Government
Key Dates
Nov 1558 - Elizabeth succeeds to throne and appoints William Cecil Secretary of State; Marquis
of Winchester remains Lord Treasurer.
1559 - Passing of Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy
1560 - Robert Dudley emerges as Queen’s favourite; Recoinage begins.
1562 - Queen catches smallpox and almost dies.
1563 - differences between Queen and Parliament over succession.
1564 - Robert Dudley made Earl of Leicester.
1566 - Differences between Elizabeth and Parliament over succession and marriage.
1568 - arrival in England of Mary Stuart, having abdicated from throne of Scotland, kept under
house arrest by Elizabeth.
1569 - Plot to MQS to Duke of Norfolk.
Oct 1569 - Norfolk sent to the tower. Rising in the North led by Earls of Westmoreland and
Northumberland.
Dec 1569 - collapse of Northern rebellion.
Feb 1570 - final defeat of Northern rebels in Cumberland.
Aug 1570 - release of Duke of Norfolk
April - May 1571 - difficulties between Elizabeth and Parliament over succession.
1571 - William Cecil raised to the peerage as Lord Burghley.
Sept 1571 - Duke of Norfolk implicated in Ridolfi Plot and rearrested.
1571 - Treasons Act makes it high treason to deny Royal Supremacy.
March 1572 - death of Lord Treasurer Winchester
June 1572 - Norfolk’s execution
,May-June 1572 - further difficulties between Queen and parliament over succession.
July 1572 - Burghley appointed Lord Treasurer; reform of Poor Law, providing a system for relief
of the deserving poor.
1573 - Sir Francis Walsingham appointed Secretary of State; creation of trained bands, armed
and trained local militias.
1576 - Peter Wentworth’s parliamentary speech extolling freedom of speech; Wentworth
imprisoned in tower by order of Parliament; Poor Relief Act: stocks of raw material to be
provided throughout country to give work to unemployed.
1579 - Privy Council advices Queen against proposed marriage to Duke of Alençon.
1581 - Parliament increases recusancy fines to £20 a month.
1583 - Throckmorton plot.
1584 - Differences between Queen and Parliament over succession.
1585 - Act of Parliament against Jesuits and seminary priests.
Jan 1586 - Star Chamber decree tightens censorship on press.
1586 - Babington Plot.
Nov 1586 - both Houses of Parliament petition Queen for execution of MQS
Feb 1587 - execution of MQS; Cope’s Bill and Book
March 1587 - Wentworth makes another parliamentary speech in favour of freedom of Speech
April - 1587 - Sir Christopher Hatton appointed Lord Chancellor
Sept 1588 - Defeat of Spanish Armada
1590 - Death of Walsingham
1591 - Death of Hatton
1593 - Wentworth arrested for raising issue of succession in House of Commons
1596 - Sir Robert Cecil appointed Secretary of State
, 1597 - Monopolies a key issue in parliamentary session; more comprehensive Poor Law
enacted
Aug 1598 - Death of Burghley
1599 - Lord Buckhurst appointed Lord Treasurer; Robert Cecil appointed Master of the Court of
the Wards
Jun 1600 - Earl of Essex condemned to lose all offices and imprisoned at Queen’s pleasure
(released in Aug)
Jan 1601 - failure of Essex rebellion
Feb 1601 - execution of Earl of Essex
1601 - Revised Poor Law enacted
Nov 1601 - Elizabeth makes ‘Golden Speech’ to House of Commons
1602 - Cecil begins secret correspondence with James VI to prepare him for throne of England
March 1603 - Elizabeth dies
Overview
Foundations of Elizabethan Government’s reputation:
- Glittering nature of court
- Development of literacy and culture
- Defeat of Spanish Armada
- Re-creation of CofE and Elizabeth’s image makers
- 438 acts passed in 13 parliament →not reliant on parliament
- Refused over 60 bills across reign
- 1566, 1571 subsidy bills did not successfully pass through government
Positives:
- Government was founded on peace, economy and caution.
- Cheap government
- Until late 1580s, taxes were low.
- Poor relief development maintained social stability.
Negatives:
- Elizabeth’s desire for economy could lapse into meanness (e.g. starved Church of
resources by refusing to make appointments to Bishoprics).
- Few changes to make the government more efficient were introduced → bad for
successor.
Key Dates
Nov 1558 - Elizabeth succeeds to throne and appoints William Cecil Secretary of State; Marquis
of Winchester remains Lord Treasurer.
1559 - Passing of Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy
1560 - Robert Dudley emerges as Queen’s favourite; Recoinage begins.
1562 - Queen catches smallpox and almost dies.
1563 - differences between Queen and Parliament over succession.
1564 - Robert Dudley made Earl of Leicester.
1566 - Differences between Elizabeth and Parliament over succession and marriage.
1568 - arrival in England of Mary Stuart, having abdicated from throne of Scotland, kept under
house arrest by Elizabeth.
1569 - Plot to MQS to Duke of Norfolk.
Oct 1569 - Norfolk sent to the tower. Rising in the North led by Earls of Westmoreland and
Northumberland.
Dec 1569 - collapse of Northern rebellion.
Feb 1570 - final defeat of Northern rebels in Cumberland.
Aug 1570 - release of Duke of Norfolk
April - May 1571 - difficulties between Elizabeth and Parliament over succession.
1571 - William Cecil raised to the peerage as Lord Burghley.
Sept 1571 - Duke of Norfolk implicated in Ridolfi Plot and rearrested.
1571 - Treasons Act makes it high treason to deny Royal Supremacy.
March 1572 - death of Lord Treasurer Winchester
June 1572 - Norfolk’s execution
,May-June 1572 - further difficulties between Queen and parliament over succession.
July 1572 - Burghley appointed Lord Treasurer; reform of Poor Law, providing a system for relief
of the deserving poor.
1573 - Sir Francis Walsingham appointed Secretary of State; creation of trained bands, armed
and trained local militias.
1576 - Peter Wentworth’s parliamentary speech extolling freedom of speech; Wentworth
imprisoned in tower by order of Parliament; Poor Relief Act: stocks of raw material to be
provided throughout country to give work to unemployed.
1579 - Privy Council advices Queen against proposed marriage to Duke of Alençon.
1581 - Parliament increases recusancy fines to £20 a month.
1583 - Throckmorton plot.
1584 - Differences between Queen and Parliament over succession.
1585 - Act of Parliament against Jesuits and seminary priests.
Jan 1586 - Star Chamber decree tightens censorship on press.
1586 - Babington Plot.
Nov 1586 - both Houses of Parliament petition Queen for execution of MQS
Feb 1587 - execution of MQS; Cope’s Bill and Book
March 1587 - Wentworth makes another parliamentary speech in favour of freedom of Speech
April - 1587 - Sir Christopher Hatton appointed Lord Chancellor
Sept 1588 - Defeat of Spanish Armada
1590 - Death of Walsingham
1591 - Death of Hatton
1593 - Wentworth arrested for raising issue of succession in House of Commons
1596 - Sir Robert Cecil appointed Secretary of State
, 1597 - Monopolies a key issue in parliamentary session; more comprehensive Poor Law
enacted
Aug 1598 - Death of Burghley
1599 - Lord Buckhurst appointed Lord Treasurer; Robert Cecil appointed Master of the Court of
the Wards
Jun 1600 - Earl of Essex condemned to lose all offices and imprisoned at Queen’s pleasure
(released in Aug)
Jan 1601 - failure of Essex rebellion
Feb 1601 - execution of Earl of Essex
1601 - Revised Poor Law enacted
Nov 1601 - Elizabeth makes ‘Golden Speech’ to House of Commons
1602 - Cecil begins secret correspondence with James VI to prepare him for throne of England
March 1603 - Elizabeth dies
Overview
Foundations of Elizabethan Government’s reputation:
- Glittering nature of court
- Development of literacy and culture
- Defeat of Spanish Armada
- Re-creation of CofE and Elizabeth’s image makers
- 438 acts passed in 13 parliament →not reliant on parliament
- Refused over 60 bills across reign
- 1566, 1571 subsidy bills did not successfully pass through government
Positives:
- Government was founded on peace, economy and caution.
- Cheap government
- Until late 1580s, taxes were low.
- Poor relief development maintained social stability.
Negatives:
- Elizabeth’s desire for economy could lapse into meanness (e.g. starved Church of
resources by refusing to make appointments to Bishoprics).
- Few changes to make the government more efficient were introduced → bad for
successor.
