EDWARD VI UNDER SOMERSET

Short Term problems facing Duke of Somerset in 1547

deciding on peace or war with France and Scotland

the state of English religion

finding ways to raise revenue

Long term problems facing Duke of Somerset in 1547

population increase

inflation

poverty and unemployment

retaining noble support

finding ways to raise revenue

religion in court

avoiding rebellion

population by 1547

an extra 100k people across the country in 30 years

treason act 1547

repealed 1534 treason act

allowed much more religious freedom and criticisms

enabled the printing of pamphlets and books on religion and for them to be spread into the population

allowed importation of foreign religious literature

impact of treason act reform

rioting in churches- though it gave people religious freedom it just caused conflict between reform and conservative houses

repeal of proclamation act 1539

removed any limit on proclamations declared by the regent- and made Somerset able to rule without consulting parliament

impacts of proclamation act

made Somerset look like a tyrant

meant he had few advisors to check what he was doing

no. of proclamations issued by Somerset

70

no. proclamations issued by Henry

18

proclamation act repealed

1539

treason act

1547

chantries act

1547

Chantries Act 1547

Abolished chantries & small chapels

impact of dissolution of the chantries

step towards protestant image of the church

allowed Somerset to begin reversing debasement

allowed Somerset to raise money for war

% of silver in coinage by Henry's death

25%

renewal of the Auld Alliance

1547

no. troops sent to Scotland by Henry ii

4000

Battle of Pinkie

1547, Scots defeated and Somerset occupies all main border strongholds giving England control of the border- generally successful

limitations of the Battle of Pinkie

English army not strong enough to occupy the rest of Scotland

French siege on Boulogne

1547, unsuccessful

result of the Auld Alliance

not long-lasting:

Scots resented French presence in Scotland

English movement near the channel meant French withdrew from the North

judgement of Somerset's foreign policy

able to secure both borders quite well- used military background

occupy Edinburgh (but can't capture the castle) and destroy Dundee

unable to do more than create stability (no conquest into Scotland)

lucky not to be taken advantage of by Henry II and Scots

reasons for higher cost of living in late 1540s

debasement

unemployment

poor harvests

decrease in revenue from wool trade

Somerset becomes head of the Enclosures Commission

1548

judgement of Somerset's economic and social policy

disastrous:

dissolved the chantries (unpopular, part of religious culture)

borrowed money from abroad (put the country in greater debt, didn't much help economics at home)

debased coinage (made inflation skyrocket)

investigated enclosures (made little change to the lives of the poor and frustrated gentry farmers)

Vagrancy Act seen as overly harsh

population fed up with war in Scotland

Rough Wooing 1548

July in 1548, an army laid siege in southern Scotland. For 18 months, Scotland and France wrestled to expel the 2,000-strong English garrison.

no. troops at East Lothian

12,000

Book of Homilies published

1547

Book of Homilies

A series of written sermons that the clergy could read out instead of writing their own (along with Erasmus' Paraphrases of the Gospels)

impact of the Book of Homilies

too much change for the conservatives, too little change for the reformers so relatively unpopular

made English churches align with Protestantisms- spread further than the South East

iconoclasm

destruction of religious images and art, also involved pamphlets attacking mass

impact of iconoclasm

church appearance much more protestant

showed little control Council had over reformists despite trying to be cautious with reform

First Act of Uniformity date

January 1549

First Act of Uniformity instructions

clergy to follow protestant practices

sacraments included the Eucharist and Baptism, Conformation, Marriage and Burial

clergy allowed to marry

chantries and hymns not approved of

communion, matins and evensong to be spoken in English

First Act of Uniformity impact

generally made church appear more protestant at face value though presented no real, dramatic change in doctrine just reinforced what was already happening

still some religious freedom, not all Catholic practices/ beliefs attacked (ex. purgatory)

Common Book of Prayer published

March 1549, made law in AoU

Common Book of Prayer contents

English

to be present in every church

priests had to use it

Common Book of Prayer impact

made protestant doctrine more present in the lives of normal people (though laity were not punished for being absent in church)

unpopular with Prods and Caths- landowners in Devon and Cornwall (Cath) protested about changes, and Bishop of Gloucester (Prod) called it 'very absurd'

However, Gardiner approved it because it largely aligned with traditional doctrine

education and visitations introduced

1549, was protestant education of the Clergy (tested their knowledge of the Ten Commandments and the lords prayer)

impact of clerical education and visitations

limited- very difficult to implement, with lots of unrest and the population being so spread out

inflation in 1520

37% higher than in 1508

inflation in 1530

69% higher than 1508

population increase 1525-1551

2.3 million- 3 million

Kett's Rebellion date

July 1549

no. of counties affected by rebellions in 1549

23 of around 40

no. executions in western rebellion

up to 3000

no. executions in kett's rebellion

49 recorded

Western Rebellion date

June-August 1549

Who tried to introduce religious reform in Cornwall during the Western Rebellion?

William Body

What happened to the priest at Sampford Courteney in Devon?

He was forced to abandon the new prayer book by parishioners.

Why was there no interference from the local gentry during the priest's abandonment of the prayer book?

There was a recent death of a JP.

What happened to William Body at Penryn?

He was mobbed by a crowd and killed.

Where did the Cornwall rebels raise their rebellion?

Bodmin

Who led the rebellion from Bodmin to Devon?

The Earl of Arundell

Which two local lords joined the rebels and persuaded them to petition the government?

Denys and Pollard

What action did the rebels take against Exeter?

They blockaded it

demands of Western Rebellion

remove changes to baptism and conformation (rumoured)

restore Act of Six Articles

restore Latin traditions (mass + images)

restore transubstantiation

return of cardinal pole from exile

NO DEMANDS TO REMOVE EDWARD (protestant King)

government response to Western Rebellion

unhappy with the tone of demands

government were slow to react- likely because of so much unrest

sent Lord Russell to defeat the rebels at Exeter

Battle of Sampford Courtenay 16th August

no. of dead at Sampford Courtenay

3000-3500

consequences of Western Rebellion

3000 people are killed

Earl of Arundell put in the tower and then executed

martial law imposed in Cornwall

100 rebels hanged

Act for the Punishment of Unlawful Assemblies and Rising of the King's Subjects

reasons for failure of Western Rebellion

lack of noble support

small army

didn't travel (no movement towards London)

failed to persuade Somerset to heed the demands

evidence of religious causes of the Western Rebellion

demands were all religious

first riot caused by Body preaching religious form

marched under the 5 wounds of Christ

fear surrounding the 1st Act of Uniformity

evidence of economic causes of the Western Rebellion

wanted the removal of proposed sheep and wool taxes

complaints about food prices (1549 subsidy hit peasants the worst and heavily effected Devon)

South West very reliant on wool trade which was declining

evidence of social causes of the Western Rebellion

'kill the gentleman' chanted

Cornish rebels attacked and robbed gentry

closure of the monasteries, chantries etc. affected ordinary people (removed welfare)

rumours of cultural changes- babies only to be baptised on Sundays (would damn some babies who died shortly after birth) and rumoured increased taxes

leader of Kett's rebellion

Robert Kett

Demands of Rebels at Kett's Rebellion

end absenteeism in the church

improved education of the clergy

stop enclosures

prevent enclosures on saffron meadows

reduce the price of land

no. of Kett demands related to socioeconomics

17/29 (mainly enclosures, rents and landlord problems)

% of land owned by gentry in Norfolk

46 gentlemen and landowners owned 60% of the land

increase of wheat prices in Norfolk by 1549

50%

Who bought local church land and enclosed it to spark Kett's rebellion?

John Flowerdew

Who did Flowerdew argue with over the purchase of church land?

Robert Kett

Was Robert Kett against enclosures?

not entirely, he was a landowner who had enclosed land before

How many men did Kett gather for his army?

16,000 men

Where did Kett's army meet to gather?

Tree of Reformation, set up a 'government'

How long did Kett's army camp at Mousehold Heath?

6 weeks

When did Kett's forces capture Norwich?

July

What was the name of the battle where 4,000 royal and rebel troops were killed?

Battle of Dussindale

Who crushed Kett's forces?

John Dudley

How many men were in the army that John Dudley commanded?

14,000 men

What happened to Kett after the rebellion?

He was captured and hanged

no. of troops killed at Dussindale

4,000

Who's army did Dudley utilise?

Marquis of Northampton

judgement of Kett's Rebellion

large threat to Somerset:

Well organised

Decisive leadership

large number of rebels

HOWEVER lacked noble support, not that close to London

reasons for Kett's Rebellion failure

lacked noble/gentry support

decision to move from Mousehold Heath to Dussindale destabilised the rebellion

strength/ training of Dudley's army

economic/ agricultural causes of Kett's rebellion

enclosures (particularly of saffron)

complaints about gentry manipulating foldcourse

complaints about sheep farming

fishing rights and coastal fishing

rising rents

affects of inflation

religious causes of Kett's rebellion

wanted more protestant reform

visitations

clerical education

complaints about absenteeism

social/political causes of Kett's rebellion

structure of local government- corruption, officials using position to gain land

nobility

serfdom on the Duke of Norfolk's estates

complaints about peasants

role of Dudley in Somerset's downfall

forced Somerset out of office

strong leader with good military history

Dudley is Lord President of the privy council

1550-53

Henry Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel

significant noble who didn't like Somerset because he had lessened his role

opposed religious reform

was one of the assistant executors in Henry's will- close to the crown

Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton

Lord Chancellor from 1544 but lost his position under Somerset and was removed from the privy council

Catholic

part of the regency council- close to the crown

Thomas Seymour

Somerset's brother

jealous of Somerset's success and his close relationship to the king

tried to kidnap Edward

reasons for Somerset's fall from power

poor leadership- debasement and inflation made him unpopular with the poor, 'championing' the people made him unpopular with the nobles

unable to rule alongside others- turned a lot of the privy council (most powerful men in the country) against him

failure to deal with rebellions- had to rely on Dudley

inept governance- used 70 proclamations, kept wars with France and Scotland going despite lacking public support and religious reforms angered both sides

lost support of the King- felt Somerset was undermining his authority, turned a bit by Thomas Seymour and further exacerbated by Somerset's decision to move Edward to Windsor Castle which the King did not enjoy

Duke of Somerset executed for treason

January 1552

Somerset negotiates peaceful terms to be taken into custody

October 1549