Fall of Somerset and Rise of Northumberland

- 1549 - country drifts in potentially major crisis

- Somerset = unable/unwilling to take decisive action to surpress the supported uprisings 

Lack of money made it difficult for local elites to intervene without government support + Somerset was reluctant to withdraw troops from garrisons in Scotland + France

- Only the P.Council realised seriousness of situation + provided additional troops, and Lord Russell in West Country + John Dudley, Earl of Warwick were able to defeat the rebels 

- Major consequence of rebellions was fall of Somerset 

- Colleagues quickly abandoned him as a man who failed to prevent anarchy and revolution 

- Northumberland engineered his arrest in Oct 1549 + there was no opposition 

- Somerset was released the following year and re-joined the P. Council but was accused of plotting against the government 

- Executed in January 1552

- Poor leadership: autocratic, rules with mini coucil and not privy council, 77 proclamations bypassing parliament, made himself quasi king, took control of the dry stamp 

- Rebellions: mismanagement of the rebellions, doesn't put them down himself 

- FP: Aug 1549- Fr declare war, failures in Scotland (lots of money and nothing achieved) 

- Favouritism- fills king council with his own men and has his own mini council of 6 men, Michael Stanhope- groom of the stool, able to drip feed things Somerset wants Edward told 

- Money making + extravagance: indulgent, built palaces for himself, added £5000 to his own income by dissolving chantries + vagrancy act 

- Social policy: anti enclosure alienates nobles 

- Econ policy: debasement 

- Religious policy: negative Reformation, when they finally get the Prayer Book, lead to W'ern Rebellion 

- Rebellions in the summer had undermined confidence in Somerset. Slow to act and in the end relied on military expertise of John Dudley to end Kett's Rebellion 

- Many councillors resented Protector title and were angry he hadn't consulted them about move away from HVIII's national Catholicism 

- Edward summarised charges as "ambition, vainglory, entering into rash wars in mine youth, enriching himself of my treasure, following his own opinion, and doing all by his own authority" etc 

- 5th October: Somerset ordered all loyal nobility + subjects to rally around him at Hampton Court Palace 

- 18 councillors issued counter-proclamations refusing to support Somerset + questioning his leadership 

- Among these were a group of Catholics led by the Earls of Arundel + Southhampton (main opposition- want Mary to take over as regent, she's Catholic and would take advice from them)

- They wanted Mary to become regent + rule until Edward was old enough 

- Russel + St John - two other Catholic ministers who back them up 

- Paget- hedging his bets, waiting to see who he puts his support behind 

- Earl of Warwick now had a rep as the 'strong man' of the regime, put down Kett's rebellion. His religious sympathies lay with the reformers but he knew that alliance with the Catholic faction (Arundel + Southampton) was his best chance to remove Somerset 

- Somerset negotiated with his enemies + realising that he had no option, agreed to go providing that his life and lands were spared 

- Som had lost support of Ed (who is aware of the current situation) who developed a 'cold' + demanded to return to London. Somerset has lost the respect of the King

- 14th October- Somerset was imprisoned in the Tower and the post of Protector was abolished 

- Mary refused offer to become regent and re-educate her younger brother 

- Factional fighting + plotting continued, resulting in Somerset being released in order to support Warwick against the Catholics 

- NL bribed Russel and St John to turn against Wriothesley and Arundel with positions on the Royal Council 

- NL threatens those going after Somerset and makes it clear he is in charge 

- Wriothesleyy and Arundel kicked off the council, Somerset is in prison in the tower, NL has control of the privy council, in charge by end of January/start of February 1550 

- Warwick made himself Duke of NL in October 1551, endorsed by Edward (+ mates with Cranmer)

- Somerset still thinks he's entitled to a say in govt as he's kings uncle, NL not happy 

- Imprisoned again after being involved with further plots against Warwick (fabricated by NL) + executed in January 1552 

- NL make himself Lord President of the Council and Great Steward of the King's household - sounded more democratic and humble. NL doesn't want to be autocratic, learning from Som mistakes

- Con Catholic faction had been defeated + NL filled the Council with own allies 

- Introduced Edward to Council meetings + gave the pretence of working with the young king