Elizabeth I
Government:
● Court, Ministers, Parliament
● Factional rivalries
Parliament:
Neale’s ‘Puritan Choir’ Thesis:
● Parliament’s increasing importance, especially in religious matters, increasingly
encouraged factionalism and opposition to royal authority in the Commons.
● Elizabeth wanted to pursue a conservative policy but was pushed in a radical
direction by a Protestant faction in the House of Commons.
Evidence to support Neale's thesis:
Monopoly Crisis =
● Elizabeth granted several monopoly rights throughout her reign, in exchange for
favours to the crown. MPs believed this was unfair as it raised the national price level
causing inflation and was an abuse of her prerogative rights. Elizabeth agreed to
abolish some of the monopoly patents, delivering the ‘Golden Speech’ to 141 MPs in
her palace, thereby preserving her prerogative and demonstrating her shrewdness.
The Commons also asserted their parliamentary rights =
● To have free speech in the commons in 1576 and 1593.
● To settle an election dispute in a Norfolk constituency in 1586.
Evidence against Neale's thesis:
- William Cecil and other privy councillors setting the tone of a parliamentary session
and outlining the Crown’s priorities, whilst also sitting on committees.
- Refused royal assent to over 60 bills during her reign.
Finances:
- Inherited her first Lord Treasurer, William Paulet, which under his leadership the
Exchequer continued to implement Mary’s reforms. Included modernising and
making it more efficient, revaluing crown lands so rents and entry fines could be
increased, and raising custom duties. After William Cecil assumed the role in 1572, it
saw no change in priorities. By 1585, Elizabeth had been able to pay off Mary’s debts
of £300k and build up a £300k reserve. She sold off the last of the monastic lands
which generated £600k.
Elizabeth’s Ministers:
, William Cecil
- Born to gentry in Lincolnshire (1520), Protestant, Lawyer -> Secretary of State ->
Lord Treasurer. Good ability to manage people.
- After 1572, MacCaffrey sees him as a man who kept routine running smoothly. After
1585, coped w/ financial burden caused by war w/ Spain, contemporaries in awe of
his work rate.
- Pushed policy of intervention in 1560, successful Scottish reformation and expulsion
of French. Sent English troops to Netherlands and dispatched Mary's death warrant.
Factions:
- Robert Cecil had a slow advancement but his great organisational skills were
eventually recognised, despite Essex attempting to delay his advancement as he
viewed him as his principal rival.
- Robert Devereux (Earl of Essex) was charming and brilliant but also greedy and
ambitious. He attempted to control royal patronage, but was largely unsuccessful
(staked his reputation on gaining the office of Attorney-General for Sir Francis
Bacon). He replaced his stepfather, Leicester, as the Queen's favourite. In council
meetings he championed an aggressive foreign policy, as well as secretly attempting
to revive a Protestant coalition against Catholicism with James VI. This was
contested by the Cecil faction who wanted a less aggressive, maritime foreign policy.
In 1601, after failing to put down Tyrone’s rebellion, he openly plotted rebellion. His
supporters included the Earls of Southampton, Bedford and Rudland but other
members of his faction - particularly Lord Mountjoy, Robert Sidney and Lord Henry
Howard remained loyal to the Queen. Essex's execution, after the failure of his
rebellion, left Robert Cecil supreme.
Local government under Elizabeth I:
Role of the JPs
The theoretical workload of a JP increased considerably, largely as a result of the social and
economic legislation passed by the government. This does not necessarily mean, however,
that JPs worked harder. The view that JPs carried on their shoulders the sole, unpaid
responsibility for enforcing laws throughout the country is limited. It could be suggested the
title was more of a social honour, which undoubtedly provided a degree of loyalty to the
crown, yet on occasion when local interest clashed with national interest, they were largely
reluctant to carry out crown policy (e.g. recusancy laws against Catholics who did not attend
church or taxation assessments). This was only worsened in times of bad harvest or high
inflation, which led to the Queen and Cecil employing special commissioners instead of local
men. For example, using devout Protestants to impose the anti-Catholic laws of the 1580s
and providing informants with financial rewards.
Foreign Policy:
● Succession
● Spain
Government:
● Court, Ministers, Parliament
● Factional rivalries
Parliament:
Neale’s ‘Puritan Choir’ Thesis:
● Parliament’s increasing importance, especially in religious matters, increasingly
encouraged factionalism and opposition to royal authority in the Commons.
● Elizabeth wanted to pursue a conservative policy but was pushed in a radical
direction by a Protestant faction in the House of Commons.
Evidence to support Neale's thesis:
Monopoly Crisis =
● Elizabeth granted several monopoly rights throughout her reign, in exchange for
favours to the crown. MPs believed this was unfair as it raised the national price level
causing inflation and was an abuse of her prerogative rights. Elizabeth agreed to
abolish some of the monopoly patents, delivering the ‘Golden Speech’ to 141 MPs in
her palace, thereby preserving her prerogative and demonstrating her shrewdness.
The Commons also asserted their parliamentary rights =
● To have free speech in the commons in 1576 and 1593.
● To settle an election dispute in a Norfolk constituency in 1586.
Evidence against Neale's thesis:
- William Cecil and other privy councillors setting the tone of a parliamentary session
and outlining the Crown’s priorities, whilst also sitting on committees.
- Refused royal assent to over 60 bills during her reign.
Finances:
- Inherited her first Lord Treasurer, William Paulet, which under his leadership the
Exchequer continued to implement Mary’s reforms. Included modernising and
making it more efficient, revaluing crown lands so rents and entry fines could be
increased, and raising custom duties. After William Cecil assumed the role in 1572, it
saw no change in priorities. By 1585, Elizabeth had been able to pay off Mary’s debts
of £300k and build up a £300k reserve. She sold off the last of the monastic lands
which generated £600k.
Elizabeth’s Ministers:
, William Cecil
- Born to gentry in Lincolnshire (1520), Protestant, Lawyer -> Secretary of State ->
Lord Treasurer. Good ability to manage people.
- After 1572, MacCaffrey sees him as a man who kept routine running smoothly. After
1585, coped w/ financial burden caused by war w/ Spain, contemporaries in awe of
his work rate.
- Pushed policy of intervention in 1560, successful Scottish reformation and expulsion
of French. Sent English troops to Netherlands and dispatched Mary's death warrant.
Factions:
- Robert Cecil had a slow advancement but his great organisational skills were
eventually recognised, despite Essex attempting to delay his advancement as he
viewed him as his principal rival.
- Robert Devereux (Earl of Essex) was charming and brilliant but also greedy and
ambitious. He attempted to control royal patronage, but was largely unsuccessful
(staked his reputation on gaining the office of Attorney-General for Sir Francis
Bacon). He replaced his stepfather, Leicester, as the Queen's favourite. In council
meetings he championed an aggressive foreign policy, as well as secretly attempting
to revive a Protestant coalition against Catholicism with James VI. This was
contested by the Cecil faction who wanted a less aggressive, maritime foreign policy.
In 1601, after failing to put down Tyrone’s rebellion, he openly plotted rebellion. His
supporters included the Earls of Southampton, Bedford and Rudland but other
members of his faction - particularly Lord Mountjoy, Robert Sidney and Lord Henry
Howard remained loyal to the Queen. Essex's execution, after the failure of his
rebellion, left Robert Cecil supreme.
Local government under Elizabeth I:
Role of the JPs
The theoretical workload of a JP increased considerably, largely as a result of the social and
economic legislation passed by the government. This does not necessarily mean, however,
that JPs worked harder. The view that JPs carried on their shoulders the sole, unpaid
responsibility for enforcing laws throughout the country is limited. It could be suggested the
title was more of a social honour, which undoubtedly provided a degree of loyalty to the
crown, yet on occasion when local interest clashed with national interest, they were largely
reluctant to carry out crown policy (e.g. recusancy laws against Catholics who did not attend
church or taxation assessments). This was only worsened in times of bad harvest or high
inflation, which led to the Queen and Cecil employing special commissioners instead of local
men. For example, using devout Protestants to impose the anti-Catholic laws of the 1580s
and providing informants with financial rewards.
Foreign Policy:
● Succession
● Spain
