EDWARD VI'S REIGN 1547- 1553

DOCTRINE

POLITCIAL

REBELLIONS

ECONOMIC/ SOCIAL

SOMERSET

BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

Henry decided that Edward VI would be educated by protestant tuors in 1547

Edward Seymour was supported by the majoirty of the councillors and was made Lord Protector. - had supported of William paget and was seen as a strong military leader

At first, Edward VI = just observer of state affairs as only a minor , but became more active in 1549 onwards, especially when Somerset started to lose support from the privy council

SOMERSET

Response to the financial crisis was to debase the coinage (melted down silver and relaced it with copper- which caused inflation)

In response to the financial crisis, somerset also increased taxation

THE VAGRANCY AND PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1547- any able bodied person who was out of work for more than 3 days was to be branded with a V and sold into slavery and their children taken from their parents and set to work as apprentices- this was seen as very unpopular

Believed that the main problem was enclosure- so he issued proclamations against the practice and increased taxes on wool-

by doing this- he made the economic problems worse and lost the support of landed elites who saw enclosure as a way to increase their wealth. It also caused social unrest and somersets failure to stop attacks on property lost him the support of the Privy Council

By 1549- somerset lost the support of Edward and privy council- he kidnapped Edward and held him at Windsor castle-was angered by this and led to the withdrawal of support from privy council and replacement by the earl of warwick

NORTHUMBERLAND

SOMERSET

Arguably a more able politician than Somerset

was able to overcome opposition from the earl of southhampton and the earl of Arundel to gain control of privy council

was able to bring down Somerset- as he plotted against him with the conservatives and with Cranmer

gained trust with the king and made sure that the conservatives were expelled from the council and made himself president of it

he increased the size of the privy council to 39 and selected councillors whose loyalty he could rely

he organised an inner working committee to conduct day to day business

FOREIGN POLICY

NORTHUMBERLAND

TREATY OF BOULOGNE SIGNED ON 28 MARCH 1550- said that England should withdraw from Boulogne in return for 400 000 marks and had to withdraw garrisons from Scotland.

NORTHUMBERLAND

the ending of hostilities against France and Scotland in 1550 ended the military drain on resources.

William Cecil and Thomas Gresham tackled economic problem:

Chantry lands, church lands and church plate sold to pay off short term loans

strict economies were made in government spending

In March 1552- END OF DEBASEMENT OF COINAGE= all coinage called in and the silver was restored to what it was before in 1527- stopped inflation

sent to Netherlands to manipulate the stock market and restore confidence in sterling

the unpopular Vagrancy act and enclosure commissions were withdrawn and the unpopular tax on sheep was repealed

further support was gained by acts passed in 1552 to protect arable framing and to protect excessive farming of interest on loans

reformation was directed by Cranmer- but less easy to demonstrate whether the changes reflected the beliefs if the laity

3 phases of the Edwardian reformation

1). Jan - Decemeber 1547- destruction of catholic beliefs and practices

2). Jan - Nov 1548 - a period of Limbo

Dec 1548- July 1553- the establishment of Protestantism

Early 1547- authority of bishops = suspended whilst commisoners were sent to examine the doctrine and practices of the church throughout England.

Cranmer issued the Book of Homilies in 1547- to be read in parish churches- preached by the clergy- they were written in English- argued for justification by faith alone

orders that all parish churches should have the English bible and protestant literature for all to read

Dissolution of the Chantries Nov 1547- for protestants chantries had no purpose - didnt believe in mass etc as when henry did it in 1545, he did it for financial reasons.- so for Catholics this was an attack on their eternal lives

Act of six articles was repealed between nov- dec 1547= left church of England without any official doctrine

Treason Act was repealed- which removed laws against heresy, treason and censorship - so people were allowed to spread radical views without fear of arrest- protestant pamphlets were published attacking mass, role of priests and Catholicism in general.

In some areas, iconoclasm happened= destruction of images and order to remove superstitious images and statues and stained glass windows were smashed

February 1548= all images should be removed from churches - happened with little opposition - but may be due to lack of compliance in places like devon and Cornwall

THE FIRST BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER= issued by Cranmer in December 1549- provided a liturgy to be used in parish churches

tried to contain unrest by stating that only authorised clergy could preach and got rid of preaching altogether

ACT OF UNIFORMITY passed month after the 1st book of common prayer which said that all members of clergy and laity had to accept the new doctrine of the church.

services in English

included some of the sacraments- such as baptism, Eucharist, marriage and confirmation etc

clerical marriage was allowed

In November 1549- the laws against clerical marriage were removed

November 1550- Destruction of all stone altars - were to be replaced with wooden tables - this was not good for Catholics- as stone altars symbolized sacrifice of the eucharist

1550- a new Ordinal= only allowed for the ordination of priests and bishops who were truly protestant

THE SECOND BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER = in January 1552- by Cranmer= highly protestant - removed all aspects of Catholicism

removed any possibility of transubstantiation

second act of uniformity in april - made it an offence for clergy not to use the 1552 book of common prayer and for the laity not to attend church of England services

January 1552- new treason act was passed - made any questioning of the royal supremacy or the articles of the church to be punishable by death

THE 42 ARTCILES= November 1552 issued by Cranmer - provided doctrine for church- where justification by faith alone was emphasised and so was the concept of predestination

THE WESTERN REBELLION 1549- SOMERSET REIGN

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KETT'S REBELIION= (EAST ANGLIA)IN NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK

CAUSES

CAUSES

conservative counties of Devon and Cornwall didnt like change of catholic beliefs and the intervention of the government

dissolution of the chantries seen as a direct attack on Catholicism

the undermining of local guilds

announcement on one of the holiest days of the year that the liturgy of the new prayer book had to be used

GOV'S RESPONSE

the gov's representative peter carew was sent who made matters worse. So Somerset appointed Lord Russel but with not a very good force- as not aware with threat or was busy with military requirements vs Scotland

William Body (the gov's local agent in Cornwall) angered the locals as he attempted to destroy all images and so a mob led by a priest killed him

DURING

the rebels besieged Exeter in July 1549

THE REBELS MAIN DEMANDS

want people who speak against catholic practices to be seen as heretics

want the 6 articles to be used again

want mass to be performed in latin

want all bibles and scriptures in English to be taken away

want sacraments to be hung back up

Lord Russel managed to reclaim Exeter after arrival of 1000 troops

4000 rebels were killed and a priest in Exeter was executed

The givs attacks on enclosure through taxes on sheep and wool

food shortages

position of the gentlemen and their right to employ servants

the interference of the government in a very independent region- as Somerset's religious and financial policies seen as huge challenge to that independence

MAIN CAUSE = ENCLOSURE=the first riots involved the destruction of hedges, set to enclose land

unclear about purgatory

no prayers for the dead

traditional robes in church

transubstantiation

worship of saints discouraged

clearly established a Eucharist ceremony in line with Calvinist's belief

the Eucharist was now called the Lords Supper and the communion was to be recieved kneeling- which was introduced through the Black Rubric.

traditional robes were not to be worn

altars were replaced by communion tables

In confirmation the sign of the cross was abolished