Queen Mary I, 1553 – 1558 Notes
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Lady Jane Grey pronounced Queen by Northumberland
BUT Mary was ‘swept to power by a revolution’ (Christopher Haigh), declared Q in numerous shires inc.
Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Earl of Oxford intimidated by household servants into
supporting her, Navy sent by Northumberland to Norfolk to prevent M’s escape mutinied
Mary crowned on 19th June – evidence of massive popular rejoicing e.g. in York
M’s accession greeted v. favourably on the whole by Eng people.
o Trad. view that people were leaning toward reform but were motivated to support her by respect
for the rightful course of succession
o Haigh: ‘religion may now be recognised as one of the elements of Mary’s appeal’, release of pent up
anger at 1552 Prayer Book
Churches immediately began building up requirements for Catholic worship e.g. masses said and alter rebuilt
at Melton Mowbray in Lancashire, by august churchwardens’ accounts how that Latin prayer books are
being bought even while Protestantism still in place
Haigh: ‘the real hallmark of the Marian church was local enthusiasm... which produced large sums of money’
Some opp. e.g in London, Kent, Essex – Protestant strongholds, changes not universally accepted
Problems for Mary:
o Inherited kingdom with fundamental religious divisions – she as Catholic not in position to calm
tension
o Had no political experience, not brought up to govern
o Members of her household not politicians of the first order, e.g. Sir Henry Bedingfield, Robert
Rochester
Mary appointed up to 50 councillors in short reign, some view this as leading to faction and inefficient
government therefore bad decisions e.g. marrying Philip II
o Revisionist: actually title of councillor bestowed as an honour, actually working group of PC was far
smaller with experienced figures such as Gardiner, Paget and Winchester
Never trusted Gardiner (Lord Chancellor, died 1555) entirely as had not supported her mother at time of
break with Rome but nonetheless a key individual in PC
o Death in 1555 means M relies increasingly of foreign advice e.g. from Philip II > undermines
effectiveness as poor quality
Anxious to get married (37 at accession), recognises importance of heir after difficulties of HVIII
Edward Courtenay Earl of Devon is a candidate h/e Courtenay lacked courtly skill, plus increase in faction
with Eng. marriage; Bishop Gardiner in favour, maybe just because he thought anything would be better
than foreign marriage
Mary favours Philip II, encouraged by Charles V and his ambassador Simon Renard, CV gave moral support
and guidance to Mary during Edward’s reign so she trusts his judgement
Treaty drawn up whereby Philip II would have title of King but none of its power and could not inherit the
crown should Mary die
Marriage on 15th July 1554 (after Wyatt’s Rebellion!), Philip delayed coming to Eng for a few months, by
arrival situation changed, Renard no longer enjoys such favour, Philip didn’t like it – poor weather, hostile,
finds 11 years older and prematurely aged Mary unattractive – spends as little time as possible
Marriage failed, personally and politically: Despite rumours, M not pregnant, places Eng. on Habsburg side
of Habsburg/Valois dispute, election of fiercely pro-French, anti-Spanish Cardinal Carafa as Pope Paul IV in
1555 leads to hostility with the papacy and makes restoration tough
Leaked plans mean Wyatt’s Rebellion begins January 1554, Sir Thomas Wyatt raises 3,000 men in Kent
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Motives:
- Some motivated by religion, Maidstone was Prot stronghold and centre of rebel’s activity
- Xenophobia in wake of marriage
- Economic grievances with decline of local cloth industry
- Some gentry who’d lost office under Mary
Rebellion significant because: - Showed that Protestant sentiments could not be ignored
- Demonstrated extent of opp. to Spanish marriage
- Led to death of Lady Jane Grey due to father’s implication (she was
innocent)
- Imprisonment of Elizabeth, Mary convinced Elizabeth knew about Wyatt’s
Rebellion though no evidence from Wyatt. No evidence found during
interrogation – her interrogators, Gardiner and Paget both had vested
interests in not discovering as felt she might one day be Q, didn’t want to
upset
Sir Thomas Wyatt comes close to success, outmanoeuvres Duke of Norfolk and almost secured City of
London but strength of PC with no defections meant ultimately unsuccessful
The Restoration of Catholicism
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Problems:
1) Protestantism had its adherents esp. in London and SE England
2) The Church as it was, was enshrined in statute law
3) Much of political elite who M depended on had benefited financially from breakup of
monasteries, no desire to surrender ‘ill-gotten gains’
Foreign Protestants ordered to leave Eng, 7 Bishops removed and, some imprisoned
October 1553 (1st Parliament): Repeal of Edward VI’s religious laws, back to state at end of Henry VIII’s reign
o 80 MPs vote against – considerable opposition
o 800 people mainly from political elite went into exile in continental Europe
o Dilemma: to use statute law to repeal would acknowledge validity of original legislation and so the
authority of statute over divine law – contrary to her own beliefs > not solved in first Parliament
o Allowed action against Prot. clergy
Autumn 1553: Deprivation of married clergy – ¼ of clergy in Norfolk and London deprived, exasperates
severe manpower shortage
November 1554 – January 1555 (3rd Parliament): Reversed Henrician Act of Attainder against Reginald Pole
(An Act of Attainder declared an individual guilty of treason and removed his property)
o Act of Repeal passed in January, delayed over wrangling about monastic lands (many MPs had
acquired land), included a Papal Dispensation but Parliamentary request for absolution of
conscience for monastic landowners rejected.
 Reginald Pole discredited by grudging attitude to landowners
 Mary had to acknowledge supremacy of statute law in matter of religion
Pope Julius III died in 1555 and was succeeded by anti-Spanish Pope Paul IV, Pole’s legatine commission
withdrawn in 1557, charged with heresy but Mary refused to let him go to Rome to face charges
o Very poor relations between Mary and the Pope
The Treatment of Heretics
 Fate of M’s victims recorded in John Foxe’s ‘Book of Martyrs’
 289 Protestants burned at the stake, inc. influential individuals: Archbishop Cranmer, Bishops Hooper and
Ridley, Hugh Latimer (former bishop of Worcester)
 Most burnings in London (60), and in Kent, Essex and Sussex, none in Durham
 Effect of burnings:
o Strategy of choosing those based on popularity as preachers backfired, created martyrs#
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o Majority of burnings were relatively humble people, created sympathy
Realization of bad publicity, PC try to ban young people, servants, apprentices from, burning
Fail to extinguish Protestantism, maybe due to shortness of reign rather than popular feeling, very bad PR!
Other Religious Policies
 Pole sees role in pastoral terms, not just repressive
 Attempt to improve quality of pastoral care, Pole’s legatine synod of 1566/7 made clear his aims: bishops
were to reside in their diocese, to oversee religious life, to preach
 Proposal to attach seminary to every cathedral, not enough time to put into effect
Extent of change to religious situation by 1558
 Bulk of country Catholic in sentiment
 Not enough time to lead a full transformation h/e more could have been achieved during M’s reign:
o Division between Q and Papacy and disagreement in Parliament slowed progress
 Failure of main protagonists:
o M not in touch with popular sentiment, cut off before her accession
o Philip II has little knowledge of Eng above that from his 1554 visit
o Robert Tittler: ‘Pole took England to be as he remembered it rather than as it was’
 Tittler: policy too oppressive, did not capitalise of spiritual or intellectual traditions
Mary and Parliament
 Cautious cooperation, 80 MPs oppose 1553 repeal of Edward’s religious legislation
 Bill in 1555 to allow seizure of Protestant exile’s property was defeated
 Self-interest on part of MPs, often owned monastic lands
 Refused to exclude Eliz from the succession after the Wyatt’s Rebellion
 1555 prevented Philip II’s coronation as King
Reforms under Mary
 Pollard: reign was ‘sterile’ but Pollard was writing in Protestant framework, actually some useful successes
 Financial Reforms
o Duke of Northumberland sought to improve admin. of crown finances, unable to implement in
Edward VI’s reign due to demise but some reforms based on Northumberland’s implemented in
1554
o Court of the Exchequer took over roles of Court of First Fruits and Tenths and Court of
Augmentations, also took over the newer Courts better practices
o Remitted Edward’s last subsidy – cheap popularity but at a financial cost
o Some rise in indebtedness but not much considering Eng at war with France in last part of reign
o Penry Williams: finances were ‘at least adequate’
o Plans for recoinage drawn up 1556-58 thoroughly to combat problem of all the debased coins in
circulation but not implemented until Elizabeth’s reign
o Introduction of new Book of rates in 1558 which raised customs revenues dramatically but Eliz
reaped benefits
 Naval and Militia Reforms
o Complete reorganisation of navy, 6 new ships bought, budget increased to £14,000 pa though
reduced by Elizabeth
o Highly efficient treasurer to the navy answerable directly to the Lord Treasurer, laid foundation for
1588 Armada defeat
o Massive reorganisation of methods for raising troops, essential as no standing army
o John Guy: ‘a landmark in English military organisation’
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Reforms for the Towns
o Robert Tittler: ‘conscious support’, ‘a perceptive urban outlook’ for towns to establish strong local
government
o Issuing of charters of incorporation to confirming existing rights or conferring new rights, inc. a more
standardised structure for town councils
o Need brought about by reformation to replace religious structures in towns with political one, laid
foundation for urban growth
Poor Relief
o 1556 – 1558: Harvest failures, high mortality, influenza and high taxes to pay for French war
o Laws against grain hoarders and encouragement for the conversion of pasture land to tillage – more
productive!
A Mid-Tudor Crisis?
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Old orthodoxy suggests reign of ‘little Tudors’ was unproductive, uncreative and strife-ridden in contrast to
Elizabeth I and Henry VIII’s reigns; view typical of historians such as Pollard and Bindoff
o WRD Jones thought 11 years were marked by religious strife, inefficiency in government and social
distress
Elizabeth and Henry’s reigns both witnesses events which changed English history indelibly – break with
Rome, end of war with Scotland, Protestant settlement, Armada and war with Spain etc.
Elizabeth’s vigorous defence of the English state appealed to historians writing at the time of the British
Empire
Understanding of Mary’s reign influenced by John Foxe’s ‘Book of Martyrs’ – less than favourable account of
her burnings – ‘Bloody Mary’ in contrast to Elizabeth as ‘married to England’
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Rehabilitation of Edward VI and Mary I by Robert Tittler, Dale Hoak, suggest much of value occurred
Christopher Haigh and Eamon Duffy go further, suggesting Mary worked with tide of public opinion
Radical religious policies at the beginning of Edward VI’s reign criticised by John Guy, however Dairmaid
MacCulloch says they make sense given Edward’s won beliefs and priorities
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Just as there were challenges during Edward and Mary’s reigns, there were under Elizabeth e.g. Northern
Rebellion, social dislocation as apparent in 1590s as in 1549
David Loades: Mid-Tudor crisis is an ‘unhelpful’ term
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