Edward's Inheritance: Somerset Flashcards

1
Q

What attempts did Henry make to ensure Edward wouldn’t be usurped?

A
  • he was crowned king shortly after his accession
  • government of country in hands of balanced Privy Council
  • Edward was educated by tutors with Protestant sympathies to ensure continuation of separation from Rome
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2
Q

What signs showed that Edward’s reign had the potential to go well?

A
  • he was crowned king of independent sovereign state

- seemingly more stable than in the War of the Roses

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3
Q

Within weeks, who had control of government?

A
  • Edward Seymour, Edward’s uncle

- in February 1547 he secured leadership of the Regency Privy Council for “better conduct of business”

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4
Q

By the end of February 1547 what had Edward Seymour achieved?

A
  • he had secured the support of majority of councillors and was made Lord Protector
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5
Q

Why was the conservative weak at this point and what did this contribute to?

A
  • Norfolk had been disgraced
  • Earl of Surrey had been executed
  • this contributed to the reformist faction’s ability to control the Church
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6
Q

What three factors contributed to the decision to create a Lord Protector?

A
  • Seymour’s personality
  • support of William Paget
  • need for a strong military leader when England was still in a war on two fronts
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7
Q

Was it Henry’s plan to have power vested in the hands of the Duke of Somerset?

A
  • no, far from it
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8
Q

What did Cranmer preach at Edward’s coronation and what significance did this have?

A
  • he preached a sermon drawing similarities between Edward and King Josiah
  • he was encapsulating his hopes for Edward’s reign to rebuild the Church and country as a new Jerusalem ie. that Protestantism could be established and embedded
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9
Q

Was Edward’s death anticipated?

A
  • no

- up his last 6 months he was healthy and increasingly involved in government

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10
Q

What evidence is there that Edward was quite actively involved in government?

A
  • he wrote plans for the economic developments of England which would have established a form of bureaucracy not developed until the 19th century
  • his notebook contained a detailed account of state affairs including a clinical account of his uncle’s execution
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11
Q

How was government admin in the first two years of Edward’s reign similar to that of Henry?

A
  • it followed the pattern established by Henry
  • the personnel were very similar
  • the Privy Council used the same methods and machinery of government
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12
Q

How is opinion divided over the views of Somerset and Northumberland?

A
  • Somerset as ‘Good Duke’ and Northumberland’s policies as tyrannical
  • Northumberland had to rescue England from near anarchy in 1549 as a result of Somerset’s failures
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13
Q

What do people who regard Somerset as the ‘Good Duke’ emphasise?

A
  • him as a leader who sought to establish a Protestant Commonwealth
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14
Q

What do critics of Somerset say about him?

A
  • that he was incapable of effectively dealing with the problems inherited from Henry VIII
    (though undoubtedly Henry’s legacy was almost impossible to maintain)
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15
Q

What short term problem did Somerset have in regards to the wars with France and Scotland?

A
  • it was imperative that national pride was maintained through wars
  • the war against Scotland had to be continued as it was seen as the way Edward and Mary Queen of Scots would marry and the succession would be secured
  • 1548: Somerset issued appeal to Scots proposing union between countries - rejected by Scots
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16
Q

Although the 1547 Battle of Pinkie was a decisive British victory, what were the problems?

A
  • the occupation of border strongholds had limited success and the remainder of Scotland was unoccupied
  • Somerset did not follow this up
  • Scottish were able to secure French support, and in 1548 6,000 French troops arrived in Scotland
  • 1549: Henry II of France declared war (put them in an even worse positions)
17
Q

How was the financial situation in regards to the war?

A
  • Edward barely had enough money to pay for ordinary expenditure, never mind a war (Henry had spent £2,100,000 on wars and Crown income was at a low £200,000 a year)
18
Q

How did Somerset respond to Edward’s financial problems?

A
  • increased taxation (March: 5% tax on personal property and special tax on sheep)
  • debased coinage
19
Q

What long term problems did Somerset’s handling of the financial problems exacerbate?

A
  • population increase
  • inflation
  • poverty
20
Q

What act did Somerset implement in an attempt to gain support and impose his authority on the problem of increasing crime?

A
  • Vagrancy and Public Order Act
21
Q

What were the various reactions to the Vagrancy and Public Order Act?

A
  • widely regarded as unpopular and barbaric

- gained support from able-bodied ‘hard-working heads of families

22
Q

What did Somerset believe the main problem of increasing crime was?

A
  • enclosure
23
Q

How did Somerset combat enclosure?

A
  • issued proclamations against the practice
  • increased taxes on wool
  • became head of the Enclosure Commission in 1548
24
Q

What effects did Somerset’s policies against enclosure have?

A
  • it exacerbated the economic problems of the countryside
  • he lost support of landed elites who saw enclosure as a way of increasing wealth
  • there was social unrest
  • he failed to contain attacks on property and lost him the support of the Privy Council (this was evident in letter written by William Paget)
25
Q

After losing Edward’s support in 1549, what did Somerset do?

A
  • he effectively kidnapped Edward and held him at Windsor castle in a desperate attempt to maintain in power
26
Q

What was Edward’s reaction to being effectively kidnapped by Somerset?

A
  • was very affronted and asserted his authority
  • Somerset’s actions led to the withdrawal of support from a coalition in the Privy Council
  • he was ultimately replaced by the Earl of Warwick
27
Q

Was Somerset’s style of government effective?

A
  • immensely personal - alienated many people through his high-handed management
  • reluctant to delegate
  • used own household officials, excluding a number of leading nobles (promoted Stanhope to Chief Gentleman of the PC in 1548)
  • issued more proclamations than any other Tudor kings
  • even close ally Paget berated him for not utilising his advisors
  • imperial ambassador identified that he ruled from ‘the Protector’s place’
28
Q

How had Somerset failed in Western Rebellion?

A
  • views on social policy became very dangerous because they arguably encouraged the rebels (more on rebellions page)
29
Q

What shows how controlling Somerset was?

A
  • didn’t even allow Edward pocket money, and when Somerset’s brother slipped his coins he was beheaded for treason