Regency Council
• Council of 16 men who would rule on Edwards behalf until he
came of age. All would be of equal status with no one man Somerset takeover
dominating • England was designed to function with a
• Factions allowed to develop at court ‘reform’ faction wished to making the final decision
see greater reform in politics and religion and was led by • Edward Seymour was the leader, he kept
Thomas Cranmer and Edward Seymour the uncle of Edward and Henry’s Plan for the secret for four days with Sir William Pagen
the conservative faction wished to see less reform and wanted to rally support
return to Catholicism led by Thomas Howard (the duke of succession • Seymour was named lord protector given
Norfolk) and Bishop Gardiner Somerset with the power to appoint and
• Reform group dominated by 1546 as duke of Norfolk was privy council in February 1547
arrested and put in tower of London and Stephen Gardiner was
dismissed from the privy council
War with Scotland Social problems
• Henry left a very uncertain diplomatic situation • Issues i.e. enclosures lead to break down
• War to secure marriage of Edward to Mary Queen of Scots. Over village communities + caused real pover
2m sent to war. Continue with war or lose national pride nobles Changing enclosures rights it would be a
and gentry led troops in the campaign of 1540s. class who government depended on for
• Brought England to close bankruptcy + attacking Scotland made • Population growth meant more people
it likely France would get involved = risk of invasion in south + Henrys legacy, the had to move to towns as there wasn’t e
north countryside so towns were over populat
Economic problems
problems facing housing issues and poverty/ rising prices
unemployment and concerns of rebellio
•
•
He neglected the economy so it was weak with high inflation
He debased coinage to pay for wars
Somerset • Vagrancy Act 1547 – passed by Somerse
government were concerned about pub
• problem with increasing population raising prices than concerned for poor and needy. It w
• End of 1540s Antwerp cloth trade was in decline = widespread vagrants, people who went from town t
unemployment work. Under the new law, any able perso
• Crown virtually bankrupt he sold large sums of monastic lands to more than 3 days was branded with a V
raise money and even borrowed from continental bankers slavery for two years and the law was w
Religion
• Henrys religious policies had largely been conservative
• end of his reign the reformist faction dominated the regency council and key
government posts
• reformers who fled abroad were ready to return for protestant reformation.
• Council of 16 men who would rule on Edwards behalf until he
came of age. All would be of equal status with no one man Somerset takeover
dominating • England was designed to function with a
• Factions allowed to develop at court ‘reform’ faction wished to making the final decision
see greater reform in politics and religion and was led by • Edward Seymour was the leader, he kept
Thomas Cranmer and Edward Seymour the uncle of Edward and Henry’s Plan for the secret for four days with Sir William Pagen
the conservative faction wished to see less reform and wanted to rally support
return to Catholicism led by Thomas Howard (the duke of succession • Seymour was named lord protector given
Norfolk) and Bishop Gardiner Somerset with the power to appoint and
• Reform group dominated by 1546 as duke of Norfolk was privy council in February 1547
arrested and put in tower of London and Stephen Gardiner was
dismissed from the privy council
War with Scotland Social problems
• Henry left a very uncertain diplomatic situation • Issues i.e. enclosures lead to break down
• War to secure marriage of Edward to Mary Queen of Scots. Over village communities + caused real pover
2m sent to war. Continue with war or lose national pride nobles Changing enclosures rights it would be a
and gentry led troops in the campaign of 1540s. class who government depended on for
• Brought England to close bankruptcy + attacking Scotland made • Population growth meant more people
it likely France would get involved = risk of invasion in south + Henrys legacy, the had to move to towns as there wasn’t e
north countryside so towns were over populat
Economic problems
problems facing housing issues and poverty/ rising prices
unemployment and concerns of rebellio
•
•
He neglected the economy so it was weak with high inflation
He debased coinage to pay for wars
Somerset • Vagrancy Act 1547 – passed by Somerse
government were concerned about pub
• problem with increasing population raising prices than concerned for poor and needy. It w
• End of 1540s Antwerp cloth trade was in decline = widespread vagrants, people who went from town t
unemployment work. Under the new law, any able perso
• Crown virtually bankrupt he sold large sums of monastic lands to more than 3 days was branded with a V
raise money and even borrowed from continental bankers slavery for two years and the law was w
Religion
• Henrys religious policies had largely been conservative
• end of his reign the reformist faction dominated the regency council and key
government posts
• reformers who fled abroad were ready to return for protestant reformation.
