GOVERNMENT
EDWARD 1547-1553 SOMERSET 1547-1549 NORTHUMBERLAND 1549-1553 MARY 1553-1558
Was a minor (aged 9) when he came Coup d’etat: Coup d’etat: Proclaimed herself Queen 11th July 1553
to the throne in 1547. Edward Seymour (Edward’s uncle) agreed Somerset became deeply unpopular within Greeted with enormous enthusiasm
Henry VIII’s will stated that there with William Paget that he would take over the the Regency Council = would bypass their Was advised by Charles V (HRE) to be lenient to her
would be a Regency Council (of Regency council and become Lord Protector. advice and run from within his own household. opponents = only Northumberland + 2 confederates
multiple factions) to lead as a group Bribed the council with titles and financial Northumberland was popular because of were executed.
until Edward cam of age. rewards. his victory in Norfolk + army leadership Members of Northumberland’s council e.g. William
Was well educated and became Gave himself the title of Duke of Somerset had lost support from the army Cecil were imprisoned.
engaged in the affairs of the State as Somerset + kidnapped Edward to remain in control Released political prisoners e.g. Duke of Norfolk +
he got older. Used same machinery of Government to deal Northumberland worked to gain the Stephen Gardiner
Attended meetings with the Privy with problems as Henry VIII. confidence of the King with Archbishop GOVERNMENT:
Council + wrote various papers Introduced no real reforms Cranmer = got conservatives expelled Mostly remained the same – Privy Council continued as
showing his interest in the SHORT TERM ISSUES: from Council. centre of administration, however it was possibly too
making of policy. Unsure to continue wars with France + Became Lord President Feb 1550 large to conduct business effectively.
Told his sister Mary that she was Scotland Gave himself many titles to secure Issues of council members from Northumberland as
no longer allowed to pray as a Religious reform power: well as Catholic councillors = some disagreements
Catholic in his household Finding ways of creating more revenue Lord President, General Warden of the North = however ended up working together
‘Devise for the Succession’ LONG TERM ISSUES: military command + Duke of Northumberland Affairs soon handled by an ‘inner council’ to restore
where he omitted his sisters and Population increase = inflation (demand Government + Administration: effective Government (many from Northumberland)
appointed Lady Jane Grey as his increased, affecting price of food as well as Able to appoint + dismiss councillors at will Mary did not appear to exert any real leadership, never
heir. declining living standards, poverty increased e.g. Paget + William Cecil (allowed them to consulting the council until after she had decided
SOCIAL + ECONOMIC ISSUES: due to higher unemployment) return to their posts) matters already with Simon Renard (Spanish advisor –
Growing population led to more Continued the wars (plunged the country into Council + its procedures restored to the very close)
poverty as work was hard to find debt, and raised taxes = unpopular) pattern of 1536-47. PARLIAMENT:
Made worse by weakening Had to take action over religious reform to not Enlarged the council to 33 members (all Controlled Parliament by filling it with Catholic
stability of the Antwerp cloth lose support from Protestant activists (would selected from those already loyal to supporters through rigged elections
market = widespread endanger his position in power) Northumberland) Lots of support after imprisonment + execution of
unemployment across East Proclamation Act 1539: stated that Royal Created a smaller committee with a fixed Cranmer, Ridley + Latimer.
Anglia + West Country. Proclamations should be followed as if they routine to conduct business. Some dislike of Spanish marriage however parties
1550: Repealed the 1547 Vagrancy were rules from Government. Revenue + Finance: worked together with administration = many
Act + sheep tax of 1548 = reduced Allowed the Monarch to rule without Government was virtually bankrupt – constructive debates that centred on local affairs +
unrest. government – could be a problem. Somerset had spent £2 million on wars + protection of property rights
1552: Poor law introduced; helped Somerset issued 77 (over half in Edward’s selling Crown lands. FINANCE + ECONOMY:
parishes aid the aged, infirm + reign) Ended wars (drastically reduced spending) 1552: implemented proposal to revise custom rates –
crippled. Fall from power: William Cecil restored as Secretary of State: increased custom revenue from £29,000 to £85,000 a
Vagrancy Act 1547: any able- Failing leadership was becoming ineffective, - Restored silver to coins March 1552 year.
bodied person out of work for more driving the country into crisis - Strict economies made in 1554: Exchequer restored as main financial department
than three days was to be branded Failure to address the uprisings in West government spending (took over First Fruits and Tenths and Court of
with a ‘V’ and sold into slavery for Country + East Anglia - 1552 reduced the revenue courts to Augmentations), Court of Wards maintained
two years. Further offences were to Debasement of coins = inflation made living just the Exchequer + the Office of independence
be punished with permanent slavery. standards harsher Crown Lands Plans to replace debased coins however Mary’s
Children of Vagrants were to be John Dudley detained him in October 1549, Fall from power: death delayed this to 1570
taken from their parents and set released early 1550 but charged again with Planned to remove Mary + Elizabeth from Economic situation got worse (bad harvests and
to work as apprentices in useful plotting against the Government. Executed succession and make his soon to be daughter- epidemics e.g. sweating sickness + influenza) = stopped
occupation. 1552. in-law (Lady Jane Grey) Queen. Council movement of textile production to the countryside to
, Widley unpopular = many local deserted him quick into Jane’s rule + declared stop the spread, however stopped the opportunity for
authorities refused to enforce it. Mary as Queen. Northumberland was arrested employment, which was a big issue due to growing
+ imprisoned before being executed. population.
RELIGON
EDWARD (under SOMERSET (Protestant with Calvinist NORTHUMBERLAND (More radical MARY (very radical Catholic reforms, highly
Cranmer) leanings but was not a theologian and had a reforms, despite converting back to unpopular = Mary’s death in 1558 limited the
more cautious approach to reform) Catholicism before his execution in 1553) extent of Catholic restoration)
Raised Protestant Many other members of the Privy Council were Conservatives were driven out of office and Failed to realise that the initial popularity for the
supportive of Royal Supremacy + break from Gardiner + Bishop Bonner were imprisoned in the restoration of Catholicism was due to strong dislike of
Rome, but many were divided on the issue of Tower of London. Northumberland’s policies.
religious reform. Appointed Bishop Ridley as new Bishop of Appointed Cardinal Pole as Papal Legate to restore
Supportive: Cranmer, Ridley + 9 bishops London. England under the authority of Rome
Against: Gardiner, Bonner + 10 bishops Active reformers were appointed bishops in Restoring Papal authority = ending Royal
(supported by Henry VIII’s will stating no Norwich, Exeter + Durham = cleared the way Supremacy = unpopular with ruling elites, ending
religious change until Edward was of age) for further reforms allegiance to the Crown.
Every church was ordered to obtain the Book of 1550: Ridley ordered all alters be removed and Arrest + imprisonment of Cranmer, Hooper + Ridley
Homilies and Paraphrases. replaced by communion tables removed major religious opposition from Parliament.
Many exiled Protestants returned to England after Proceeded unevenly across dioceses due to No public outcry when Mary suspended the second
Henry’s death = radicals launched an attack on attitudes of local ruling elites + clergy. Act of Uniformity + restored the mass.
the Catholics through a pamphlet campaign + Instructions to enforce the Act of Uniformity Was warned not to act too harshly by Charles V and the
attacking the wealth of the church. were issued. Pope.
London, East Anglia, Essex and Lincolnshire John Hooper (radical priest) argued that Ridley’s 800 strongly committed clergy, gentry and members of
= Protestant attacks on iconoclasm, stained reforms were still too Catholic + questions the the middle orders of the Church left + moved to the
windows, statues and images. rules about vestments. continent.
Privy Council did not stop them. Northumberland initially was sympathetic but Less easy for common people; 274 Protestants
Treason Act 1547: repealed the old heresy, ordered him to stop preaching once he got executed came from this group.
treason + censorship laws: Allowed free too radical = arrested 1551 for not complying Roughly 300 burned at the stake (1st person being
discussion of religion without fear of but then was given title of Bishop of Rogers – punishment was so harsh some people
censorship/arrest, enabled printing, publishing + Glouster to be quiet = introduced policies of reportedly converted to Protestantism after seeing
circulation of books + pamphlets on religion + education and reform. the strength of the victims)
permitted the importation of Lutheran + Calvinist Treason Act 1552: became an offence to 1553 First Statute of Repeal: removed all religious
literature. question the Royal Supremacy or any of the legislation approved by Parliament during Edward’s reign
Chantries Act 1547: Closed chantries (logical articles of faith of the English Church. + restored Church doctrine to what it was under the Act
step after dissolution of the monasteries but Second Act of Uniformity March 1552: of Six Articles.
secretly a devise to raise money for wars) became an offence for both clergy + laity to not Gardiner (anxious to restore favour after opposing the
1548 commissioners sent out to confiscate attend Church of England services (punishment Spanish marriage) turned to replacing Protestant bishops
land + take gold and silver + belongings was fines + imprisonment), Cranmer’s Book of of Glouster, Hereford, Lincoln + York with committed
from the establishments = melted to make Common Prayer became official basis for church Catholics.
coins services, all traces of Catholicism + mass was 1554 all bishops instructed to enforce religious
Act of Uniformity + First Book of Common removed. legislation from 1547
Prayer 1549: ordered all clergy to adopt: Mass While measures were being enforced a Clergy forced to step down or divorce their wives,
spoken in English, only 5 Sacraments, clerical survey in 1552 found that wealth of the and to preach in Latin again = 800 stepped down.
marriage = lawful. clergy was around £1,000,000 = steps taken Second statute of Repeal 1554: Restored papal
Opposition in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset + to transfer some of the property to the authority
Yorkshire however most of the country crown. Had to accept that monastic lands just restored
adopted these enforcements. Church authority but were not owned by the Church.
EDWARD 1547-1553 SOMERSET 1547-1549 NORTHUMBERLAND 1549-1553 MARY 1553-1558
Was a minor (aged 9) when he came Coup d’etat: Coup d’etat: Proclaimed herself Queen 11th July 1553
to the throne in 1547. Edward Seymour (Edward’s uncle) agreed Somerset became deeply unpopular within Greeted with enormous enthusiasm
Henry VIII’s will stated that there with William Paget that he would take over the the Regency Council = would bypass their Was advised by Charles V (HRE) to be lenient to her
would be a Regency Council (of Regency council and become Lord Protector. advice and run from within his own household. opponents = only Northumberland + 2 confederates
multiple factions) to lead as a group Bribed the council with titles and financial Northumberland was popular because of were executed.
until Edward cam of age. rewards. his victory in Norfolk + army leadership Members of Northumberland’s council e.g. William
Was well educated and became Gave himself the title of Duke of Somerset had lost support from the army Cecil were imprisoned.
engaged in the affairs of the State as Somerset + kidnapped Edward to remain in control Released political prisoners e.g. Duke of Norfolk +
he got older. Used same machinery of Government to deal Northumberland worked to gain the Stephen Gardiner
Attended meetings with the Privy with problems as Henry VIII. confidence of the King with Archbishop GOVERNMENT:
Council + wrote various papers Introduced no real reforms Cranmer = got conservatives expelled Mostly remained the same – Privy Council continued as
showing his interest in the SHORT TERM ISSUES: from Council. centre of administration, however it was possibly too
making of policy. Unsure to continue wars with France + Became Lord President Feb 1550 large to conduct business effectively.
Told his sister Mary that she was Scotland Gave himself many titles to secure Issues of council members from Northumberland as
no longer allowed to pray as a Religious reform power: well as Catholic councillors = some disagreements
Catholic in his household Finding ways of creating more revenue Lord President, General Warden of the North = however ended up working together
‘Devise for the Succession’ LONG TERM ISSUES: military command + Duke of Northumberland Affairs soon handled by an ‘inner council’ to restore
where he omitted his sisters and Population increase = inflation (demand Government + Administration: effective Government (many from Northumberland)
appointed Lady Jane Grey as his increased, affecting price of food as well as Able to appoint + dismiss councillors at will Mary did not appear to exert any real leadership, never
heir. declining living standards, poverty increased e.g. Paget + William Cecil (allowed them to consulting the council until after she had decided
SOCIAL + ECONOMIC ISSUES: due to higher unemployment) return to their posts) matters already with Simon Renard (Spanish advisor –
Growing population led to more Continued the wars (plunged the country into Council + its procedures restored to the very close)
poverty as work was hard to find debt, and raised taxes = unpopular) pattern of 1536-47. PARLIAMENT:
Made worse by weakening Had to take action over religious reform to not Enlarged the council to 33 members (all Controlled Parliament by filling it with Catholic
stability of the Antwerp cloth lose support from Protestant activists (would selected from those already loyal to supporters through rigged elections
market = widespread endanger his position in power) Northumberland) Lots of support after imprisonment + execution of
unemployment across East Proclamation Act 1539: stated that Royal Created a smaller committee with a fixed Cranmer, Ridley + Latimer.
Anglia + West Country. Proclamations should be followed as if they routine to conduct business. Some dislike of Spanish marriage however parties
1550: Repealed the 1547 Vagrancy were rules from Government. Revenue + Finance: worked together with administration = many
Act + sheep tax of 1548 = reduced Allowed the Monarch to rule without Government was virtually bankrupt – constructive debates that centred on local affairs +
unrest. government – could be a problem. Somerset had spent £2 million on wars + protection of property rights
1552: Poor law introduced; helped Somerset issued 77 (over half in Edward’s selling Crown lands. FINANCE + ECONOMY:
parishes aid the aged, infirm + reign) Ended wars (drastically reduced spending) 1552: implemented proposal to revise custom rates –
crippled. Fall from power: William Cecil restored as Secretary of State: increased custom revenue from £29,000 to £85,000 a
Vagrancy Act 1547: any able- Failing leadership was becoming ineffective, - Restored silver to coins March 1552 year.
bodied person out of work for more driving the country into crisis - Strict economies made in 1554: Exchequer restored as main financial department
than three days was to be branded Failure to address the uprisings in West government spending (took over First Fruits and Tenths and Court of
with a ‘V’ and sold into slavery for Country + East Anglia - 1552 reduced the revenue courts to Augmentations), Court of Wards maintained
two years. Further offences were to Debasement of coins = inflation made living just the Exchequer + the Office of independence
be punished with permanent slavery. standards harsher Crown Lands Plans to replace debased coins however Mary’s
Children of Vagrants were to be John Dudley detained him in October 1549, Fall from power: death delayed this to 1570
taken from their parents and set released early 1550 but charged again with Planned to remove Mary + Elizabeth from Economic situation got worse (bad harvests and
to work as apprentices in useful plotting against the Government. Executed succession and make his soon to be daughter- epidemics e.g. sweating sickness + influenza) = stopped
occupation. 1552. in-law (Lady Jane Grey) Queen. Council movement of textile production to the countryside to
, Widley unpopular = many local deserted him quick into Jane’s rule + declared stop the spread, however stopped the opportunity for
authorities refused to enforce it. Mary as Queen. Northumberland was arrested employment, which was a big issue due to growing
+ imprisoned before being executed. population.
RELIGON
EDWARD (under SOMERSET (Protestant with Calvinist NORTHUMBERLAND (More radical MARY (very radical Catholic reforms, highly
Cranmer) leanings but was not a theologian and had a reforms, despite converting back to unpopular = Mary’s death in 1558 limited the
more cautious approach to reform) Catholicism before his execution in 1553) extent of Catholic restoration)
Raised Protestant Many other members of the Privy Council were Conservatives were driven out of office and Failed to realise that the initial popularity for the
supportive of Royal Supremacy + break from Gardiner + Bishop Bonner were imprisoned in the restoration of Catholicism was due to strong dislike of
Rome, but many were divided on the issue of Tower of London. Northumberland’s policies.
religious reform. Appointed Bishop Ridley as new Bishop of Appointed Cardinal Pole as Papal Legate to restore
Supportive: Cranmer, Ridley + 9 bishops London. England under the authority of Rome
Against: Gardiner, Bonner + 10 bishops Active reformers were appointed bishops in Restoring Papal authority = ending Royal
(supported by Henry VIII’s will stating no Norwich, Exeter + Durham = cleared the way Supremacy = unpopular with ruling elites, ending
religious change until Edward was of age) for further reforms allegiance to the Crown.
Every church was ordered to obtain the Book of 1550: Ridley ordered all alters be removed and Arrest + imprisonment of Cranmer, Hooper + Ridley
Homilies and Paraphrases. replaced by communion tables removed major religious opposition from Parliament.
Many exiled Protestants returned to England after Proceeded unevenly across dioceses due to No public outcry when Mary suspended the second
Henry’s death = radicals launched an attack on attitudes of local ruling elites + clergy. Act of Uniformity + restored the mass.
the Catholics through a pamphlet campaign + Instructions to enforce the Act of Uniformity Was warned not to act too harshly by Charles V and the
attacking the wealth of the church. were issued. Pope.
London, East Anglia, Essex and Lincolnshire John Hooper (radical priest) argued that Ridley’s 800 strongly committed clergy, gentry and members of
= Protestant attacks on iconoclasm, stained reforms were still too Catholic + questions the the middle orders of the Church left + moved to the
windows, statues and images. rules about vestments. continent.
Privy Council did not stop them. Northumberland initially was sympathetic but Less easy for common people; 274 Protestants
Treason Act 1547: repealed the old heresy, ordered him to stop preaching once he got executed came from this group.
treason + censorship laws: Allowed free too radical = arrested 1551 for not complying Roughly 300 burned at the stake (1st person being
discussion of religion without fear of but then was given title of Bishop of Rogers – punishment was so harsh some people
censorship/arrest, enabled printing, publishing + Glouster to be quiet = introduced policies of reportedly converted to Protestantism after seeing
circulation of books + pamphlets on religion + education and reform. the strength of the victims)
permitted the importation of Lutheran + Calvinist Treason Act 1552: became an offence to 1553 First Statute of Repeal: removed all religious
literature. question the Royal Supremacy or any of the legislation approved by Parliament during Edward’s reign
Chantries Act 1547: Closed chantries (logical articles of faith of the English Church. + restored Church doctrine to what it was under the Act
step after dissolution of the monasteries but Second Act of Uniformity March 1552: of Six Articles.
secretly a devise to raise money for wars) became an offence for both clergy + laity to not Gardiner (anxious to restore favour after opposing the
1548 commissioners sent out to confiscate attend Church of England services (punishment Spanish marriage) turned to replacing Protestant bishops
land + take gold and silver + belongings was fines + imprisonment), Cranmer’s Book of of Glouster, Hereford, Lincoln + York with committed
from the establishments = melted to make Common Prayer became official basis for church Catholics.
coins services, all traces of Catholicism + mass was 1554 all bishops instructed to enforce religious
Act of Uniformity + First Book of Common removed. legislation from 1547
Prayer 1549: ordered all clergy to adopt: Mass While measures were being enforced a Clergy forced to step down or divorce their wives,
spoken in English, only 5 Sacraments, clerical survey in 1552 found that wealth of the and to preach in Latin again = 800 stepped down.
marriage = lawful. clergy was around £1,000,000 = steps taken Second statute of Repeal 1554: Restored papal
Opposition in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset + to transfer some of the property to the authority
Yorkshire however most of the country crown. Had to accept that monastic lands just restored
adopted these enforcements. Church authority but were not owned by the Church.
