Mary I and Edward VI
Royal Authority:
The crises faced by the Tudors in the years 1540-63 was primarily caused by weak
leadership/poor authority.’ Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent did the English government respond effectively to the domestic problems
which it faced in the years 1529 to 1563?
Rebellions
- 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace
- 1549 Kett's/Western Rebellion
- 1554 Wyatt's Rebellion
Religion
- Henry religious acts (solved problems that didn’t exist)
- Edward first 1549 and second act of Uniformity 1552, 1547 chantries act and 1553
confiscation of plate
- Mary burnings + failure to restore monasteries + repeal Protestant legislation
(including act of Supremacy)
- Elizabeth settlement
Economy
- Henry dissolution of monasteries + war of rough wooing + debasement
- Somerset debased coinage + attacked enclosure, Northumberland ended
French+Scottish wars
- Mary war finance, military development and poor act 1555 (beggars wear badges to
shame parish into poor relief/alms)
Succession:
Foreign Policy:
Edward:
Initial troubles:
- England doesn’t have enough money to relieve Boulogne’s siege, but abandoning it
would be unpopular
- Support from Charles V was non-existent, but Henry II still feared his intervention.
- Northumberland was still building a power base.
France
- The peace with France was concluded in the Treaty of Boulogne in March 1550.
, - Aims were to keep the peace and stabilise England’s finances
Northumberland failure:
- England had to remove garrisons from Scotland and restore the old border
(did help finances however).
- Some historians have condemned the peace as a shameful surrender of
English-held territory, having to give up Boulogne in return for indemnity of
133,333 crowns.
Northumberland success:
- England's finances were dire and more of a priority, especially with the drain
on resources Boulogne had been (although Calais remained heavily
financed).
- The Holy Roman Empire was developing into a key threat.
- The marriage alliance with France between Edward VI and Henri II’s daughter
Elizabeth of Valois would be useful.
Scotland
Aims:
- Assert Edward VI’s ancient claim to the Scottish throne
- Establish garrisons throughout Scotland
- Marry Mary and Edward
The Battle of Pinkie
- Somerset invaded Scotland with 20,000 troops, supported by 30 warships and 50
supply ships. In the west, 2,500 troops invaded from Carlisle.
- The Scots were defeated at the battle of Pinkie, just south of Edinburgh.
Outcome:
- Mary, Queen of Scots was taken from Scotland to France to prevent her being
married to Edward VI. Rather than divide Scotland and France, the policy had
brought them together.
- Although Somerset had control of the Scottish border region, he did not have the
resources to occupy all of Scotland.
- The cost was £600,000 that England could ill afford.
- In 1549, he had to withdraw forces due to a renewed French attack on Boulogne to
tackle the rebellions in England.
- Led to his ousting from government
Mary:
Context:
- 1557: England declared war on France to support Spain, contributed only 7000
troops.
- France was defeated at the Battle of Saint-Quentin, but Spain did not have the
money to secure a victory.
- Lost Calais in 1558, impossible to defend an unsupplied garrison.
Royal Authority:
The crises faced by the Tudors in the years 1540-63 was primarily caused by weak
leadership/poor authority.’ Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent did the English government respond effectively to the domestic problems
which it faced in the years 1529 to 1563?
Rebellions
- 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace
- 1549 Kett's/Western Rebellion
- 1554 Wyatt's Rebellion
Religion
- Henry religious acts (solved problems that didn’t exist)
- Edward first 1549 and second act of Uniformity 1552, 1547 chantries act and 1553
confiscation of plate
- Mary burnings + failure to restore monasteries + repeal Protestant legislation
(including act of Supremacy)
- Elizabeth settlement
Economy
- Henry dissolution of monasteries + war of rough wooing + debasement
- Somerset debased coinage + attacked enclosure, Northumberland ended
French+Scottish wars
- Mary war finance, military development and poor act 1555 (beggars wear badges to
shame parish into poor relief/alms)
Succession:
Foreign Policy:
Edward:
Initial troubles:
- England doesn’t have enough money to relieve Boulogne’s siege, but abandoning it
would be unpopular
- Support from Charles V was non-existent, but Henry II still feared his intervention.
- Northumberland was still building a power base.
France
- The peace with France was concluded in the Treaty of Boulogne in March 1550.
, - Aims were to keep the peace and stabilise England’s finances
Northumberland failure:
- England had to remove garrisons from Scotland and restore the old border
(did help finances however).
- Some historians have condemned the peace as a shameful surrender of
English-held territory, having to give up Boulogne in return for indemnity of
133,333 crowns.
Northumberland success:
- England's finances were dire and more of a priority, especially with the drain
on resources Boulogne had been (although Calais remained heavily
financed).
- The Holy Roman Empire was developing into a key threat.
- The marriage alliance with France between Edward VI and Henri II’s daughter
Elizabeth of Valois would be useful.
Scotland
Aims:
- Assert Edward VI’s ancient claim to the Scottish throne
- Establish garrisons throughout Scotland
- Marry Mary and Edward
The Battle of Pinkie
- Somerset invaded Scotland with 20,000 troops, supported by 30 warships and 50
supply ships. In the west, 2,500 troops invaded from Carlisle.
- The Scots were defeated at the battle of Pinkie, just south of Edinburgh.
Outcome:
- Mary, Queen of Scots was taken from Scotland to France to prevent her being
married to Edward VI. Rather than divide Scotland and France, the policy had
brought them together.
- Although Somerset had control of the Scottish border region, he did not have the
resources to occupy all of Scotland.
- The cost was £600,000 that England could ill afford.
- In 1549, he had to withdraw forces due to a renewed French attack on Boulogne to
tackle the rebellions in England.
- Led to his ousting from government
Mary:
Context:
- 1557: England declared war on France to support Spain, contributed only 7000
troops.
- France was defeated at the Battle of Saint-Quentin, but Spain did not have the
money to secure a victory.
- Lost Calais in 1558, impossible to defend an unsupplied garrison.
