EDWARD VI UNDR NORTHUMBERLAND

ways Northumberland seized power

Arrested Somerset in October 1549

expelled conservative faction from the council and replaced them with reform allies in 1550

gained control of the royal household with Cranmer

rearrested Somerset in 1551 and assumed the title Duke of Northumberland

How did Northumberland separate himself from Somerset?

used the title Lord President of the Council rather than Lord Protector

Northumberland's changes to government

reinstated reformers in office (William Paget and Cecil)

enlarged the membership to the council, but kept privy council as the inner circle

no. members of the King's council under Northumberland

33

Northumberland's success in administration

solidified his own position and his allies

gave himself control of procedure

made governance look more equal, more voices etc. but in reality maintained concentrated control

maintenance for the royal household (£)

50k/an

amount spent on war under Somerset

1.35 million

revenue generated in England (£)

800k

Northumberland's changes to revenue

debased coinage in May 1551 (for the last time under Edward)

sold chantry lands and church goods to pay off debt

new coinage released in march 1552 to strengthen the currency

reduced crown spending significantly

paid off mercenary troops

established the private coffer

% of silver in 1552 coins

same as 1527

no. revenue courts in 1549 compared to 1552

went from 5 to 2, just the exchequer and the Crown Lands office

judgement of Northumberland's financial policy

success:

government able to pay off short term loans by 1551

new coinage prevented economic rebellion

changes to crown finance stabilised the economy by 1553 and liquidised European debt

failure:

still had to borrow significantly from continent

profit from debasement 1551

114k

loans borrowed from Europe in 1551 (£)

243k

Northumberland's changes to social policy

repealed the vagrancy act of 1547

ended anti-enclosures measures

repealed sheep tax in 1550

controlled stocks and grains inventories

judgement of Northumberland's social policy

success:

reduced fear around vagrancy

improved poor relief and prevented hunger crisis with food prices increasing

able to balance supporting the poor and the gentry

failure:

poor relief unpopular with the nobility

Northumberland's policy with France

signed a peace treaty in march 1550

Boulogne handed back to France in April 1550

Treaty of Boulogne

1550, England withdraw from France for 400k crowns and remove garrisons from Scotland, unless newly provoked by the Scots

money given to England in Treaty of Boulogne

400k crowns

judgement of Northumberland's policy with France

success:

increased trade opportunities with France

boosted security

ended crippling cost of the French war

failure:

decreased Northumberland's popularity- peace seen as the weak option and was humiliating

weakened England's International position

Northumberland's relations with HRE

generally negative- merchants angry with poor trade deals and protestants outraged by persecution of reformers in Netherlands by Spanish Inquisition in 1550

Northumberland put little effort into improving relations

Northumberland's relations with Scotland

Northumberland becomes General Warden of the North

puts Robert Bowen in charge of surveying the border

restores the Scottish border from 1509

deputy General Warden of the North

Lord Wharton

Old Scottish border renewed (date)

March 1552

judgment of Northumberland's policies with Scotland

success:

stabilised relations, prevented renewal of war

reduced raids and the power of the French

failure:

failed to improve relations

war breaks out between France and HRE

March 1552

Cranmer's ordinals

January 1550, practically Lutheran

encouraged priests to preach the gospel not give superstitious references to the old religion

BUT did not remove 16 ceremonial vestments

reaction to Cranmer's Ordinals

satisfied moderate reformers but extremists found it too superstitious

John Hooper (bishop + reformer) preached against the ordinals

religious changes under Northumberland

Cranmer's ordinals

removal of altars, input of communion tables

removed conservative clergy

treason act 1552

second prayer book 1552

second act of uniformity 1552

act of forty two articles 1553

reaction to communion tables

outside of London there were mixed reactions, some parishes removed them quickly some slowly

Gardiner is deprived of his Diocese at Winchester and imprisoned

feb 1551

impact of the removal of conservative clergy

meant convocation was largely reformist, so there was little resistance to forthcoming reforms

Treason Act

1552, allowed the church to enforce doctrinal uniformity and made it treason to deny royal supremacy or to slander any of the affirmed articles of faith

impact of the treason act

removed religious freedom under Somerset, made protestantism more embedded in the church across the country

Second Common Book of Prayer

1552, written by Cranmer

WORDING OF THE EUCHARIST CHANGED- NO TRANSUBSTANTIATION

new eucharist terms

'drink in remembrance of me'

reaction to second prayer book

popularised protestant teachings across the country and demonstrated a great change in doctrine- more substantial than the work done by Edward Seymour

not necessarily enforced or utilised out in the shires

Second Act of Uniformity

March 1552, updated book of common prayer, laid out a template for all church services, now an imprisonable offence to miss church, visible signs of catholicism in the church and services removed

impact of second act of uniformity

at senior clerical level very much accepted and observed, however at local level its difficult to understand the impact because of a lack of records

the Forty Two Articles

1553, would lay out the doctrine of the new church, and include quite a lot of reform but NEVER BECAME LAW

impact of 42 articles

never became law so impact very limited

position was firmly protestant so probably would have had quite a large impact if Edward had lived longer

Third Succession Act

1544, makes Edward primary heir, Mary and Elizabeth returned to the line of succession behind Edward and his heirs

Devise for the Succession

1553, claims Mary and Elizabeth were illegitimate and names Lady Jane Grey (+heirs male) as Edward's heir

problem with the Devise for the Succession

not actually made law, because Edward wasn't yet 18 so couldn't put it to parliament

LJG marries Guilford Dudley

May, 1553

LJG claim to the throne

great-granddaughter of Henry VII

evidence Edward wanted LJG as heir

Jane was protestant

they had grown up together and were similarly educated

might have been married

not seen as a threat to stability

Edward wrote in his Device that she should be queen

Edward was concerned about female inheritance so devoted the crown to Jane and her heirs male, as he knew there were no other male inheritors available

evidence Northumberland wanted LJG as queen

tried very hard to have Device made into a succession act through Parliament

Jane's father had been a key adviser to Northumberland

Jane's father had been made Duke of Suffolk by Northumberland

Jane married Northumberland's son, Guilford

Northumberland kept Edward's death secret for 2 days so he could orchestrate the succession

Edward's Device was released after he was pronounced seriously ill

Henry Grey made Duke of Suffolk

October 1551

Jane marries Guilford Dudley

June 1553