The Social Impact of Religious and Economic Change under Mary

Question 1

What was Mary’s greatest desire as Queen and was it popular?

Answer 1

To restore the Catholic faith and Church in England
The desire wasn’t unpopular - in many local areas people began restoring Catholic practices even before Mary’s government ordered religious change, showing that Protestantism was far from entrenched in 1553
Mary proceeded cautiously as a number of problems had to be resolved
Many parts of the country anticipated that Mary would restore Catholicism even while the Edwardian legislation was still technically in force - while trouble in some areas, local enthusiasm generally produced large sums of money to devote to popular conservative religious projects

Question 2

What was the first problem Mary faced in terms of religion?

Answer 2

A strong Protestant minority existed in London and other parts of the south
Reformed Protestant Church of England had been established by statute law
Many members of the political elites, on whose support Mary depended, had acquired church land and had no desire to return it

Question 3

What were the actions taken at the beginning of the reign to prevent these protestant problems?

Answer 3

Some prominent Protestant clergy, including seven Bishops, were deprived of their livings
Foreign Protestants were ordered to leave the country (but most of them had already left voluntarily)

Question 4

What was the response to Mary’s initial religious change?

Answer 4

Around 80 MPs voted against the religious changes of Mary’s first parliament

Question 5

What happened at first Parliament in October 1553?

Answer 5

Edwardian religious legislation was repealed but the legal status of the Church of England was upheld
The Church was restored to its state of 1547
Clergy who had married could be deprived of their livings

Question 6

What was a second problem Mary faced to do with the Pope?

Answer 6

Status of the Church not resolved until the meeting of Mary’s third parliament November 1554 - Jan 1555 (process delayed by what should happen to lands of dissolved monasteries which had fallen into private hands)
Made clear to the pope and his legate Reginald Pole that there was no question such land could be restored to the church - the imperial ambassador had told Charles V more ex-monastic land was in the hands of the Catholics than protestants
Pope Julius III demanded that the Church submit to Rome before dispensations to landowners of ex-church property could be granted - the council along with Charles V and Philip were aware this would be politically impossible

Question 7

What happened in 1554 with Pope Julius?

Answer 7

Following Charles V’s advice, he agreed not to try to claim back Church land that had been sold (this reduced opposition to the return of Catholicism from MPs and local landowners)
Cardinal Pole was sent to England, as legate and Archbishop of Canterbury to facilitate a change to Catholicism

Question 8

What took place in the third Parliament in November 1554 until January 1555

Answer 8

Restored heresy laws (1554), these made it punishable by death to deny papal supremacy
Act of Supremacy (1555) made the Pope leader of the church again) / Act of repeal revoked the Act of Supremacy.
Reversed the Henrician act of attainder that had been passed against Pole (royal assent was given the day before Pole’s arrival)

Question 9

What were the consequences of this change for Cardinal Pole and Mary ?

Answer 9

Act of Repeal provoked furious debates particularly directed against Pole and his attitude on the subject of Church property had made him an object of suspicion amongst land owners from which his reputation never really recovered
Mary had been forced to acknowledge (reluctantly) the jurisdiction of statue law in matters involving religion
Paul IV (Pope from 1555) dismissed Pole as Papal legate in April 1557

Question 10

What were Mary’s key religious reforms?

Answer 10

In 1553 Mary repealed earlier religious legislation and reinstated the Catholic faith
Under the heresy laws Mary persecuted Protestants including the Oxford Martyrs (Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer0

Question 11

How many people did Mary kill for heresy?

Answer 11

289 protestants (mainly men but also women) were burnt as the state, (including some famous, 3 bishops including Cranmer, Hooper and Ridley, 21 other clergymen and 8 victims from the gentry but most were from humble status compared to the background of those who had gone into exile when M succeeded the throne (suggesting Protestantism was important to some people who didn't simply benefit from religious change
3/4 of victims the south-east and East Anglia - because of this  Mary became known as Bloody Mary

Question 12

What did the persecutions under the Heresy laws do?

Answer 12

Increasingly turned people against Mary - while facing opposition from only a small number of ardent Protestants at the beginning of her reign, by the end she was widely unpopular

Question 13

What did Pole try to do in terms of religious reforms?

Answer 13

Tried to increase the number and quality of priests (he saw the resources of the church had been eroded)
He tried to ensure the quality of pastoral provision appointed new bishops, who were to reside in their dioceses to preach and oversee carefully the religious life of their parishes (made clear in his legatine synod of 1555-56) - most took their responsibilities seriously
He also proposed that each cathedral should have a seminary for training priests (never put into effect)

Question 14

What were the issues with Pole’s reforms?

Answer 14

Mary’s reign was too short for them to have much impact and while some areas (such as Catholic Durham and Lancashire) enthusiastically embraced his reforms, many others did not e.g. Kent and the reforms relied on commitment at Parish level
Some parishes in London re-embraced Catholicism enthusiastically but other churches were virtually in ruins

Question 15

What sort of economic situation did Mary inherit and did it improve?

Answer 15

A serious one - which grew worse during her reign as inflation continued, reaching a climax of distress in the years 1556-58

Question 16

What happened in 1556-58 worsening the economic situation?

Answer 16

There was a series of bad harvests and the population suffered bouts of various epidemics including the plague

Question 17

What had damaged the economy in the long term?

Answer 17

Rapid population growth combined with a limited increase in productivity (particularly in agriculture) caused inflation

Question 18

What had damaged the economy in the medium term?

Answer 18

Effect of debasement of coinage made inflation worse

Question 19

What damaged the economy in the short term?

Answer 19

Harvest failures 1555 and 1556 led to severe food shortages an strain on real wages for the poor)
Impact of ‘sweating sickness’ / influenza in 1557 and 58 which produced the highest death tole of the century
High taxation to pay for war with France

Question 20

What did all the damage to the economy lead to?

Answer 20

Social distress

Question 21

What legislations did the government make to address the economic issues?

Answer 21

1556-58 re-coinage plans were drawn up (although not carried out until Elizabeth was queen
1555 - the Poor Law Act extended the Act of 1552 and ordered licensed beggars to wear badges - this was intended to encourage fellow parishioners into donating more for poor relief

Question 22

What else did the government do to address the economic issues?

Answer 22

Encouragement was given to the conversion of pasture land to crop farming/ tillage and enforcement of laws against grain hoarders but difficult to measure the effect of these measures
Movement of industries from town to countryside was discouraged in an attempt to reduce urban unemployment

Question 23

Were the economic measures successful?

Answer 23

Not all were successful and any benefits were not realised until Elizabeth’s reign

Question 24

What was one area of economic success?

Answer 24

In the reorganisation of the administration and finance of the navy which allowed six new ships to be built and other repaired, laying the foundations for the powerful Navy of Elizabeth’s reign

Question 25

What did Mary’s determination to Mary Philip of Spain produce in 1553-54 and why?

Answer 25

A rebellion (as Mary’s ministers feared) despite the marriage treaty in Jan 1554 attempting to minimise fears - not only was there strong anti-Spanish sentiment in the country, some rebels were also provoked by Mary’s religious outlook and therefore determined to prevent pro-catholic change (many of Wyatt’s supporters came from Maidstone - a protestant stronghold

Question 26

What is also likely to have played a part in the rebellion and what did the rebels hope to do?

Answer 26

Xenophobia
Social and economic grievances also likely to have had a role e.g. decline in the cloth industry may have prompted poorer rebels
Also attracted some gentry who had lost office within the country
The rebels hoped to unseat Mary (never openly stated so implicit) in favour or either Elizabeth of Lady Jane Grey, whose father was involved in the rebellion despite resentment of the royal marriage being the main grievance.

Question 27

How many simultaneous risings were there in Devon and who led them?

Answer 27

Four - led by Edward Courtenay (Gardiner’s candidate for Mary’s husband), Hertfordshire, Leicestershire and Kent - the plans leaked out in Jan 1554, forcing the rebels into action but only Kent had a serious uprising

Question 28

Where did the only serious rising take place and what was the outcome?

Answer 28

In Kent where sir Thomas Wyatt raised a force of about 3000 men who tried to march on London but were repelled and Wyatt was forced to surrender within a month

Question 29

Despite the rebellion failing what did it show?

Answer 29

The extent of the popular hostility to the Spanish marriage and showed that Protestant religious opinion could not be ignored
Neither the marriage or the religious reforms enjoyed universal support - the kingdom was divided

Question 30

What did the rebellion result in?

Answer 30

The execution of Lady Jane Grey and the imprisonment of Princess Elizabeth in the tower of London as M was convinced of E’s knowledge of the rebellion (however she was released when it was proved that she had not been involved)

Question 31

What did the reintroduction of Catholicism weaken?

Answer 31

The influence of humanism (under Marian Catholicism no room for the expression of evangelical humanism which had been linked to religious reform or Catholic humanism - associated with Catholic martyrs) - Pope Paul regarded the Catholic humanist Erasmus as heretic (despite humanism he experienced in his younger days) so his books were placed on the Catholic index of prohibited books (list of titles the papacy forbade Catholics from reading) - Catholic church wanted to dissociate itself from humanism

Question 32

What was religious thought largely centred on?

Answer 32

Catholic reform at a parish level. Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London, published ‘A Profitable and Necessary Doctrine’ which explained the faith in a straight forward manner, and a new book of homilies (speech or writing where someone complains about the state of something or tells people how they should behave) to replace that which had been Published by the Edwardian Church

Question 33

In what way were Protestants who were forced into exile divided in their thinking?

Answer 33

They sent back to England numerous publications but some were happy to use the 1552 Prayer Book and to operate within existing structures whereas others (like John Knox) wanted to move in a yet more radical direction -involving active resistance to the regime
e.g. Foxe who was exiled in Frankfurt spent much of his time collecting material which would eventually be used in his Book of Martyrs , which would enjoy official approval in E’s reign but books like Whittingham’s translation of the bible would be regarded with suspicion by many of the Church’s authorities post1558

Question 34

Why was Mary unable to restore Catholicism fully?

Answer 34

Despite most of the country remaining Catholic in sentiment, the shortness of Mary’s reign coupled with a delay in restoring the structure of the Catholic Church meant Mary couldn’t fully restore Catholicism

Question 35

What dilemma did Mary face at her first parliament?

Answer 35

To rely on parliamentary legislation to reverse the royal supremacy would mean acknowledging that the original laws passed during Henry VIII’s reign were legally valid and Mary would have to accept the superiority of statute law over divine law (the opposite of her own fundamental law)

Question 36

What could there be no final religious settlement until and what debate broke out?

Answer 36

Until the issue of the former church lands was resolved
Furious debates broke out between Pole and councillors who asserted that no foreigner have jurisdiction over English property - Mary sympathised with Pole and threatened to abdicate (likely bluffing as this would have resulted in the restoration of Protestantism)

Question 37

What happened when Pope Julius died in 1555?

Answer 37

He was succeeded by anti-Spanish Paul IV - who was hostile towards Mary’s husband Philip and suspicious of Pole who he regarded as a heretic
Anti-Spanish demonstrated by Paul’s open hostility to Spain when war broke out in 1555 (Mary dragged into it so at war with the papacy)
Paul dismissed Pole as papal legate in April 1557 - affected Pole’s prestige and meant he could no longer act directly on behalf of the pope in his supervision of the English church
Pope when on to accuse Pole of heresy but Mary refused to let him go to Rome to face the charge

Question 38

What further complicated Mary’s relationship with Pope Paul?

Answer 38

He named a new legate (William Peto) but Mary trusted Pole and effectively refused to acknowledge superior papal authority that placed Peto in a higher position in the English Church than the Archbishop of Canterbury
Complicated relationship meant Mary’s reward for restoring England to true Catholic faith was minimal

Question 39

What were the effects of the burnings?

Answer 39

The first two victims, John Rodgers and Rowland Taylor who suffered at Smithfield in London and Suffolk respectively, seems to have been chosen on their account of popularity as preachers - their deaths appear to have elicited widespread public sympathy - extending the range of victims to include humble persons appears to have strengthened the sympathy for their martyrdom

Question 40

How did it become evident that the Council started worrying about the effects of the burnings?

Answer 40

The measures it took in attempting to ban servants, apprentices and the young in general from attending burnings

Question 41

Were the burnings successful?

Answer 41

Ultimately failed to extinguish heresy - in some countries such strictness succeeded so the failure of the policy in England may have been a consequence of lack of time rather than the extent of popular feeling - the policy did however nothing for Mary’s reputation

Question 42

Was Mary successful in her religious reform by 1558?

Answer 42

Most of the country remained Catholic in sentiment - given time and resources Mary and Pole might have succeeded in re-Catholicising England
More could have been achieved - the delay in properly resorting the Churches institutional structure and the divisions between crown and papacy didn’t help but Mary didn’t complete what she set out to

Question 43

What is one economic area in which there was improvement and what had the Duke of Northumberland sought to do?

Answer 43

Revenue administration
He had sought to improve the administration of crown finances by setting up a commission to investigate the short-comings of the situation to recommend reforms but Edward’s premature death prevented any of the recommendations from being implemented - some of the changes implemented in 1554

Question 44

What changes were implemented in 1554?

Answer 44

(despite the man responsible for the recommendations being regarded with suspicion on religion grounds - Walter Mildmay The court of Exchequer took over both the Court of First Fruits and Tenths and the Court of Augmentations and in the process adopted some of the more recent courts’ superior methods - financial administration under Lord Treasurer Winchester, was competent

Question 45

What big economic mistake did Mary make?

Answer 45

Remitting the final part of Edward’s last subsidy - this bought her some cheap popularity but at a financial cost

Question 46

Was Mary’s economic policy a success?

Answer 46

Royal debt rose during the reign but didn’t do so dramatically considering England were at war with France during the later stages - satisfactory for a war government
Long-term crown finance security boosted by plans for recoinage
Inflationary pressures had been caused by increase in debased coinage in circulation
Preparation under M allowed efficient implementation under E, who also reaped the benefits of the introduction of the New Book of Rates which raised customs revenue significantly

Question 47

Why was there a great need for poor relief in Mary’s reign?

Answer 47

1556-58 in particular were harsh years - there was a huge mortality rate from Influenza epidemic , a series of harvest failures and high tax to pay for war with France

Question 48

Why was the rebellion significant?

Answer 48

Showed that although Protestants were a minority , their religious opinions could not be ignored
Demonstrated the extent to which there was popular suspicion of the proposed Spanish marriage
Wyatt came close to success - raising a large following, outmanoeuvring Norfolk and coming close to securing London which could have ended Mary’s reign but Mary behaved bravely

Question 49

What were the events in Wyatt’s rebellion?

Answer 49

25th Jan - Wyatt raises his standard in Maidstone signifying start of rebellion
28th - Norfolk’s force unable to engage the rebels = retreat
1st - Mary rallies support with a speech in Guildhall in London
3rd Feb - Rebels reach Southwark but prevented from crossing to the City with the Crown’s forces holding London Bridge (critical turning point)
6th Feb - rebels move upstream to Kingston upon Thames and cross river there, moving back towards LDN
7th Feb - Rebels stop at Ludgate on the edge of London - Wyatt surrenders

Question 50

Why did Mary’s two interrogators of Elizabeth after the Wyatt rebellion have an interest in not finding out the full truth?

Answer 50

Gardiner - because of his links with Courtenay

Paget - he was aware that Elizabeth was likely one day to be Queen so didn’t want to alienate her

Question 51

What was Pole keen to stress and why is this ironic?

Answer 51

The importance of Papal supremacy , which hadn’t been a strong feature of pre-Reformation Catholicism - ironic given Paul’s hostility towards him- had Pole and Mary survived and outlived Paul IV, English Catholicism would have been very different compared with its pre-reformation character

Question 52

Was Mary’s reign a success overall?

Answer 52

Many historians criticise Mary and Pole - assumed their failure was inevitable but the 5 years of M’s reign = pivotal to English society and religion long-term development
While given a bad reputation by future protestants there were some positive advances in her reign and given more time the future of Catholicism in England may have been v different

Question 53

What was the significance of Foxes book of Martyrs in terms of Mary’s reputation?

Answer 53

First published in 1563 - wen through 5 additions in E’s reign
It became the most widely read book in England except the bible and established the notion of the English as Gods elect (and Protestant) nation
Mary was therefore condemned for her cruelty and ungodliness - such views have influenced historians