Edward VI 1547-1553

Edward VI 1547-1553

1. Accession: January 28th

   • Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford = Lord Protector and Duke of Somerset
     • Overthrew Regency Council and awarded himself control
     • Appointed own Household (Sir Michael Stanhope)
       • Led to factional rivalries - Earl of Southhampton arrested
       • William Cecil
       • Own household had little experience = poor government?
   • The situation in 1547
     • Religious Reform Confused
       • Religious Reform under Somerset
         • 1547 Chantries Act
         • 1548 = first Prayer Book still had catholic elements
         • 1548 first Act of Uniformity made the prayer book the offical liturgy
         • 1547 Repeal of the six articles removed Catholic doctrine
         • 1549 Act allowed Clergy to Marry
         • 1547 Book of Homilies prevent Catholic preaching
         • 1547 Royal injunctions removed superstitious images
         • 1548 proclamations to lessen Protestant unrest
         • 1548 images to be removed
         • 1548 Only authorised Clergy allowed to preach
       • Religious Reform under Northumberland
         • Dec 1549 Proclamations orders the destruction of remaining images
         • Jan 1550: new ordinal included oath to saints
         • Nov 1550: Stone altars removed and replaced with wooden tables
         • Jan 1552: 2nd book of common prayer = highly protestant
         • Apr 1552: 2nd Act of uniformity enforced prayer book
         • Nov 1552: 43 articles
     • War with Scotland
       • Invades Scotland to claim Edward's suzerainty over Scotland
         • Treaty of Greenwich (1543) to marry MQS and Edward
       • debases coinage to pay for war (raises £537,000) adds to inflation
       • Consequences = the declaration of war from Henry II in 1549
         • Forts hard to garrison
         • English could not capture Dunbar and Edinburgh castles
     • Need to increase revenue
     • Population increase and vagrancy increase
       • Social Policy = Rebellions
         • Kett's Rebellion 1549
           • Robert Kett: march on Norfolk + 16,000 followers. Stormed walls, controlling 2nd biggest city.
           • John Dudley: Duke of Northumberland sent to control rebels, killing 3,000 of Kett's men. Kett executed December 7th 1549
         • Western Rebellion 1549
           • Cornwall and Devon

2. Government

   • Used 70 proclamation over 3 years. Many passed by Somerset. Obtained sole custody of dry stamp and tried to insist that the King's signiture was only valid with his counter signature.
     • Little concern for the poor: Vagrancy Act 1547 (any person who was out of work for more than 3 days would be sold into slavery for two years.
   • Somerset by-passed the privy council

3. Fall of Somerset - 1549

   • Northumberland comes to power
     • Once in power organised gov. to secure his power.
   • Good Duke vs Bad Duke