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THE RULE OF SOMERSET - 1547-1549 - Coggle Diagram
THE RULE OF SOMERSET - 1547-1549
RELIGIOUS CHANGES
ISSUES
European Catholic powers posed existential threat
Reformists dominated key govt posts but 90:10 population
Wave of iconoclasm in South East
ACTIONS
moderate reform due to Protestant and Catholic pressure
1547 - Royal Injunctions for English church service and Dissolution of the Chantries Dec 1547
Jan 1549 Act of Uniformity = England officially Prot, Book of Common Prayer
FOREIGN RELATIONS
ISSUES
inherited difficult 'rough wooing' policy from HVIII
bound to attempt to get MQOS marriage - already in 2m debt from HVIII final years
French enmity = threat of attack
ACTIONS
continued 'rough wooing' policy to no great gain
won Battle of Pinkie 1547 - 18 garrisons in South Scotland
Good military general but disorganised policies
SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION
ISSUES
Inflation
Enclosure
Poor harvest 1948
Landowner pressure
ATTEMPTS AT REFORM
Sheep Tax 1549
Enclosure Commission 1548
Debasement of the coinage 1547-48
CONSEQUENCES
Sheep Tax was hated by peasants and landowners
Enclosure restrictions attacked gentry, who he needed support from
Inflation increased due to debasement - didn't understand
CONCLUSIONS
FOREIGN POLCY
high garrison costs - debased coinage to pay for war
failed marriage to MQOS
French enmity
SOCIO-ECONOMIC REFORMS
tried to help the poor but his policies undermined his sentiments
RELIGIOUS CHANGES
Protestants and Catholics still unhappy with compromise - extremists on both ends of the spectrum
GENERAL
Somerset's arrogance and incompetence resulted in a costly and unsuccessful foreign policy, divisive religious rulings and failed economic reforms that almost overthrew him
however, he inherited the Scottish war from HVIII, didn't understand inflation and tried to help the poor
BACKGROUND
HVIII had wanted a Regency Council to rule with shared authority and cooperation but Somerset managed to dominate the council and name himself Lord Protector, with royal power
EVI was 9 when he came to the throne - too young to rule
Was supported by many Reformists in govt who wanted him to make England even more Protestant than it was
E.VI = 'new Josiah' (purify the church) and 'new Solomon' (builder of temples)
Dry-stamp dictatorship: Somerset gave himself almost royal power