Edward VI policies under Somerset and Northumberland

1.       Somerset’s policies.

3.1: Religion

·         Cautious approach to religious policy.

·         Somerset was a late convert to Protestantism and welcomed religious radicals like John Hooper into the household.

·         The moderate book of Common Prayer in 1549 by Archbishop Cramner had two key objectives; it established a single form of services within the Church of England and it translated the services into English to enhance understanding. It attempted to compromise between the Catholic and Protestant which increased confusion as to the religious position of England.

·         Dissolution of the Chantries and religious guilds in December 1547 attacked Catholicism.

·         Injunctions issued in July 1547 attacked many traditional catholic practices led to widespread fear that it would lead to the start of systematic asset ********* of the church.

3.2: Economy

·         Somerset’s main concern with the Scottish war led him to continue the heavy military expenditure. The campaigns in Scotland 1547-1549 cost £580,393 and Boulogne continued to be fortified. The debasement continued and Somerset attempted no reforms of the Government’s finances.

·         Inflationary pressures, agarian issues, particularly enclose and taxation caused unrest.

·         He continued debasing the coinage in order to finance the Scottish war. Although it raised £537,000 it heightened the inflation and added to social distress.

·         Enclosure became a serious political issue. Somerset was influenced by writer John Hales, who argued that enclosure was the root cause of the country’s socio-economic problems. Somerset agreed to set up a commission to investigate this and issued a proclamation against enclosure. Enclosure commissioners were appointed but did little and only raised the poor’s expectations and annoyed land owners.

3.3: Foreign policy

·         Aimed to enforce the marriage between Edward VI and Mary Queen of Scots and unite the crowns.

·         Somerset chose to defeat the Scots, build and garrison forts in the border and force the Scots into submission. This went well and Somerset defeated…