Edward VI's Government

Did Edward VI establish his authority over England?

Edward did not have a large amount of individual power, with it instead being split amongst his advisors. Those who primarily enforced his demands were the Duke of Somerset in 1547, and Northumberland in 1550 after Somerset was forced out of office in 1549. Despite this, he still passed consequential religious legislation, such as issuing a new Book of Common Prayer in 1549, but his political power was relegated to Somerset and Northumberland.

Did Somerset govern England well?

Somerset was highly unpopular as a result of his financial decisions. His commissions on enclosure led to the 1549 Kett’s Rebellion, which contributed to his downfall. He also continued an expensive war in Scotland, and his 1547 Vagrancy Act was highly unpopular, which branded all people 3 days out of work.

Did Northumberland govern England well?

His rule was received much more positively than Northumberland’s, starting with a proclamation in 1550 to end debasement of the coinage, and repealing the 1448 sheep tax in that same year. He sought to ensure peace with France instead of prolonging the “Rough Wooing”, which he was successful in doing with the 1550 Treaty of Boulogne.

Was Parliament important to Edward VI?

Parliament was called frequently in Edward’s reign, twice in six years. He used it to exclusively pass religious legislation, such as the 1549 Act of Uniformity, which allowed clergy to marry, and forced all communion to be done in English. Parliament was mainly bypassed by Somerset via the usage of proclamations, but Northumberland used it to enforce taxes until 1551.

What were the greatest challenges to Edward VI’s government?

Enforcing Protestantism was difficult, as there was little enthusiasm for it amongst the clergy, so he encouraged Protestant refugees from Catholic countries (mainly The HRE) to provide support. His age also limited his powers, restricting him to be only able to pass religious legislation via Parliament, instead of political change. The possible succession of the future Mary I also threatened the Protestant Reformation, so he created the Devise with Northumberland in order to alter the line of succession, but was unsuccessful in doing so.

Did Edward VI control the regions well?

The 1549 Prayer Book Rebellion was suppressed with ease, with the Lord Russel’s 8,000 soldiers against Arundell’s 2,000. The 1549 Kett’s Rebellion was also suppressed easily with the Earl of Warwick’s 13,000 soldiers. However, both suppressions were done independently of Edward or Northumberland’s command, making their direct involvement in controlling the regions minimal, and contributed to Somerset’s downfall due to his lack of involvement.