Northumberland - Society

How did Northumberland keep order?

• New Treason Laws in 1550

• used Lord Lieutenants and the retainers of trusted nobles to keep order

What kept rising during Northumberland’s reign?

population - putting pressure on food resoucres

What trade was suffering during Northumberland’s reign?

Cloth Trade with the Netherlands was suffering - sudden drops in exports in the summer of 1551 due to problems with Antwerp

• increased unemployment amongst textile workers in East Anglia and West England

What social policy act was reappealed by Northumberland?

Vagrancy Act

What was Northumberland’s priority with his social reforms?

peace in the realm - England needed a period of stabilisation (after Somerset)

• sought to have sound control over the Privy Council and localities

Which council did Northumberland purge upon coming into power?

Council of Conservatives - not massive change of faces (mutual allies with Somerset)

• Colleague Paget & William Cecil stayed

What did Northumberland create to secure his hold over central government?

created an inner council

What did the creation of a Inner Council allow?

policy could-by pass the Privy Council - could be implemented by inner council instead

Did Northumberland’s creation of a Inner Council cause problems?

made some members of the Privy Council very wary about his intentions

• on the whole, worked harmoniously with the council

Who did Northumberland prefer to have in Council?

Military men

• if another rebellion was to occur = men and arms at the ready

What did Northumberland prefer to proclamations?

preferred to make use of Parliament

What was one of Northumberland’s first measures?

sent the Lord Lieutenant out of court and back to their localities

Why did Northumberland immediately sent the Lord Lieutenant out of court and back to their localities?

ensuring that there was a member of the government’s executive in all the regions of the kingdom

What were Northumberland’s two prolonged approaches to Social Issues?

• withdrew unpopular legislation - 1547 Vagrancy Act

• tightened the legal control of officers

How did Northumberland try to relieve the distress felt by the poor?

vigorously upheld anti-enclosure legislation and the work of enclosure commissions was halted

• introduced legislation to stop excessive interest being charged on debts

• more legislation to ensure that local officers supported the ages, the infirm and disabled

By mid-1552, what did Dudley seem to have?

position so powerful that no one could dispute his power

• However, his power had major weakness - depended solely on Edward Vi

Did Northumberland continue Somerset’s anti-enclosure measures?

No

• commissioners were withdrawn

• unpopular sheep tax repealed in 1550

• existing enclosure legislation was enforces

By 1551, what had Northumberland’s government taken action to control?

stocks of grain - to relieve the crisis caused to the harvest failures

Why did Northumberland keep order by traditional means?

to prevent any kind of widespread disorder that occurred in 1549