. Members of the council were to have equal powers and were to govern the country until Edward reached 18 years of age.
• The Will = It seems probable that William Paget drew up the first (uncontroversial) part of the will part of this with the king’s knowledge in December 1546 and arranged for it to be signed, however in between the clauses and the signature, plenty of space had been left to write in further amendments.
• The Will = The details of the Regency Council were then added when the king was sufficiently near to death not to be able to do anything to alter them. Seymour was able to utilise a loophole which gave him full control of the council and effectively gave him full monarchical power. He also ensured that the council was loaded with 15 of his closest allies. Anthony Denny, who held the Dry Stamp (a stamp of the King’s signature) was bought in on the plan to enable them to make all the necessary changes.
• The Will = Ultimately, Henry’s wishes in the Third Act of Succession were fulfilled as his son succeeded the throne.

  Despite it contradicting Henry’s wishes, it was considered natural that Somerset would take power. He was the King’s uncle and he had built up a reputation as a successful soldier during Henry’s wars in Scotland (1540s).

  It was considered unrealistic to have a Regency Council of 16 members with equal votes, as policy would be difficult to agree, and factional disputes could have been damaging. So, it was only Somerset’s enemies who questioned the legality of his power.
• The Will = Edward’s minority rule was a genuine concern, as he would be unable to lead troops into battle and he could have been exploited by faction, or by other countries during international negotiations.
• The Will = However, both Henry VII (Cornish Rebellion) and Henry VIII (Pilgrimage of Grace) faced major rebellions as well and there was no attempt to march on London, unlike the rebellions of 1381, 1450 and 1497.

  The rebels of 1549 did not want to usurp Edward and when the Royal herald arrived at Kett’s camp in Norwich, the rebels took off their caps and cried ‘God save King Edward’.
• Seymour was advanced to the title of Duke of Somerset. He introduced no real reforms and failed to show the leadership necessary to compensate for the absence of an adult monarch.

  He obtained sole custody of the dry stamp and he tried to insist that the King’s signature was not valid without his own countersignature.
• Somerset used his own household servants (e.g. Sir Thomas Smith) as government officials. He also gave key positions to his most loyal supporters; Sir Michael Stanhope was made Groom of the Stool in 1547.
• The leading Conservative on the Council, Thomas Wriothesley - Earl of Southampton who held the position of Lord Chancellor, was dismissed from the chancellorship on charges of selling off some of his offices to delegates and persuaded to temporarily leave power.
• Thomas Seymour (Somerset’s brother and also an uncle of Edward VI) believed that he should have a more significant role in governing England and despite being given a place on the Council as Lord High Admiral (against the will of Henry VIII), he still attempted to seize Edward and take power. He was executed for this failed coup.
• Somerset built lavishly, was able to accumulate fees, salaries, and chantry lands and added £5,000 to an already substantial income. Somerset attempted to rule without relying on parliament
• Somerset attempted to rule without relying on parliament, or the privy council. Under Henry VIII there was only an average of 6 proclamations (declarations which simply become law), whereas under Edward there were 19 a year and of those well over half (77) were issued by Somerset.
• Somerset effectively by-passed the Privy Council: he set up his own council at Somerset house, known as the ‘New Council’ and excluded the privy council.
• In 1548 Somerset established commissions under John Hales to investigate enclosures. He subsequently issued proclamations blaming enclosure for the country’s economic ills (e.g., June 1548: proclamation against men being ‘driven to extreme poverty and compelled to leave the place they were born because of enclosure’).
• In 1548 John Hales introduced 3 bills on enclosure into parliament. In the summer of 1549, Hales continued his commission again. However, he failed to bring proceedings against any enclosures.
• In 1549, the Kett rebellion broke out which was primarily centred around the issue of enclosure. Somerset’s failing anti-enclosure policy was seen as legitimising the cause of rebels as they took matters into their own hands.
• The policy of debasement was continued at full speed. Somerset attempted no reform of the government’s finances
• Somerset failed to take advantage of English victory against the Scots in the Battle of Pinkie. The English were able to occupy all of the main border strongholds, but Somerset did not press this advantage. Though it is important to remember that he led the army to victory in the first place and had a reputation as a good field commander.
• Somerset’s military indecision during the rebellions and his refusal to redeploy troops from the Scottish and French garrisons allowed the popular uprisings to get out of hand. Again, indicating the lack of strong leadership during this period.
• His methods aroused intense opposition and at his downfall 19 of the Council accused him of ‘malice and evil government... pride, covetousness and extreme ambition’.
• The anti-Somerset faction emerged and consisted of: The Earl of Warwick (who had ambitions to take Somerset’s place), William Paget (who was frustrated by Somerset’s methods of rule), and Wriothesly. These individuals had little in common, beyond the fact that they all disliked Somerset. Without the events of October 1549, the anti-Somerset faction would have been unable to act.
• As Somerset lost his hold on power, he retreated first to Hampton Court.

  On 5th October, Somerset issued a proclamation summoning all ‘loyal English men’ to defend him and the King.

  On 6th October, Somerset moved to Windsor castle, taking Edward with him.
• Edward claimed that he was being treated like a prisoner (‘me thinks I am in prison’), and that Somerset told him there would be riots in the streets if he fell from power. Somerset could not contradict the King and his removal from power and subsequent arrest followed within a week.

  The fall of Somerset did not guarantee the rise of Warwick, as the Council contained mostly religious conservatives, who did not trust him. Warwick acted quickly to bring in his own allies, ensuring a Protestant majority.
• By January 1550, the leading Catholic members of the Council, the Earls of Arundel and Southampton had been dismissed and Warwick had been made Lord President of the Council. Warwick also placed his own supporters in important positions around the King to reinforce his power.
• Somerset was initially pardoned by Warwick in February 1550: Warwick declared that any who attacked Somerset, also attacked him. Warwick restored Somerset to some offices and even arranged a marriage between the families, with Somerset’s daughter marrying his son.
• It was then rumoured that in April 1551, Somerset was conspiring with the Earl of Derby and Earl of Shrewsbury who had opposed the religious changes under Edward’s reign to overthrow Warwick.

  Warwick became the Duke of Northumberland in October 1551. He was made Lord President of the Council and then made General Warden of the North, which gave him control over the military.
• After Northumberland’s position had been secured, Somerset had attempted to restore Stephen Gardiner after he had been deprived for failing to conform to the 1549 Act of Uniformity. Northumberland warned Somerset not to try and reassert himself.

  With his newfound power, and fear that Somerset would plot against him again, in the same month (October) Northumberland had Seymour arrested on October 16th 1551, for attempting to wrest control back from Northumberland.
• Somerset was arrested on false charges (33 in number) of planning to imprison and murder Warwick and two other councillors.

  Despite uncertainty amongst his trial judges, Somerset was found guilty and sentenced to death.
• Somerset’s supporters were also targeted by Northumberland, who removed Paget from the Council and imposed corruption charges against him. Whilst others like Michael Stanhope were simply executed.

  Seymour's great fall from power was solidified on January 22nd, 1552, when he was beheaded on Tower Hill.
• Once in power he organised the government and the council to secure his position. He staffed the household with his men, who could then control access to Edward. For example, Sir John Gates as Vice Chamberlain commanded the King’s guard, held the dry stamp, and reported to Northumberland all the comings and goings of the king.
• Northumberland made himself Lord President of the Council so that he had the power to fix agendas and meetings and to bar councillors (which he did to Catholics on the first day). He also assumed the King’s power to create new councillors.
• Northumberland increased the number of people in the Council to 33, so that he could bring in his own supporters. He also chose people with military experience, so that he could rely on military support whenever it was needed. To make the government more manageable, he created a smaller inner committee that could manage daily business. He restored the Privy Council to the centre of government and made less use of proclamations, preferring to use parliament to confirm legislation wherever possible.
• Edward was well educated and intelligent. His role in government increased and while it was Northumberland and the Privy Council who decided on policy, they could not ignore the King’s wishes. For example, in March 1551, at the age of 13, Edward told his Catholic sister Mary that he would not tolerate her hearing mass in her household. This was a great embarrassment to the Privy Council.
• By late 1551, Edward began attending meetings of the Privy Council. He wrote various papers, which indicated his interest in policy making and he even began to set some agendas.

  It was announced that Edward would come of age at 16, rather than 18.
• In 1553, the pattern of a new coin showed the King on horseback, no longer a child. Demonstrating his evolving image as a maturing, capable, young man.

  However, Edward was still unable to become involved in foreign affairs. There was still a concern that he could be manipulated by older statesmen.
• Northumberland advanced Protestantism while in power (the enforcement of the Second Prayer Book and the 42 Articles) despite his own religious convictions being unclear (for the coup against Somerset, he was Catholic, after which he became a radical Protestant. However, when on trial under Mary he publicly said he had ‘erred from the faith these sixteen years’.)
• Northumberland did not continue Somerset’s anti-enclosure measures. Commissioners were withdrawn and the unpopular sheep tax was repealed in 1550 and existing enclosure legislation enforced.
• Northumberland set about trying to solve the financial crisis that had been left by Somerset. He knew that ending the war would drastically reduce expenditure and in March 1550 he agreed to the Treaty of Boulogne, giving the French back Boulogne in return for 400,000 crowns. This was seen as a national disgrace and made Northumberland even less popular amongst the common people.
• Even after ending the war, Northumberland still had to debase the coinage again. This made the government a profit of £114,000 to pay immediate expenses and short-term loans, but he still had to borrow a further £243,000 from continental bankers.
• The decision to end debasement was taken in April 1551. However, Northumberland did not call in the debased coinage and replace it with coins containing the correct amount of precious metal (this was done in 1560).