13. Instability and consolidation: 'the mid-Tudor Crisis'. 1547-63

Commentary

Royal authority under Edward VI

• ·         The accession of a nine-year old king created many problems. .
• ·         It was by no means clear that the new king, on whose behalf the reigns of government had been seized by an uncle – Edward Seymour, (Earl of Hertford and subsequently Duke of Somerset) – would have a trouble-free accession.
• ·         Furthermore, he had a difficult inheritance:

o   The country was divided on religious grounds.

o   Crown finance had been ruined by expensive wars against France and Scotland.

o   To pay for the wars the coinage had been debased, leading to a considerable rise in the rate of inflation and a substantial decline in real income for many.

o   The Crown had compromised its own long-term security by selling off monastic lands, often at a considerable discount, in order to raise money quickly.

Regency Council

• ·         Henry VIII, in his will, had set up a Regency Council to govern England during Edward’s minority.
• ·         This comprised sixteen members, supported by a further twelve who were required to assist when necessary.
• ·         Decisions of the council were to be by majority.
• ·         The Regency Council was balanced between Protestants such as Hertford, Cranmer and Sir Anthony Denny and religious conservatives such as Thomas Wriothesley, now the Earl of Southampton, and Lord St John (later Marquis of Winchester).
• ·         There were several administrators and lawyers who might have been expected to ensure the interests of good government.
• ·         On the other hand, the great noble families were under-represented.
• ·         The Regency Council did not last long; it promptly delegated its power to Hertford who was appointed Protector.

Order and security

• ·         The government was fearful for good order and security.
• ·         The tone of Archbishop Cranmer’s homily (a published reading which could be substituted for a sermon produced by a clergyman) on Obedience, published in 1547, to be read in parish churches, made this very clear.
• ·         The clergy in the pulpits were required to reinforce to their congregations that obedience to the authority or the king was in accordance with the will of God; disobedience was, therefore, a mortal sin (if unforgiven, could lead to a person’s soul to be subject to eternal damnation).  

The Duke of Somerset

• ·         Hertford counted on the support of Archbishop Cranmer, Viscount Lisle (later Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland), and Sir William Paget.
• ·         He rewarded his supporters and himself with promotions within the peerage (he became Duke of Somerset) and substantial grants of Crown lands.
• ·         Within weeks, Somerset had awarded himself control, governing largely with members of his own household, only one of whom, Sir Thomas Smith, was appointed a member of the Privy Council.
• ·         He reinforced this power by controlling the Privy Chamber through the appointment of his supporter, Sir Michael Stanhope, as Chief Gentleman.
• ·         Increasingly, members of the Privy Council felt resentment at the protectorate; within a few weeks one of them, the Earl of Southampton, had been arrested.
• ·         Moreover, there could be no guarantee of wider public acceptance of Somerset’s protectorate.
• ·         Consequently, there were widespread fears about the breakdown of law and order.

Thomas Seymour

• ·         The atmosphere within Somerset’s regime was quickly soured by factional rivalries.
• ·         The first victim was Somerset’s brother, Thomas Seymour.
• ·         Seymour not only sought to turn Edward VI against his brother, the Protector, but also tried to plot with the Earl of Southampton against Somerset.
• ·         This gave Somerset little choice but to bring treason charges against Seymour.
• ·         He was assisted by Southampton who denounced Seymour and thereby achieved his readmission to the Council.

Falling of Somerset

• ·         Such problems were reinforced by policy failings under Somerset.
• ·         At the heart of these failings lay Somerset’s approach to foreign policy, especially with regard to Scotland.
• ·         Moreover he badly mishandled the rebellions that broke out in 1549.
• ·         Even before 1549, however, misgivings about Somerset had been growing.
• ·         His arrogant and dictatorial manner created enemies, especially Southampton who resented his earlier imprisonment.
• ·         His style of government and his policy failings combined to weaken him in the minds of many of those who had originally supported him.
• ·         The most important such enemy was the Earl of Warwick, and the apparent feebleness of Somerset’s response to the rebellions of 1549 gave Warwick the opportunity to strike.

Fall of Somerset

• ·         At some stage in August 1549 Warwick and Southampton, along with two other conservative noblemen, the Earl of Arundel and Lord St John decided that Somerset’s control should be brought to an end.
• ·         Initially they tried to secure the support of Princess Mary, but she decided to steer well clear of any conspiracy.
• ·         By October the conspirators were ready to strike.
• ·         There was a stand-off between the conspirators, based in London, and Somerset who was at Hampton Court but who crucially still had control over the king.
• ·         Somerset and Edward retreated to Windsor but, in the end, Somerset, having been promised that no treason charges would be pressed against him, surrendered.