Edward VI - Character and Aims

What did Henry VIII leave behind for Edward’s reign?

• Regency Council with 16 men - believed council was too ambition & unusual to work

• After Death of H8 - Earl of Hertford, Edward Seymour made regent

• Seymour promoted himself to Duke of Somerset & became the Lord Protector

Who cared for Edward growing up?

• Nurse: Mother Jack

• Catherine Parr offered maternal affection

• Anne of Cleves & Catherine Howard had little to do with him

What was Edward’s relationship like with Henry VIII?

Traditional relationship!

• Henry saw Edward very infrequently

What did Edward’s household look like growing up?

• Had an army of servants - hardly ever alone: 3 gentlemen & 5 grooms always present

• Never allowed to partake in danger or contact sport

• Walls & Floors of his apartment were cleaned 3x a day

• Fed with great quality food

What was Edward’s character like?

Serious Child

• frequent examples of coldness - no reference to death of his Grandmother (Margaret Seymour), only two mentions of his sister Elizabeth

• clearly distrustful & vindictive

What was Edward’s character in hobbies?

• Sport - enjoyed hunting, rackets, archery, jousting (observer) and horse riding

• scribbled notes in Greek

• enjoyed listening to difficult Sermons

When was Edward receiving a formal education?

Began on 1545 - ended when he was 14 in June 1552

Who was involved in Edward’s formal education?

Richard Coxe & Sir John Cheke (principle teachers)

• Both Humanists

• Coxe was Protestant

What was Edward taught in his formal education?

• Good manners

• Fencing

• Horsemanship

• Rules of Hunting

What was the State of England in 1547?

• Increase in population - pressure on food supply, jobs, rents & inflation

• Enclosed sheep farming

• Resentment at the growth of governmental interreference in individualistic decisions (faith)

• Over-ambitious foreign policy (jealousy rivalry with France) led to debasement of coinage & the sale of crown lands - threatening financial stability

• Religious debate increasing & Protestant influences taking root in England

What was Henry VIII’s Religious Legacy?

England was Catholic in teaching but had changed its name to the ‘Church of England’

• dissolved monasteries & sold off their land - could not be recovered

• severed relationship with Roman Catholic Church

• ‘Six Articles’ 1539 - kept doctrine of Transubstantiation

What was the impact of humanist thought on Edward’s reign?

Emphasised importance of individuals

• many of Edward’s tutors were humanist (John Cheke & Richard Cox)

• Cranmer invited reformers to England to give ideas on changing the church & preaching to others

What were Edward VI’s strengths upon succession?

• crowned king = could not be ignored or contradicted

• healthy upon succession

• highly intelligent, confident & opiniated

• encyclopaedic knowledge of the nobility & gentry

• described as ‘old beyond his years’

• his uncle was his Lord Protector

What were Edward VI’s weaknesses upon succession?

• Only 9 when he became king

• England was suffering! - increasing poverty/hardship & religious upheaval

• Henry VIII depleted the coffers by spending £2 million on war with France

• Growing popular discontent over issues of enclosure & breakdown of traditional village communities

Who is the Duke of Somerset?

Edward Seymour

• protestant

• man of action

• obsessed with issues regarding Scotland

• arrogant, rude and difficult to work with

• spent lavishly - Somerset House

When did the Duke of Somerset rule over England on behalf of Edward?

1547-1549

• only 2 years!

How was the Duke of Somerset experienced in warfare?

Military service in France and was knighted by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk in November 1523

Where is the Duke of Somerset during Henry VIII’s reign?

• 1527 - accompanied Cardinal Thomas Wolsey on his embassy to France

• 1528 - granted lands of monasteries dissolved for the benefit of Wolsey’s colleges

Where did the Duke of Somerset move to in 1537?

Moved with his wife and sister (Jane Seymour) to Palace of Greenwich

What title did Edward Seymour receive in 1537 and why?

Earl of Herford

• when Jane Seymour (sister) marries Henry VIII

How does Edward Seymour become influential in Tudor Society?

• Helps Henry VIII with Scottish campaign

• Trustworthy friend to Henry VIII

What is in Henry VIII’s will about Edward Seymour?

1547 - named to be a member of the Regency Council

• later becomes Lord Protector and names himself Duke of Somerset

How did Edward Seymour maintain his power of Lord Protector?

• Rewarded supporters

• Kept E6 under strict control

• Ruled with a Dry Stamp

• Removed any rivalries

• Ruled from his home - Somerset House

• Excluded King Edward - didn’t allow him to have a say

What was the Seymour VS Seymour conflict?

• Thomas Seymour arranged secret meetings with King Edward - trying to convince him to removed his brother, Edward Seymour, as Lord Protector

• Tried to buy his favour by giving him pocket money

• Attempted to kidnap his nephew

• Caught by dogs - he shot!

What did Thomas Seymour do in an attempt to gain power?

• Tried to kidnap Edward

• Tried to gain Edward’s favour - pocket money

• April 1547: secretly married Henry VIII’s widow - Catherine Parr

• 1548: discovered embracing Princess Elizabeth - grooming her, potential relationship

What happened to Thomas Seymour?

Jan 1549 - arrested on various charges including embezzlement

• E6 testified about the pocket money

• lack of evidence for Treason - condemned instead by Act of Attainder

Beheaded 20th March 1549

Who was the Duke of Northumberland?

John Dudley

• soldier

• skilled politician

• ambitious for power

• opportunist

• effective at delegating responsibility

Why was John Dudley’s family disgraced in 1512?

His father Edmund Dudley was executed by Henry VIII in 1510 for his inclusion in the Council Learned in law

• went to live in the household of Edward Guilford

• his father’s attainder was lifted restoring his name

Who did John Dudley have diplomatic adventures with in the 1520s?

Thomas Wolsey

Who knighted John Dudley and why?

Knighted by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk - first major military experience: 1523 invasion of France

• 1524: Knight of the Body

• from 1534: Responsible for the King’s body armour as Master of the Tower Armoury

How was John Dudley involved with Thomas Cranmer?

(Retired from front-line politics for a few months after the fall of his patron Cromwell)

However, by 1541 he was back supporting Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his investigation of Catherine Howard

When did John Dudley rise into the Privy Council and what is he known for doing?

Rose to Privy Council in 1543

• 1544 - Dudley served in the campaign against Scotland under Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, supported by a fleet which Dudley commanded

• Joined the land force that destroyed Edinburgh

What was John Dudley’s duties as Lord Admiral?

Responsible for creating the Council for Marine Causes

• first time co-ordinated the various tasks of maintaining the navy functioning

• made the English naval administration the most efficient in Europe

What was John Dudley‘s position like from 1547-1549?

• formed an alliance with Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset

• member of Regency Council turned Privy Council under Edward VI

• became the Earl of Warwick under Somerset

• stopped Kett Rebellion - 1549

What did John Dudley do in 1549 and what were the consequences of this?

October 1549 - involved in the removal of Somerset as Lord Protector

• became king Edward VI’s main adviser

October 1551 - granted the title, Duke of Northumberland (Lord President)