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1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no"?>
2<!DOCTYPE Archive SYSTEM "https://greenstone.org/dtd/Archive/1.0/Archive.dtd">
3<Archive>
4<Section>
5 <Description>
6 <Metadata name="gsdlsourcefilename">import/englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html</Metadata>
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11 <Metadata name="Source">edward6.html</Metadata>
12 <Metadata name="SourceFile">edward6.html</Metadata>
13 <Metadata name="Language">en</Metadata>
14 <Metadata name="Encoding">utf8</Metadata>
15 <Metadata name="Author">Marilee</Metadata>
16 <Metadata name="Title">Tudor Monarchs: King Edward VI</Metadata>
17 <Metadata name="FileFormat">HTML</Metadata>
18 <Metadata name="URL">http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html</Metadata>
19 <Metadata name="UTF8URL">http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html</Metadata>
20 <Metadata name="weblink">&lt;a href=&quot;http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/edward6.html&quot;&gt;</Metadata>
21 <Metadata name="webicon">_iconworld_</Metadata>
22 <Metadata name="/weblink">&lt;/a&gt;</Metadata>
23 <Metadata name="dc.Subject">Tudor period|Monarchs</Metadata>
24 <Metadata name="Identifier">HASH6815ffdac32a15841e2fff</Metadata>
25 <Metadata name="lastmodified">1678162980</Metadata>
26 <Metadata name="lastmodifieddate">20230307</Metadata>
27 <Metadata name="oailastmodified">1678163151</Metadata>
28 <Metadata name="oailastmodifieddate">20230307</Metadata>
29 <Metadata name="assocfilepath">HASH6815.dir</Metadata>
30 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">seymour-cr.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
31 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">seymour-min.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
32 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">ed6baby-crop.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
33 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">ed1543-crop.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
34 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">parr-cr.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
35 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">edward4-cr.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
36 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">ed6main-cr.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
37 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">edward6.gif:image/gif:</Metadata>
38 <Metadata name="gsdlassocfile">loseley.jpg:image/jpeg:</Metadata>
39 </Description>
40 <Content>
41&amp;nbsp;
42&lt;center&gt;&lt;table BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=8 CELLPADDING=0 WIDTH=&quot;98%&quot; &gt;
43&lt;tr&gt;
44&lt;td ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=TOP WIDTH=&quot;20%&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/td&gt;
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46&lt;td WIDTH=&quot;15&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
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48&lt;td VALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=&quot;80%&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/td&gt;
49&lt;/tr&gt;
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51&lt;tr&gt;
52&lt;td VALIGN=TOP WIDTH=&quot;20%&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
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117&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/seymour-cr.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;etching of Edward's mother, Jane Seymour&quot; BORDER=1 height=169 width=150&gt;&lt;p&gt;
118&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;engraving of Jane Seymour, mother of Edward VI&lt;/font&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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171&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/seymour-min.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;miniature portrait of Jane Seymour by Horenbout&quot; height=165 width=166&gt;
172&lt;br&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; miniature portrait of Jane Seymour, painted by Lucas
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235&lt;p&gt;&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/ed6baby-crop.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;Holbein's famous portrait of Edward as a toddler&quot; BORDER=2 height=194 width=150&gt;&lt;p&gt;
236&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Edward as a young prince, painted by Hans Holbein&lt;/font&gt;&lt;p&gt;
237&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;to learn more about this portrait, &lt;/font&gt;
238&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fnga.gov%2fcgi-bin%2fpinfo%3fObject%3d74%2b0%2bnone&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;click
239here&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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289&lt;p&gt;&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/ed1543-crop.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;portrait of Prince Edward in 1543&quot; BORDER=2 height=194 width=137&gt;
290&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; portrait of Edward VI, c1546, by an unknown artist&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;
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339&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/parr-cr.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;Edward's beloved stepmother, Katharine Parr&quot; BORDER=2 height=191 width=150&gt;&lt;p&gt;
340&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Edward VI's beloved stepmother, Katharine Parr, painted by
341William Scrots, c1543 &lt;/font&gt;
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397&lt;p&gt;&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/edward4-cr.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;profile portrait of Edward VI&quot; BORDER=2 height=228 width=150&gt;
398&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; Edward VI, c1546, perhaps painted by William Scrots&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;
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450&lt;p&gt;&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/ed6main-cr.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;Edward VI, once more in a Henrician pose&quot; BORDER=2 height=214 width=150&gt;&lt;/center&gt;
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452&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Edward VI in a pose reminiscent of his father,
453c1543, painted by William Scrots&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;
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611&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/edward6.gif&quot; ALT=&quot;King Edward VI&quot; height=48 width=315&gt;
612&lt;br&gt;
613&lt;img SRC=&quot;_httpdocimg_/loseley.jpg&quot; ALT=&quot;portrait of Edward VI in 1547, in a pose reminiscent of his father&quot; BORDER=2 height=311 width=226 align=LEFT&gt;&lt;b&gt;Henry
614VIII had just one legitimate son, Prince Edward.&amp;nbsp; Born in October
6151537, Edward was the fulfillment of his father's tangled marital history.&amp;nbsp;
616Henry had ended his marriages to Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn when
617they failed at the most important queenly duty, each woman bearing a healthy
618princess but no surviving prince.&amp;nbsp; Jane Seymour, the king's third
619wife, was luckier.&amp;nbsp; She ensured the king's lasting affection when
620she gave birth to Edward, but she died soon afterwards of puerperal sepsis.&amp;nbsp;
621The infant prince was the only male Tudor heir of his generation; he had
622two sisters and Henry VIII's sisters Mary and Margaret had several daughters.&amp;nbsp;
623If Edward died, the throne would pass to a woman and the Tudor dynasty
624would end.&amp;nbsp; Accordingly, King Henry did all he could to protect his
625son's health; the infant prince lived in safe seclusion until his father
626wed Katharine Parr.&amp;nbsp; Henry's last wife became a beloved mother to
627Edward and he adopted the zealous Protestantism which she championed.&amp;nbsp;
628He also grew close to his half-sister Elizabeth, with whom he shared a
629household for some years.&amp;nbsp; His older half-sister, Mary, was an equally
630zealous Catholic; her religion and the vast difference in their ages prevented
631a close relationship.&amp;nbsp; Edward became king at the age of 10, but he
632was a mere figurehead.&amp;nbsp; His Seymour uncles battled with and ultimately
633lost the Protectorship to the ambitious John Dudley, duke of Northumberland.&amp;nbsp;
634During his brief reign, Edward demonstrated impressive piety and intelligence.&amp;nbsp;
635But his potential would never be realized.&amp;nbsp; He died an agonizing death
636at 15, possibly from a combination of tuberculosis and the measles.&amp;nbsp;
637Northumberland had persuaded him to leave the throne to his Protestant
638cousin, Lady Jane Grey.&amp;nbsp; This decision begat one of the most tragic
639tales of Tudor England.&lt;/b&gt;
640&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;
641&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward6.html#Biography&quot;&gt;Read
642a more detailed biography of King Edward VI&lt;/a&gt;.
643&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Primary Sources&lt;/b&gt;
644&lt;br&gt;Read &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html&quot;&gt;Edward's
645journal entries&lt;/a&gt;.
646&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fed6birth.html&quot;&gt;Jane Seymour's
647pregnancy is announced&lt;/a&gt;, 1537&lt;/blockquote&gt;
648
649&lt;blockquote&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.geocities.com%2fmarilee-cody%2fimages.html&quot;&gt;Tudor
650England: Images&lt;/a&gt; to view portraits of Edward.
651&lt;br&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fseymour.html&quot;&gt;Jane
652Seymour site&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about Edward's mother.
653&lt;br&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html&quot;&gt;Lady
654Jane Grey site&lt;/a&gt; to learn more about Edward's cousin and heiress.
655&lt;p&gt;Test your knowledge of King Edward's life at &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ftudor1.html&quot;&gt;Tudor
656Quizzes&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;The above portrait is of King Edward VI, c1547, by
657 an unknown artist.&amp;nbsp;
658 &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.geocities.com%2fmarilee-cody%2fnewpics.html&quot;&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt; to
659 learn more.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
660
661&lt;br&gt;&amp;nbsp;
662&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;a NAME=&quot;Biography&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;Biography&lt;/b&gt;
663&lt;br&gt;Henry VIII married Jane Seymour in shocking haste and, when she died
664less than two years later, he sought another wife immediately afterwards.&amp;nbsp;
665This evident dislike of bachelorhood was a cornerstone of Henry's adult
666life.&amp;nbsp; But it shouldn't imply that he didn't grieve for Jane.&amp;nbsp;
667Indeed, unlike his other wives, she was the only one he always spoke of
668with affection.&amp;nbsp; The cynic may argue this was because she died before
669Henry could turn on her.&amp;nbsp; Whatever the case, when his own life came
670to an end, Henry envisioned a grand tomb to hold him and his 'entirely
671beloved' Jane.&amp;nbsp; This did not come to pass; instead, Henry's body was
672interred with Jane's at her burial site, St George's Chapel.
673&lt;p&gt;It is indicative of Henry's contradictory character that, ten years
674and three wives after her death, he still held Jane in such sentimental
675regard.&amp;nbsp; Though he is notorious for his six marriages, one could easily
676argue that only his union with Jane Seymour - brief though it was - completely
677satisfied him, as man &lt;i&gt;and&lt;/i&gt; king.&amp;nbsp; Unlike her immediate predecessor
678Anne Boleyn (whose motto was &lt;i&gt;le plus heureuse &lt;/i&gt;- 'the most happy'),
679Jane chose as her motto, 'Bound to obey and serve.'&amp;nbsp; A more striking
680contrast to the witty, flirtatious and passionate Anne Boleyn could not
681be imagined.&amp;nbsp; While Anne had been almost exotic in her attractiveness,
682stylish, and educated at the notorious French court, Jane was the pious
683and dutiful daughter of an old English family.&amp;nbsp; Certainly she had
684as many ambitious relatives (including two brothers executed by her son),
685but she never imposed upon the king.&amp;nbsp; When she argued for Henry to
686reinstate his daughter Mary, the king replied that she would do well to
687think of herself and the children they would have; Jane replied, with typical
688tact and submissiveness, that she was thinking only of the king's happiness.&amp;nbsp;
689She had the most pleasing feminine habit of showing disinterested concern
690for others.&amp;nbsp; Again, a contrast to her predecessor who had despised
691- and been despised by - Princess Mary.
692&lt;p&gt;But Jane's quiet, pliant nature should not be mistaken for shyness or
693ignorance.&amp;nbsp; Indeed, she was intelligent enough to manage Henry Tudor,
694a feat at which even great men like Wolsey, Cromwell, and More struggled.&amp;nbsp;
695She also managed to capture and maintain a king's interest while he was
696married to another woman.&amp;nbsp; Certainly Henry was increasingly weary
697of Anne and the lack of a male heir but his desire for Jane also urged
698on Anne's execution.&amp;nbsp; And before the execution, Henry was careful
699to obtain a divorce from Anne as well; this meant that his marriage to
700Jane was the first legal union of his life.&amp;nbsp; At forty-five, well into
701middle-age, the king declared he was finally entering a legally and spiritually
702pure marriage.
703&lt;p&gt;If Jane would have maintained Henry's interest and affection forever
704cannot, of course, be known.&amp;nbsp; She lived just eighteen months after
705their marriage, long enough to deliver a prince and short enough to enshrine
706her memory.&amp;nbsp; Beyond Henry, she also impressed others as the perfect
707epitome of a quiet, obedient and kind wife - various ambassadors and contemporaries
708agree on this.&amp;nbsp; But one musn't forget that she knowingly - if quietly
709- carried on an affair with a married man while ostensibly serving his
710wife.&amp;nbsp; Many vilified Anne Boleyn for the very same behavior; however,
711Jane's behavior is rarely portrayed in a negative manner.
712&lt;p&gt;The exact date she met the king is not known.&amp;nbsp; But before he dallied
713with her, he had made another of Anne Boleyn's ladies-in-waiting his mistress.&amp;nbsp;
714This was Margaret (or Madge) Shelton, Anne Boleyn's first cousin, a girl
715'very gentle of countenance' and 'soft of speech.'&amp;nbsp; She was governess
716to Princess Elizabeth and her husband was captain of the child's guard.&amp;nbsp;
717The affair with Madge lasted about six months in early 1535; Chapuys, the
718Imperial ambassador, also mentions another affair in autumn 1534 but the
719woman's name is not known.&amp;nbsp; In autumn 1535, the king's fancy turned
720to Jane Seymour.&amp;nbsp; Henry was on progress to Southampton and stayed
721at her father's home, Wolf Hall in Wiltshire, with the traveling court.&amp;nbsp;
722This meeting at Wolf Hall was not their first (it simply couldn't have
723been since she had been in royal service since 1529).&amp;nbsp; But Henry VIII
724was rarely one for passion at first sight and, for one reason or another,
725Jane attracted his &lt;i&gt;amorous&lt;/i&gt; attentions at Wolf Hall.
726&lt;p&gt;He had not deserted his relationship with Anne, however; there was still
727a chance she would provide a male heir and Henry was loathe to end a marriage
728he had fought so hard to secure.&amp;nbsp; Still, in the back of all minds,
729the precedent of repudiated Katharine existed.&amp;nbsp; If the aunt of the
730Holy Roman Emperor could be divorced, why not 'Nan Bullen'?&amp;nbsp; But such
731speculation was dormant until Anne suffered a stillbirth during the summer
732of 1534.
733&lt;p&gt;Before this, Chapuys and other enemies commented that she was growing
734old, her dark good looks were fading; she was in her mid-thirties, no longer
735young and leaving her safest reproductive years behind.&amp;nbsp; She still
736could manage Henry though she lacked Jane Seymour's delicate touch.&amp;nbsp;
737But she would have been a fool to think her position was completely secure.&amp;nbsp;
738Each new dalliance, each sharp word reinforced her tenuous position.&amp;nbsp;
739Above all else, she must produce a male heir - Henry would never repudiate
740the mother of his son.&amp;nbsp; So when she miscarried late in her pregnancy,
741she naturally worried.&amp;nbsp; It did not help her disposition or relations
742with the king.
743&lt;p&gt;Shortly thereafter, Henry began the dalliance mentioned above.&amp;nbsp;
744Anne drove her rival from court, Chapuys relates, Henry was angry and threatening
745- he told Anne that she &quot;had good reason tto be content with what he had
746done for her, which he would not do now if the thing were to begin and
747that she should consider from what she had come and other things.&quot;&amp;nbsp;
748One can imagine the effect of such words on Anne.&amp;nbsp; She became terminally
749insecure and anxious even as she struggled to conceive and deliver a healthy
750child.&amp;nbsp; And Henry, sensitive as always, remarked that he believed
751she had never been pregnant at all.&amp;nbsp; (This was untrue - Anne's advancing
752pregnancy had been noted by several contemporaries.)
753&lt;p&gt;From the fall of 1534 and most of 1535, Anne sought security in the
754only way possible.&amp;nbsp; But Henry was occasionally impotent, a not uncommon
755occurrence for an overweight man of forty-five.&amp;nbsp; Like most men of
756his age (and many of ours), he didn't blame himself; after all, he was
757still attracted to other women.&amp;nbsp; Ironically enough, it was after his
758visit to Wolf Hall, when he returned to London in October 1535, that he
759and Anne conceived a child.&amp;nbsp; The fancy for Jane Seymour, only a few
760weeks old, would be overlooked.
761&lt;p&gt;Furthermore, Katharine of Aragon had finally passed away on 7 January
7621536.&amp;nbsp; The great rival vanquished and she herself pregnant, Anne lived
763as her motto decreed - 'the most happy.'&amp;nbsp; But Katharine's death was
764not the happy event it may have seemed.&amp;nbsp; After all, in the eyes of
765Catholic Europe, Katharine had always been Henry's wife.&amp;nbsp; With her
766death, the king of England was officially widowed.&amp;nbsp; In other words,
767he was free to marry again.&amp;nbsp; The union with Anne was not recognized.&amp;nbsp;
768And just a few weeks after Katharine's death, Anne miscarried the child.&amp;nbsp;
769It was a male fetus, about fifteen weeks old.&amp;nbsp; Her own sorrow as a
770mother was undoubtedly overwhelmed by the realization that she was doomed.
771&lt;p&gt;She told Henry she had miscarried because he had suffered a serious
772fall and the news, related by her uncle Norfolk, had distressed her terribly.&amp;nbsp;
773Henry was uninterested.&amp;nbsp; According to Anne's attendants, he said to
774her, &quot;I see God will not give me male children&quot; and that he would have
775&quot;no more boys by &lt;i&gt;her&lt;/i&gt;.&quot;&amp;nbsp; Perhaps two miscarriages was not uncommon
776in Tudor England but, in light of Katharine of Aragon's many miscarriages,
777Anne's were magnified.
778&lt;p&gt;With Anne now widely believed to be incapable of delivering a male heir,
779Henry's relationship with Jane Seymour assumed a new importance.&amp;nbsp;
780There are stories which cannot be confirmed as true - Anne discovered Jane
781sitting on the king's lap, Anne discovered gifts Henry had bought for 'Mistress
782Seymour' - but they are disquieting.&amp;nbsp; In any case, Jane was bewitching
783the king in her own quiet way much as Anne herself had done.&amp;nbsp; She
784denied the king just enough to ensure a chaste reputation and certainly
785Henry was like many men - the forbidden fruit was all the more attractive.&amp;nbsp;
786And she also came from a respectable noble family which passionately pounced
787upon the Boleyn's declining fortunes.
788&lt;p&gt;The Seymours had old antecedents though their claim of Norman ancestry
789was dubious.&amp;nbsp; Their name was originally St Maur and a Sir Wido de
790Saint Maur was supposed to have come over with the conquest.&amp;nbsp; Prosperous
791marriages enriched the family and extended their holdings.&amp;nbsp; Jane's
792father was born in 1474 and knighted in the field by Henry VII at a battle
793called Blackheath.&amp;nbsp; He continued to enjoy royal favor into Henry VIII's
794reign, accompanying the king on his French campaign in 1513 and also the
795infamous Field of Cloth of Gold in 1532.&amp;nbsp; He was a Gentleman of the
796Bedchamber and sheriff of his home county but never especially prominent
797or ambitious.&amp;nbsp; What was important was his reputation as a pious and
798courteous man; also, he was often in close contact with the king.&amp;nbsp;
799And, even more important, he came from a large family with many healthy
800children.&amp;nbsp; Jane herself was one of ten children; her own mother had
801six sons, though two of died of the sweating sickness in 1528.
802&lt;p&gt;Jane's father was over 60 when the king's fancy turned to her; it was
803her older brothers Edward and Thomas who stood to profit most from her
804ascendancy.&amp;nbsp; They seized - and relished - this unexpected opportunity
805to advance their fortunes.&amp;nbsp; Their sister, in her mid-twenties, was
806not particularly beautiful; her most pleasing feature was her fair, unblemished
807skin.&amp;nbsp; Chapuys, who had no cause to denigrate her, described her as
808'of middle stature and no great beauty.'&amp;nbsp; But she was calm, courteous,
809and kindly.&amp;nbsp; Such characteristics were important, especially to a
810monarch like Henry who felt himself surrounded by devious and temperamental
811women.&amp;nbsp; She was also virtuous.&amp;nbsp; She may have responded to Henry's
812flirtations (who would deny the king?) but she responded to no others -
813this despite service under two queens.&amp;nbsp; But when Henry sent her gifts
814with a letter, she returned them, saying, &quot;If the King desired to make
815her a present of money, she prayed that it might be when she made an honorable
816marriage.&quot;&amp;nbsp; Once again, the royal appetite was whetted.&amp;nbsp; And,
817of course, such modest behavior was desirable in a woman Henry increasingly
818wanted to wed.
819&lt;p&gt;Jane's family was joined by supporters who had been slighted by the
820Boleyn faction.&amp;nbsp; In other words, anyone who had not prospered under
821Anne's rule wanted to support Jane.&amp;nbsp; On 18 April 1536, Cromwell (Henry's
822chief minister and confidante) threw in his lot with the Seymours.&amp;nbsp;
823He vacated his apartments at Greenwich Palace so the Seymours could move
824in.&amp;nbsp; This was crucial.&amp;nbsp; Not only could the king visit Jane discreetly,
825without anyone knowing, but Cromwell's opinion carried weight with Henry.&amp;nbsp;
826Anne Boleyn's fall was inevitable; Jane Seymour's rise was unstoppable.
827&lt;p&gt;On Friday, 19 May 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed on various charges,
828the most powerful being that of treason.&amp;nbsp; The secret betrothal of
829King Henry and Jane took place at Hampton Court the next day.&amp;nbsp; During
830Anne's arrest and trial, Henry's sense of decency (never great) had persuaded
831him to send Jane away.&amp;nbsp; She went to Sir Nicholas Carew's house at
832Croydon where she was afforded every respect.&amp;nbsp; But as the date of
833Anne's demise approached, Henry grew more impatient; Jane was moved to
834a closer house just a mile from the king's residence at Whitehall.&amp;nbsp;
835From there she went to Hampton Court for her betrothal; it was back again
836to Whitehall for the marriage on 30 May.&amp;nbsp; Thomas Cranmer performed
837the ceremony.&amp;nbsp; One can imagine it was a happy and triumphant day for
838Jane but confidence would have been foolhardy.&amp;nbsp; After all, the king
839had divorced one wife who had not born a son and executed another.&amp;nbsp;
840She had known both Katharine and Anne quite well.&amp;nbsp; Even if she didn't
841grieve for their fates, she must have realized the instability of her own.
842&lt;p&gt;Once queen, Jane chose a phoenix rising from a castle filled with Tudor
843roses and the panther for her heraldry.&amp;nbsp; It was easy enough to alter
844Anne's leopards and falcons, after all.&amp;nbsp; On their first procession
845through London as husband and wife, they passed the Tower where the late
846queen's body lay stuffed in an arrow chest, the head tucked beneath the
847arm.&amp;nbsp; For 'Jane the Quene,' the Tower was hung with banners and streamers.&amp;nbsp;
848Furthermore, there was the incredible dowry the king had lavished upon
849her - 104 manors, 5 castles and various gardens and forests.&amp;nbsp; Henry
850also planned an equally lavish coronation for his new queen.&amp;nbsp; This,
851however, was stymied by an outbreak of the plague; Henry said that it would
852only be postponed.&amp;nbsp; As soon as it was healthy and safe, Jane would
853be officially crowned.
854&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Jane displayed good common sense by ordering her ladies-in-waiting
855to dress conservatively.&amp;nbsp; She wanted no one to tempt the king even
856as she had done.&amp;nbsp; She also became mother to two motherless princesses.&amp;nbsp;
857Both Mary and Elizabeth benefited from Jane's kindness.&amp;nbsp; Mary was
858of marriageable age (seven years younger than Jane) and could be used as
859a tool in Henry's diplomacy.&amp;nbsp; Three-year-old Elizabeth, lacking Mary's
860maternal nobility, was not marriageable yet but Henry was described as
861'very affectionate' toward her.&amp;nbsp; He called her 'his Madame Ysabeau'
862and allowed both Elizabeth and Mary, though bastardized, precedence over
863their cousins.
864&lt;p&gt;Jane's religious opinions should be discussed, if only because history
865has often misread her true feelings.&amp;nbsp; Unlike her brothers and son,
866Jane was not a Protestant.&amp;nbsp; She was conservative in her religion as
867she was in her behavior.&amp;nbsp; The first harsh words Henry was recorded
868as speaking to her were over religion; she mentioned that a rebellion was
869perhaps God's rebuke over Henry's dissolution of the monasteries.&amp;nbsp;
870Henry brusquely reminded her that the late queen had died as a result of
871meddling in his affairs.&amp;nbsp; This implied threat would have been enough
872to frighten any woman.&amp;nbsp; Luckily, Jane became pregnant a few months
873later, in early January 1537.&amp;nbsp; This news undoubtedly helped lessen
874the sadness of her father's death on 21 December 1536.
875&lt;p&gt;Jane's condition was announced in March and the news was officially
876celebrated on Trinity Sunday, 27 May 1537.&amp;nbsp; She was now the king's
877'most dear and most entirely beloved wife', as Henry wrote to the duke
878of Norfolk.&amp;nbsp; Her coronation was now planned to be after the child's
879birth, probably late October.&amp;nbsp; There is no sign that the pregnancy
880was especially difficult; all writings point to Jane's good stature and
881health.&amp;nbsp; Henry canceled a progress to stay with her and certainly
882the entire court - and country - held their breath, wondering if this young
883woman would succeed in her greatest duty.
884&lt;p&gt;Certainly Henry was optimistic and, as usual, the astrologers and doctors
885predicted the birth of a son.&amp;nbsp; They had been wrong with Elizabeth
886but Henry was eager to forget and make preparations.&amp;nbsp; He had a Garter
887stall made for this long-awaited son in St George's Chapel at Windsor;
888the royal apartments at Hampton Court Palace were refurbished in preparation
889for the birth; Jane's brothers were yet again elevated to new positions,
890granted more lands and pensions.&amp;nbsp; And finally, on 9 October, she went
891into labor.
892&lt;p&gt;Her labor was as arduous as any could be in the sixteenth century.&amp;nbsp;
893It lasted three days; after the first two, a procession was mounted in
894London to pray for the Queen.&amp;nbsp; On 12 October, the eve of the Feast
895of St Edward, the child was born.&amp;nbsp; Jane was well enough after the
896birth to receive guests, most touchingly her husband.&amp;nbsp; Henry wept
897when he took this longed-for heir in his arms.&amp;nbsp; The christening was
898held three days later and, wrapped in furs and velvet, she attended.&amp;nbsp;
899Princess Mary acted as godmother to her half-brother and four-year-old
900Elizabeth was carried by Thomas Seymour.
901&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;It would be impossible to list all the celebrations which occurred
902when Prince Edward was born.&amp;nbsp; Suffice to say, 2000 shots were fired
903from the Tower and bells were rung throughout the countryside.&amp;nbsp; On
90418 October, Henry had his son proclaimed Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall
905and Earl of Carnarvon.&amp;nbsp; Yet again the Seymour brothers were given
906generous endowments for the king was never more generous or magnanimous.&amp;nbsp;
907But their sister who had made such celebrating possible was not recovering
908from the birth.&amp;nbsp; In modern times, we call her illness puerperal fever.&amp;nbsp;
909In Jane's time, it was the most common cause of death for pregnant women.&amp;nbsp;
910Cleanliness and the proper treatment for infections were not understood.&amp;nbsp;
911Once she became infected, she was doomed.&amp;nbsp; On 19 October, she took
912to her bed again; she recovered somewhat on the 23rd, as her attendants
913reported, but only for a matter of hours.&amp;nbsp; Soon she was delirious
914and, early the next morning, her confessor was sent for.&amp;nbsp; Henry, who
915had planned to go hunting that day, postponed his trip - but only for that
916day, he told a courtier.&amp;nbsp; It was enough; 'Jane the Quene' died near
917midnight on 24 October, living just days after her great triumph.&amp;nbsp;
918For her husband, increasingly obese, bald, and well into middle-age, the
919grief was genuine.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; He planned a sumptuous burial for 12 November
920and the churches that had celebrated Edward's birth now began to pray for
921the soul of the late queen.&amp;nbsp; Hampton Court Palace, scene of her triumph
922and death, was hung with black.
923&lt;p&gt;Princess Mary was chief mourner at her step-mother's funeral but Henry
924did not attend.&amp;nbsp; He wished to be alone with his grief.&amp;nbsp; Jane
925Seymour was buried as a queen - unlike Katharine of Aragon who had died
926as Princess Dowager and Anne Boleyn, who had died divorced and disgraced.&amp;nbsp;
927Her hearse was taken to Windsor and interred in a vault in St George's
928Chapel.&amp;nbsp; Henry was perhaps already planning a sufficient monument
929for the grave he would eventually share with Jane.&amp;nbsp; But he also kept
930track of his late wife's possessions - her jewelry was distributed to her
931ladies, Princess Mary, and her brothers.&amp;nbsp; But her dowry, the 104 manors
932and 5 castles, were given back to the king.&amp;nbsp; And, very soon indeed,
933speculation began -&amp;nbsp; who would receive these favors next?
934&lt;p&gt;Henry VIII turned to the continent for his next wife, the German princess
935Anne of Cleves.&amp;nbsp; The marriage was famously annulled only a few months
936later.&amp;nbsp; His fifth wife was Anne Boleyn's cousin, the young and pretty
937Catherine Howard.&amp;nbsp; She met her cousin's fate not even two years into
938the marriage and then Henry wed the twice-widowed Katharine Parr.&amp;nbsp;
939Pious, intelligent and an accomplished nurse, she would be his last wife.&amp;nbsp;
940By the time of this last marriage, the king was suffering from a variety
941of ailments, most caused by his increasing obesity.&amp;nbsp; He continued
942to take a keen interest in his son's education and Katharine Parr became
943a true mother to the young Elizabeth and Edward.&amp;nbsp; Her passionate Protestantism
944had a great effect on both children; it also nearly caused her death, since
945Henry VIII had become even more tyrannical as the years passed.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;
946&lt;p&gt;The king's own death on 28 January 1547 was the second and final time
947the Tudor throne would pass, easily and without dispute, to a male heir.&amp;nbsp;
948But Edward VI's extreme youth ensured that his reign would not immediately
949be his own.
950&lt;p&gt;
951&lt;hr WIDTH=&quot;100%&quot;&gt;
952&lt;p&gt;Who was this young man, the product of his father's long and desperate
953search for an heir?&amp;nbsp; He died at the age of sixteen, never more than
954a puppet king who had to beg his uncle for pocket money and was beaten
955by his tutors.&amp;nbsp; Edward VI was just a child when crowned at Westminster.&amp;nbsp;
956His father knew the dangers of leaving a child as heir and did his best
957to protect the court from factionalism.&amp;nbsp; However, Henry's will was
958shortsighted and hardly practical; he wanted a regency council of peers,
959each equal to the other.&amp;nbsp; But even as he lay dying, the earl of Hertford
960and Sir William Paget were already planning their coup.&amp;nbsp; Hertford,
961Jane Seymour's brother and Edward's uncle, would be made Lord Protector&amp;nbsp;
962and Paget would be first minister.&amp;nbsp; On 28 January 1547, Hertford rode
963to his nephew and brought him to the security of the Tower of London.&amp;nbsp;
964On 31 January the council met there and agreed to Paget's nomination of
965Hertford as protector.&amp;nbsp; Only then was Henry VIII's demise made public
966and Edward VI proclaimed king.&amp;nbsp; There followed a distribution of titles
967and sinecures, the most notable being Hertford's elevation to the dukedom
968of Somerset.
969&lt;p&gt;However, Somerset's authority was not fully secure; the council's nomination
970of him as Protector was just a verbal agreement.&amp;nbsp; Without letters
971patent authenticated by the Great Seal, he had a title but no legal basis
972for control.&amp;nbsp; But the Great Seal was in the hands of the lord chancellor,
973a conservative named Wriothesley who had been created earl of Southampton
974during the accession honors.&amp;nbsp; But even elevated to an earldom, Wriothesley
975was not happy with what he perceived to be Somerset's usurption of power.&amp;nbsp;
976He refused to affix the seal to Somerset's patent of formal authority.&amp;nbsp;
977Early in March, Somerset was able to rid himself of this nuisance.&amp;nbsp;
978He brought to the council's attention certain irregularities in the chancellor's
979office (notably his neglect of the legal side of his responsibilities),
980and forced Wriothesley's resignation.&amp;nbsp; Somerset's ally Lord Rich was
981quickly appointed lord chancellor and the Great Seal was finally affixed
982to the letters patent.&amp;nbsp; Somerset was now the most powerful man in
983England, with the exception of his young nephew.
984&lt;p&gt;One of the powers Somerset acquired in his patent of office was the
985right to appoint whoever he wanted to the Privy Council.&amp;nbsp; To that
986end, he brought in some of the older, experienced men who had not been
987appointed executors in Henry's will.&amp;nbsp; But he never allowed the council
988to function with any degree of autonomy and rarely consulted its members.&amp;nbsp;
989Instead, he used them to simply endorse his own privately-made decisions.&amp;nbsp;
990On the rare occasions he did meet with them, he demonstrated an appalling
991lack of the attributes all leaders need - tact and cunning.&amp;nbsp; His tongue
992was so savage that he reduced a colleague to tears and, before long, Paget
993was warning him about his arrogance and rudeness.&amp;nbsp; Somerset ignored
994Paget as he ignored most everyone else.&amp;nbsp; He ruled by edict, issuing
995proclamations to a greater extent than any head of government in the Tudor
996age.
997&lt;p&gt;His fall was inevitable.&amp;nbsp; But it did not happen until five years
998into Edward's reign, by which time Somerset had effectively cemented the
999new religion in England and offended virtually every other nobleman.&amp;nbsp;
1000What did Edward VI think of his uncle's autocratic use of power?&amp;nbsp;
1001The boy king left behind a journal remarkable in its detachment; indeed,
1002he recorded the executions of both Somerset and his younger brother with
1003no emotion.
1004&lt;p&gt;Edward was not completely cold, however.&amp;nbsp; He was always affectionate
1005to his stepmother, Katharine Parr, whose benevolent influence eased his
1006lonely childhood.&amp;nbsp; He also spent time with his half-sister Elizabeth;
1007the two children were just four years apart in age and Elizabeth was a
1008Protestant.&amp;nbsp; He was never particularly close to his other half-sister,
1009Mary.&amp;nbsp; This was understandable for Mary was old enough to be his mother
1010(21 years older) and a devout Catholic who refused to bow to her brother's
1011religious convictions.&amp;nbsp; Certainly she had obeyed their father but
1012Edward was an adolescent who Mary believed was a pawn of Protestant heretics.&amp;nbsp;
1013(Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html&quot;&gt;Primary
1014Sources&lt;/a&gt; site to read selections from Edward's journal &amp;amp; other documents)
1015&lt;p&gt;Edward's education was always strict.&amp;nbsp; His earliest tutors were
1016female and he was guarded under the strictest regulations - for example,
1017nobody less than a knight was allowed to visit him.&amp;nbsp; At the age of
1018six, his two principal tutors were appointed - Ricahrd Cox, a committed
1019but moderate reformer, and John Cheke, the most distinguished humanist
1020in the land.&amp;nbsp; There is evidence that he was occasionally beaten. Upon
1021his ascension, he was a precocious and intelligent boy.&amp;nbsp; His elevation
1022to the kingship did not end his courtesy to his tutors.&amp;nbsp; In fact,
1023he now began to share his studies with a handful of contemporaries; one
1024of these, Barnaby Fitzpatrick, was the son of an Irish peer and became
1025a Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber.&amp;nbsp; He was also Edward's closest friend
1026and, away on a mission to France, received letters from the king which
1027betray normal adolescent exuberance.&amp;nbsp; These letters - along with those
1028to Katharine Parr - are the only examples in which Edward exhibits emotion.
1029&lt;p&gt;Edward left behind a reputation for bigoted, extreme Protestantism which
1030he does not deserve.&amp;nbsp; There were many pro-Protestant laws enacted
1031during his reign, with his approval, but at the instigation of his guardians.&amp;nbsp;
1032He was a devout Protestant, the product of the new religion which even
1033his father had not understood.&amp;nbsp; Still, he was by no means as self-righteouslessly
1034intolerant as his older sister; perhaps he would have been - but that is
1035just speculation.
1036&lt;p&gt;Edward's ministers demonstrated passionate self-interest in this religious
1037climate.&amp;nbsp; These Protestant lords had profitted economically from the
1038dissolution of the monasteries and no one - lord or commoner - wanted to
1039reinstate papal taxation.&amp;nbsp; They were determined to keep their land
1040grants, gold plate, and other treasures.&amp;nbsp; In doing so, they appealed
1041to the intellectual vanity of their young king.&amp;nbsp; Edward was raised
1042a Protestant, even as Mary had been raised a Catholic, and there is no
1043reason to doubt he held his faith as deeply.&amp;nbsp; Unlike their sister
1044Elizabeth, who declared she wanted no windows in men's souls, Edward and
1045Mary believed they were guiding their subjects onto the path of righteousness.&amp;nbsp;
1046When Somerset and others altered their beliefs with changing political
1047climates, they were careful to appeal to this sense of self-righteousness.
1048&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size=-1&gt;I wrote a more detailed account of Edward's
1049childhood before writing this section; if you would like to read it, &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fedward33.html&quot;&gt;please
1050click here&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; It will be somewhat repetitious since it contains
1051information found at this page, but there is more detail and might be useful
1052for students researching Edward's life.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
1053The essential fact of Edward's brief reign is this - it is more a commentary
1054on Somerset and his successor, Northumberland, than it is on Edward himself.&amp;nbsp;
1055In the early months of his rule, the councilors were more interested in
1056securing the throne and creating a peaceful transition to the new order.&amp;nbsp;
1057As Edward's uncle and a soldier of experience, Somerset was the natural
1058choice as 'Protector of all the realms and domains of the King's Majesty
1059and Governor of his most royal person.'&amp;nbsp; The other fifteen men Henry
1060had selected as councilors were men only recently promoted to high office;
1061twelve of them were Protestant, since the Howards - the leading Catholic
1062faction at court - had fallen from power.&amp;nbsp; Somerset's main rivals
1063for power were John Dudley, earl of Northumberland (soon promoted to earl
1064of Warwick) and his own brother, Thomas Seymour (soon created Baron Seymour
1065of Sudeley and Lord High Admiral.)&amp;nbsp; Seymour was ambitious and angry
1066that he could not wield absolute power; in his opinion, why should one
1067uncle have control and another be fobbed off with consolation prizes?&amp;nbsp;
1068A more temperate man would have been content with his newly ennobled title
1069and position on the council but Seymour was ambitious and jealous - a lethal
1070combination.&amp;nbsp; In the end, he would bring down himself and his brother,
1071thus securing Dudley's ascendancy.
1072&lt;p&gt;Somerset loved his younger brother and, in general, was considered a
1073kind man - but he was unfortunately ill-equipped to manage his squabbling
1074council and had a mean-tempered wife who offended virtually everyone she
1075met.&amp;nbsp; She was his second wife and mother of his nine children; Somserset's
1076first wife had been banished to a convent after having an affair with his
1077father.&amp;nbsp; Anne Stanhope was as proud and quarrelsome as her brother-in-law
1078Seymour.&amp;nbsp; She considered herself the first lady of the realm, claiming
1079precedence over Katharine Parr, Henry VIII's widow.&amp;nbsp; When Seymour
1080married Katharine just four months after Henry's death, Anne and virtually
1081everyone at court saw it as evidence of his vast ambition.&amp;nbsp; It opened
1082yet another rift between the two brothers.
1083&lt;p&gt;There were, of course, reasons for Seymour to be jealous.&amp;nbsp; On 16
1084February 1547, Henry VIII was buried with the Seymour brothers' sister,
1085Jane, at St George's chapel in Windsor, and - the very next day - Edward
1086VI confirmed his uncle as duke of Somerset.&amp;nbsp; Along with the title
1087came an income of 7400 pds a year, a vast sum in those days.&amp;nbsp; By contrast,
1088Henry VIII left Princesses &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fmary1.html&quot;&gt;Mary&lt;/a&gt;
1089and Elizabeth 3000 pds each - less than half of Somerset's income but still
1090considered a great sum.&amp;nbsp; Seymour had to content himself with the lands
1091of his baronetcy as well as his wife's fortune - and, soon enough, embezzlement.&amp;nbsp;
1092When his brother made it clear he would not share ultimate authority, Seymour
1093began to plot against him.&amp;nbsp; Already, he had begun flirting with the
1094adolescent Elizabeth, being raised at his wife's home in Chelsea (discussed
1095in greater detail at the &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs.html&quot;&gt;Elizabeth
1096I&lt;/a&gt; pages.)&amp;nbsp; He also secured the guardianship of &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fjanegrey.html&quot;&gt;Jane
1097Grey&lt;/a&gt;, telling her parents he would arrange her marriage to the young
1098king.&amp;nbsp; Thus, he was in control of two of Henry VIII's heirs.&amp;nbsp;
1099He also began visiting his nephew, attempting to gain Edward's affections
1100by giving him presents and money.&amp;nbsp; Since Somerset was strict with
1101his nephew and kept him constantly short of money, the king was grateful
1102for the gifts.
1103&lt;p&gt;But even as Seymour began his ambitious plans, Somerset was careful
1104to court Princess Mary's favor.&amp;nbsp; This was a smart policy since she
1105was her brother's heir, popular with the English people, and cousin to
1106the Holy Roman Emperor.&amp;nbsp; Also, she was content to remain in the countryside
1107since she disliked Edward's Protestant court.&amp;nbsp; Many historians have
1108written that Seymour and others courted Mary's favor with the view that
1109she would one day be queen.&amp;nbsp; However, this is wrong - as is the view
1110that Edward VI was a sickly king, always delicate of health.&amp;nbsp; In fact,
1111until the last eighteen months of his life, Edward was quite healthy and
1112gave every intention of living many years.&amp;nbsp; He was slender and had
1113fair coloring but also enjoyed activity and took a keen - and passionate
1114- interest in learning and religion.&amp;nbsp;; As he grew older, he naturally
1115chafed at his uncle Somerset's absolute control over his life.
1116&lt;p&gt;Somerset - unlike his brother and Dudley - never played to Edward's
1117natural feelings of superiority and authority.&amp;nbsp; He treated the king
1118as he treated his children - with firmness, discipline, and a strict regimen.&amp;nbsp;
1119Seymour and Dudley spoke to the young king
1120&lt;i&gt;as a king&lt;/i&gt;, pretending
1121to defer to his naturally superior wisdom.&amp;nbsp; For a while, though, Somerset
1122kept near-absolute control over the council.&amp;nbsp; He became popular with
1123the poor - and unpopular with his fellow nobles - by promoting reform of
1124agricultural laws (creating fixed rents and the abolition of enclosures)and
1125he attempted to reform the judicial system in favor of equality for all.&amp;nbsp;
1126In fact, he established a court of pleas at his own home in London.&amp;nbsp;
1127This earned him the nickname 'the Good Duke' but to his councilors he was
1128too moderate to satisfy any faction and too headstrong to listen to anyone.&amp;nbsp;
1129To this perception of arrogance and class-betrayal was added a spiritual
1130weakness - Somerset would not allow anyone to be tortured or burned over
1131religious matters.&amp;nbsp; This tolerance was unexpected and unwelcome by
1132his peers.
1133&lt;p&gt;But along with idealistic plans for social reform, Somerset was also
1134grasping and greedy.&amp;nbsp; The combination of such traits was considered
1135hypocritical and inconsistent.&amp;nbsp; After all, his councilors muttered,
1136who was Somerset to criticize their rents when he spent the government's
1137money with little regard for moderation?&amp;nbsp; They pointed to his London
1138residence, Somerset House, built&amp;nbsp; at the exorbinant cost of 10000
1139pds; there were other homes, too, equally grand and all designed to emphasize
1140his stature as Lord Protector.&amp;nbsp; It may be that Somerset was uneasy
1141in his role since, before his sister's ascendancy, his family was only
1142moderately successful.&amp;nbsp; In just ten years, they had become the pre-eminent
1143family in the land and he may have been insecure about such a rapid rise.&amp;nbsp;
1144In any case, he was encouraged in such spending by his wife.
1145&lt;p&gt;Somerset's main problem was that he lacked the charisma and will-power
1146of Henry VIII, a man who had blustered and bullied his council into action.&amp;nbsp;
1147The sheer intimidating force of his personality had awed everyone - and
1148Somerset lacked that bravura, a natural ability to inspire and lead.&amp;nbsp;
1149Instead, he was forced to shout and insult his peers into action, at one
1150time driving a man to tears.&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, his brother was proving an
1151embarrassment.&amp;nbsp; Right after Henry's death, Seymour had sought permission
1152to marry Elizabeth; when that was denied, he renewed a former attachment
1153to Katharine Parr and married her.&amp;nbsp; In any case, in the four months
1154after Henry's death before he married Katharine, his nephew King Edward
1155had suggested he marry Anne of Cleves or Princess Mary.&amp;nbsp; But Seymour's
1156own brother squashed both those plans, the union with Mary in particular;
1157Seymour was not 'born to be king, nor to marry a king's daughter.'&amp;nbsp;
1158So when he married the queen dowager, people naturally assumed it was a
1159union of ambition and not affection.
1160&lt;p&gt;Seymour further angered the council and his brother by flirting with
1161Princess Elizabeth; she was sent from he and Katharine's Chelsea home after
1162Katharine became pregnant.&amp;nbsp; When Katharine died in childbirth, Seymour
1163was soon engaged in pressing his suit to Elizabeth again as well as arguing
1164with the council - and his brother in particular - over Katharine's possessions.&amp;nbsp;
1165He was also ingratiating himself with King Edward by bribing a man called
1166John Fowler, one of the king's closest servants.&amp;nbsp; Fowler and Edward
1167were close and shared conversations; they revealed the young king's increasing
1168frustration with Somerset's actions.&amp;nbsp; Edward wanted more pocket money,
1169less severe tutors, more time for leisure pursuits - he wanted to be treated
1170as king and not a child.&amp;nbsp; Fowler, paid by Seymour, was happy to pass
1171these complaints on.&amp;nbsp; So Seymour smuggled in some money and small
1172presents and, though these pleased the king, they didn't personally endear
1173his uncle to him.&amp;nbsp; Perhaps even the young Edward could sense his uncle's
1174calculating ambition.
1175&lt;p&gt;But Edward did publicly support and bless his uncle and stepmother's
1176marriage.&amp;nbsp; And, in a fit of anger, he once told Seymour that - if
1177Somerset should die - he would appoint his 'favorite' uncle Lord Protector.&amp;nbsp;
1178Such statements only encouraged Seymour.&amp;nbsp; Soon enough, in November
11791547, Seymour had urged Edward to sign a document which would be placed
1180before Parliament in its new session; it would officially divide the office
1181of Lord Protector between the king's two uncles.&amp;nbsp; Edward was naturally
1182cautious and asked his tutor, John Cheke, for guidance.&amp;nbsp; Cheke was
1183a learned man obsessed with otherwordly concerns but he also understood
1184the intrigues of the Tudor court.&amp;nbsp; His advice was for Edward to not
1185sign and distance himself from both uncles.&amp;nbsp; Seymour was furious.&amp;nbsp;
1186He went about telling councilors that he wanted Edward to live with him
1187and the queen dowager and - more threateningly - he could easily steal
1188the king from under Somerset's nose.&amp;nbsp; When Katharine died on 5 September
11891548 after a difficult childbirth, one important link to his nephew disappeared.&amp;nbsp;
1190After all, Edward had been genuinely fond of Katharine.&amp;nbsp; But after
1191her death, Seymour became even more openly ambitious and insulting to his
1192brother.&amp;nbsp; There were rumors that he wanted to marry his former ward
1193Jane Grey but Seymour found this laughable.&amp;nbsp; He had more ambitious
1194plans - once again, he intended to woo Princess Elizabeth.&amp;nbsp; It may
1195have been that Katharine Parr exerted a calming influence upon her husband
1196and, once she died, he became more obvious and unrestrained in his plans.&amp;nbsp;
1197Whatever the case, he began to voice open disapproval of his brother's
1198government, threatening to disrupt Parliamenr; in short, he was a great
1199embarrassment to the protector.&amp;nbsp; Somerset tried to be conciliatory
1200but Seymour had none of it.&amp;nbsp; He began to gather support (at least
1201nominally) from other nobles who were dissatisfied with Somerset for less
1202personal reasons.&amp;nbsp; As Lord High Admiral, a post he had heretofore
1203neglected, Seymour was able to control the English navy.&amp;nbsp; He openly
1204asked people for support in case of a coup.&amp;nbsp; In other words, he was
1205completely indiscreet.
1206&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Elizabeth's governess Mrs Ashley, another victim of Seymour's
1207charm, was encouraging her young charge to think kindly of Seymour.&amp;nbsp;
1208But Elizabeth was cautious and less than thrilled; she retired to the country
1209and stayed far away from London.&amp;nbsp; But others had heard of Seymour's
1210plans and one of these was Lord Russell, the keeper of the Privy Seal,
1211an important office in Tudor England.&amp;nbsp; He confronted Seymour with
1212rumors of his intention to wed Elizabeth; he said this would ensure Seymour's
1213ruin.&amp;nbsp; Furthermore, Russell cautioned, King Edward would view a match
1214with Elizabeth very suspiciously - after all, it smacked of ambition and
1215the next step would be his own death.&amp;nbsp; Then, Seymour and Elizabeth
1216would rule.&amp;nbsp; Seymour's folly went further, however.&amp;nbsp; He was also
1217embezzling vast sums in a complicated scheme with the vice-treasurer of
1218the Bristol mint.&amp;nbsp; (Once again, this is discussed in the Elizabeth
1219I pages as well.)
1220&lt;p&gt;The vice-treasurer was a man called Sir William Sharington.&amp;nbsp; Sharington
1221had taken advantage of the general laxity and chaos the new reign to clip
1222and debase the coinage produced at Bristol.&amp;nbsp; He doctored the account
1223books to cover the operation but rumors spread of his crimes.&amp;nbsp; It
1224was inevitable - after all, others worked at the mint and Sharington was
1225using the money to refurbish his house in a very lavish manner.&amp;nbsp; Seymour
1226discovered Sharington's secret and, rather than turn him in, decided upon
1227blackmail.&amp;nbsp; He planned to use the proceeds to finance his coup to
1228take over the government.&amp;nbsp; Furthermore, he as using his position as
1229Lord High Admiral to encourage piracy (rather than protect against it,
1230as was his duty), allowing the pirates safe passage in exchange for shares
1231of their booty.&amp;nbsp; He also charged ships a toll to pass from England
1232to Ireland on official government business.
1233&lt;p&gt;He also planned to kidnap Edward, with John Fowler's help.&amp;nbsp; Fowler
1234provided keys to Edward's room and forged a stamp of Edward's signature.&amp;nbsp;
1235But at the end of 1548, everyone knew of his plans.&amp;nbsp; The council openly
1236discussed charges against him.&amp;nbsp; His aristocratic friends cautioned
1237that their support would not be forthcoming after all.&amp;nbsp; Soon enough,
1238someone had tipped off the council to one of the greatest crimes - the
1239Bristol mint was raided and Sharington fell to pieces, accusing Seymour
1240of forcing him to commit treason and turning King's evidence against him.&amp;nbsp;
1241(In an ironic footnote, he was not only pardoned - but restored to his
1242office and position in life.)&amp;nbsp; Somerset attempted to help his brother,
1243summoning him to London for a private audience.&amp;nbsp; Seymour refused.&amp;nbsp;
1244Somerset had no choice but to lay all before the council and let them proceed
1245against his brother.&amp;nbsp; Soon enough, John Fowler's incriminating evidence
1246was laid bare - as was King Edward's.&amp;nbsp; But still no direct action
1247was taken against him; it was just a treason investigation.&amp;nbsp; But on
124816 January, Seymour ensured his immediate arrest.
1249&lt;p&gt;He still had the forged keys to Edward's apartment at Hampton Court
1250and, in the middle of the night, decided to risk everything on kidnapping
1251the king.&amp;nbsp; He entered through the privy garden - but, in the room
1252outside Edward's bedroom, slept the king's pet spaniel.&amp;nbsp; The dog woke
1253up, barking, and Seymour shot him.&amp;nbsp; A Yeoman of the Guard appeared,
1254demanding an explanation, even as King Edward awoke and stood in his bedroom
1255doorway; he was clad in his nightshirt and openly terrified.&amp;nbsp; Seymour
1256told them he had come to test the king's guards; the dog had attacked him
1257so he was forced to shoot.&amp;nbsp; The guard let him leave but, upon learning
1258of the incident, the council decided to confine Seymour to the Tower while
1259they investigated.&amp;nbsp; The official charge was attempting to murder King
1260Edward; even the suspicion of regicide was enough to condemn Seymour.&amp;nbsp;
1261On 18 January, the council officially sent agents to question everyone
1262Seymour had conspired with; among those questioned were Princess Elizabeth
1263and her household.
1264&lt;p&gt;Seymour refused to appear privately before the council; he would settle
1265for nothing less than an open trial.&amp;nbsp; On 22 February, the council
1266officially indicted him of thirty-three charges of treason.&amp;nbsp; And Seymour
1267never had an open trial in which to make his case - as in Henry VIII's
1268time, a Bill of Attainder was passed on 4 March, approved by Parliament
1269and King Edward.&amp;nbsp; Somerset delayed signing the death warrant so the
1270council, led by Dudley, went to Edward for his signature.&amp;nbsp; So on 20
1271March, Seymour was executed at the Tower of London, dying 'dangerously,
1272irksomely, horribly.'&amp;nbsp; Somerset's understandable inability to condemn
1273his brother resulted in a growing rift on the council.&amp;nbsp; His family
1274was disgraced and he was angry at the councilors for so rapidly proceeding
1275against his brother.&amp;nbsp; It was only a matter of time before he, too,
1276fell from power.
1277&lt;p&gt;Somerset's fall was engineered by Dudley and helped along by a backlash
1278against his regime.&amp;nbsp; How did Somerset's policies help foster a climate
1279of betrayal and manipulation; specifically, how had he failed in his duties
1280as Lord Protector?
1281&lt;p&gt;
1282&lt;hr WIDTH=&quot;100%&quot;&gt;
1283&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;A more thorough discussion of Somerset's government policies, and
1284how they led to his downfall&lt;/b&gt;
1285&lt;p&gt;Somerset's government was a confused jumble of misplaced idealism and
1286factional squabbling.&amp;nbsp; With the dynamic and charismatic figure of
1287Henry VIII gone, Tudor government was in a shambles.&amp;nbsp; Its fate was
1288inevitable - an autocratic king was replaced with a nine-year-old boy -
1289what else could result but chaos?&amp;nbsp; Henry VIII had been a mass of contradictions
1290always united in the belief that the king's will was the highest authority.&amp;nbsp;
1291Even when his religious policies became incomprehensible to anyone but
1292him, he still believed they were righteous - and through the force of his
1293will and use of kingly authority, he convinced most others of the same.&amp;nbsp;
1294Up until the week of his death, he entertained foreign ambassadors and
1295plotted grandiose foreign invasions, displaying a disturbing interest in
1296current events while his council thought he should be contemplating the
1297afterlife.&amp;nbsp; When he was gone, no one knew how to fill the void.&amp;nbsp;
1298Certainly his heir, still a child, was king in name only.&amp;nbsp; His Lord
1299Protectors - first Somerset and then Dudley - tried to &lt;i&gt;act&lt;/i&gt; as kings
1300and both perished.&amp;nbsp; The truth was obvious and inescapable - the English
1301people may have muttered (at great risk) about Henry's religious quarrels
1302and his private follies but they had respected his position as king.&amp;nbsp;
1303The men that followed him had grown up in his shadow, jockeying for position
1304and favor.&amp;nbsp; When he died, they struggled amongst themselves for Henry's
1305vanished supreme authority.&amp;nbsp; In the end, they failed and the English
1306people suffered six years of turmoil.
1307&lt;p&gt;Somerset's position as Lord Protector seemed natural enough.&amp;nbsp; After
1308all, no one seriously expected a council of sixteen peers to rule England.&amp;nbsp;
1309Factionalism and squabbling had long marked Henry's court (particularly
1310after Cromwell's execution) and it only worsened after his death.&amp;nbsp;
1311There needed to be a leader, a respected man who (in the council's opinion)
1312would not be a ruler but a figurehead.&amp;nbsp; In other words, he would be
1313perceived as leader while actually sharing authority with the council.&amp;nbsp;
1314(A position, in other words, like that of Speaker of the House in the U.S.
1315Congress.)&amp;nbsp; Of course, such a plan depended on the leader being willing
1316to share power privately.&amp;nbsp; Somerset originally promised to do so but,
1317fairly quickly, decided to disregard his peers.&amp;nbsp; This understandably
1318angered them.&amp;nbsp; In addition to his arrogant refusal to consult them,
1319he also implemented policies which helped the poor at the expense of the
1320aristocracy.
1321&lt;p&gt;In private life, Somerset was regarded as a genial man, though criticized
1322as middle-of-the-road and unreadable.&amp;nbsp; His wife, Anne Stanhope, was
1323the stereotypical shrewish wife who offended virtually everyone she met,
1324particularly other aristocratic wives.&amp;nbsp; She bore Somerset nine children
1325and he was considered a strict but fair father.&amp;nbsp; Insofar as it is
1326possible to sketch a psychological portrait of Somerset at this site, I
1327would characterize him as an essentially kind and sympathetic man who took
1328his responsibilities very seriously; he was also prone to feelings of inferiority
1329and easily offended.&amp;nbsp; As a result, his government policies were idealistic
1330- but his personal relationships with counncil members were unsatisfying.&amp;nbsp;
1331He came to be regarded as arrogant and bullying when, in fact, he was simply
1332ill-suited to his job.&amp;nbsp; Added to this, he craved appreciation - he
1333cultivated the appearance of fairness and virtue even as he replaced the
1334council with his own hand-picked advisors.
1335&lt;p&gt;Somerset had achieved the position of Lord Protector simply because
1336his younger sister, Jane, bore Henry VIII the longed-for son.&amp;nbsp; As
1337such, Henry always regarded her in a sentimental haze; she was the perfect
1338wife - gentle, meek and obedient.&amp;nbsp; She had also fulfilled her duty
1339as queen by providing a male heir, though she tragically died as a result.&amp;nbsp;
1340It was Jane who, years after her death, was painted as Henry's consort
1341in paintings of the Tudor dynasty; and it was Jane whom Henry wished to
1342lie beside in death.&amp;nbsp; While she lived as queen (for a brief eighteen
1343months), her brothers, Edward and Thomas, were showered with favors.&amp;nbsp;
1344After Edward VI's birth, the favors continued.&amp;nbsp; Edward, the elder
1345brother who became duke of Somerset in 1547, was closer to Henry than Thomas
1346and adept at handling his mercurial monarch.&amp;nbsp; In truth, Somerset had
1347emerged as a competent soldier and politician.&amp;nbsp; But competency alone
1348could not run Tudor England; indeed, even the great Cromwell had struggled
1349to control Henry's council before they connived at his execution.&amp;nbsp;
1350Somerset was no Cromwell.&amp;nbsp; He lacked a coherent vision of government
1351and the personality to govern.&amp;nbsp; But for several years he was Lord
1352Protector - before his younger brother's jealousy and ambition destroyed
1353them both.
1354&lt;p&gt;The personal tragedy of Edward and Thomas Seymour was discussed above.&amp;nbsp;
1355Suffice to say, it played out against the backdrop of actual government
1356- all the mundane day-to-day policies whicch actually control a country.&amp;nbsp;
1357Edward VI became king even as his father's past was catching up to the
1358English economy.&amp;nbsp; Henry VIII had indulged in many frivolous pursuits,
1359including several extremely expensive battles in France.&amp;nbsp; He left
1360behind a mountain of debt and little means to pay it.&amp;nbsp; The English
1361economy was heavily dependent upon wool exports to Europe, particularly
1362the Low Countries.&amp;nbsp; And it possessed the enviable ability to feed
1363its population without importing food - but only during good harvests.&amp;nbsp;
1364When harvests were bad, famine occurred and the poor became beggars, often
1365relying on the newly-impoverished churches for support.
1366&lt;p&gt;Somerset dealt with crises by consulting his own advisors and not the
1367council.&amp;nbsp; It was unfortunate that the disregarded councilors included
1368one John Dudley, earl of Warwick.&amp;nbsp; Dudley was very ambitious and determined
1369to destroy both Seymour brothers.&amp;nbsp; He began through simple gossip
1370- encouraging Thomas Seymour's jealousy whhile telling Somerset his brother
1371coveted his position.&amp;nbsp; But, for a long while, Somerset was impervious
1372to Dudley's scheming.&amp;nbsp; Within weeks of Henry's death, Somerset obtained
1373a dry stamp of Edward VI's signature - perhaps his most powerful tool (since
1374the king's signature implied the king's will - and the king's will was
1375law.)&amp;nbsp; And he soon commanded that Edward's signature alone was not
1376completely legal; instead, documents must include both Edward &lt;i&gt;and&lt;/i&gt;
1377Somerset's signatures.&amp;nbsp; For almost exactly two years (until his brother
1378was arrested on 17 January 1549), Somerset ruled England as thoroughly
1379as any king.&amp;nbsp; Indeed, it could be said he consulted the official privy
1380council less than Henry VIII had; certainly he entrusted less business
1381to it.
1382&lt;p&gt;His foreign policy was dominated by one thing - Scotland.&amp;nbsp; He wanted
1383to marry Edward VI to Mary Stuart, heiress to the Scottish throne and known
1384to history as Mary queen of Scots.&amp;nbsp; But he knew that such a betrothal
1385would have to be forced and enforced constantly.&amp;nbsp; He also knew that
1386England could ill afford to continually invade their troublesome northern
1387neighbor.&amp;nbsp; So Somerset proposed a logical - but impractical - plan.&amp;nbsp;
1388He would maintain a permanent English presence in Scotland by constructing
1389armed garrisons.&amp;nbsp; He invaded Scotland in September 1547 and won a
1390battle at Pinkie.&amp;nbsp; He instantly began to build forts while neglecting
1391to enforce a naval blockade to prevent French involvement.&amp;nbsp; Perhaps
1392Somerset did not correctly gauge the Scottish-French alliance; he was certainly
1393unprepared when 6000 French troops arrived and promptly captured English
1394forts and built their own garrisons.&amp;nbsp; Two years after the Battle of
1395Pinkie, the French had moved Mary Stuart to France (thereby ending Somerset's
1396planned marriage between her and Edward.)&amp;nbsp; Also, the battle had become
1397defensive and inconclusive.&amp;nbsp; Somerset was reduced to hiring mercenaries
1398(over 7000) to maintain some positions but conditions were bleak enough
1399to drive mercenaries away.&amp;nbsp; Soon enough, France had decided to declare
1400war; Henri II officially did so on 8 August 1549.&amp;nbsp; England could not
1401fight France and so Somerset offered to return Boulogne (captured by Henry
1402VIII) five years before an earlier treaty demanded.&amp;nbsp; The French king
1403demanded the return of Calais as well.&amp;nbsp; So Somerset ordered new forts
1404built at both cities and managed to fend off an attack at Boulogne.&amp;nbsp;
1405But soon enough the French king declared his trump card - Mary Stuart was
1406betrothed to his son and heir, the Dauphin.&amp;nbsp; The message was clear
1407- soon, the French would control Scotland..
1408&lt;p&gt;The conflicts with Scotland and France cost a great deal of money and
1409hurt Somerset's reputation.&amp;nbsp; Furthermore, he paid for the battles
1410by debasing coinage (hardly an intelligent policy.)&amp;nbsp; He combined these
1411foreign policy and economic mishaps by his religious policy.&amp;nbsp; Keep
1412in mind that in 1547 just 20% of Londoners were Protestant; Protestants
1413were also a vocal minority in Essex, Bristol, Kent and Sussex but outside
1414this all-important southeast corridor, the religion had barely spread.&amp;nbsp;
1415It was long known that whoever could hold London could control all of England
1416- London was the capital and one of the laargest cities in Europe.&amp;nbsp;
1417But since Protestants only accounted for 1/5 of the population, what explains
1418Somerset's - and the rest of government's - legal support for this new
1419religion?&amp;nbsp; The answer is complicated and deserves its own book - in
1420brief, the Protestants were a minority but they were a vocal minority with
1421money and influence.&amp;nbsp; Their members formed the basis of Somerset's
1422support and - as a vocal minority - they were far more passionate and committed
1423to spreading their faith than Catholics were with preserving the old order.&amp;nbsp;
1424This is an important point; offensive actions are more ideologically appealing
1425than defensive actions.&amp;nbsp; The group that initiated the changes (Protestants)
1426were far more likely to be committed
1427&lt;i&gt;and&lt;/i&gt; inspired to action.
1428&lt;p&gt;Many of the wealthy Protestants had benefited from the dissolution of
1429the monasteries in the 1530s but many historians have exaggerated Henry
1430VIII's generosity, implying that he gave vast monastic lands away to favored
1431courtiers.&amp;nbsp; In truth, he and Cromwell charged a fair - and often steep
1432- price for most of the lands.&amp;nbsp; They were purchased by nobles - who
1433then were committed to keeping their new lands.&amp;nbsp; But most were also
1434committed to Protestantism for very real ideological and religious reasons.&amp;nbsp;
1435One should not underestimate the importance of religion to 16th century
1436people, though our own age is awash in skepticism and cynicism.&amp;nbsp; For
1437people of the 16th century, the miseries of this world were transitory
1438- they were more committed to ensuring exiistence in the hereafter.
1439&lt;p&gt;Throughout Somerset's protectorate, the Tudor government - though sympathetic
1440to Protestantism - did not dare officially declare itself Protestant.&amp;nbsp;
1441Why?&amp;nbsp; Once again, the specter of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V hung
1442over England.&amp;nbsp; And with the Franco-Scottish alliance a pressing concern,
1443Somerset could not afford to alienate the neutral Charles V.&amp;nbsp; (Like
1444Henry VIII, Somerset wanted to avoid a Franco-Spanish-Scottish alliance
1445against England.)&amp;nbsp; So he avoided an official declaration of England's
1446religious
1447sympathies and allowed Charles's cousin, Princess Mary, freedom to celebrate
1448Catholic services.&amp;nbsp; But the religious policy was as confusing as everything
1449else during those years - what were the proper rites for church services?
1450what doctrinal changes from Henry's reign would remain? would the use of
1451an English bible be enforced? should the Host be elevated during mass?&amp;nbsp;
1452These questions - and many others - remained hotly debated.&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile,
1453Somerset's government passed numerous guidelines, each more upsetting to
1454traditionalists than the last - unlicensed preaching was banned on 24 April
14551548; &lt;i&gt;all&lt;/i&gt; preaching was banned just five months later.&amp;nbsp; Instead,
1456clergy would recite twelve government-approved homilies/proverbs from the
1457pulpit.&amp;nbsp; Images were outlawed, altars were ordered removed, private
1458masses ended....&amp;nbsp; And the twelve government-endorsed homilies continued
1459this destruction, railing against good works and purgatory while advocating
1460salvation through faith &lt;i&gt;alone&lt;/i&gt;.&amp;nbsp; All churchmen felt themselves
1461under attack while their parishes agreed.&amp;nbsp; (For example, good works
1462and purgatory were deeply-held beliefs of common people.)
1463&lt;p&gt;Added to this confusion was Edward VI's blossoming religious convictions.&amp;nbsp;
1464Like his sister, Mary, Edward became committed to a specific ideology and
1465determined to impose it upon the English people - for their own good, of
1466course.&amp;nbsp; His tacit approval did not matter much to Somerset (who,
1467after all, possessed the king's signature) but it was symbolic.&amp;nbsp; For
1468the English people, the religious policies were frightening and confusing.&amp;nbsp;
1469Most English people lived in the countryside and were fundamentally conservative
1470- as most rural populations are; they weree slow to change and suspicious
1471of new ideas.&amp;nbsp; Confined to London for most of his short life, Edward
1472was unaware of this basic truth.&amp;nbsp; Like Somerset, he resided in London
1473where the new ideas were rampant.
1474&lt;p&gt;But, of course, the people had another reason for dissatisfaction.&amp;nbsp;
1475As mentioned earlier, Somerset's economic policy was essentially nonexistent.&amp;nbsp;
1476There was no overriding philosophy - just one hare-brained scheme to raise
1477money after another.&amp;nbsp; The population had been steadily increasing
1478(see &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.englishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ffacts.html&quot;&gt;Tudor Facts
1479&amp;amp; Figures&lt;/a&gt;) and, of course, fueled a rise in prices.&amp;nbsp; But along
1480with this, currency debasement continued and increased inflation.&amp;nbsp;
1481One official mentioned the obvious solution - restore the coinage - but
1482Somerset was desperate for quick money to fund his Scottish plans.&amp;nbsp;
1483Most of his economic policies were implemented by John Hales.&amp;nbsp; Hales
1484introduced many bills to parliament 1548-49, the main ones were: the maintenance
1485of tillage, requiring sheep farmers to keep a certain number of cows to
1486ensure regular milk and cheese supplies; he also attempted to end the compulsory
1487purchase by the government of food at fixed prices.&amp;nbsp; Those bills failed
1488- but a tax on sheep and wool was approvedd in order to discourage sheep
1489farming (and enclosures.)&amp;nbsp; The attempts to end enclosures was perhaps
1490the most ill-advised of Somerset's policies.&amp;nbsp; Landholders were naturally
1491opposed to it and, when they supposedly frustrated attempts to collect
1492evidence of enclosures, Somerset grew angry - he decided to proceed without
1493legal basis.&amp;nbsp; (The landowners had frustrated the government by packing
1494juries with their own tenants and servants.)&amp;nbsp; Somerset's decision
1495to proceed inflamed the entire Midlands (where the commission had begun
1496its work.)
1497&lt;p&gt;In May 1549, revolts began which can be loosely classified as 'class
1498warfare', or as close to such as Tudor England would ever get.&amp;nbsp; This
1499was not a repeat of the Pilgrimage of Grace, where nobleman led their supporters
1500in protest of new religious policies.&amp;nbsp; This was the revolt ot thousands
1501of laborers and poor farmers who had long resented the use of enclosures.&amp;nbsp;
1502They were revolting against the noblemen with, so they believed, the government's
1503support.&amp;nbsp; These poor people, who had suffered through rising inflation
1504and prices and debased currency, were determined to end a grossly unfair
1505practice.&amp;nbsp; When Somerset insisted the nobles had deliberately filled
1506the juries with supporters, the people grew angry.&amp;nbsp; They took to the
1507fields - filling ditches, tearing down fences and hedges.&amp;nbsp; Too late,
1508Somerset recognized the force he had unleashed.&amp;nbsp; He threatened to
1509disperse the rioters by force, to no avail.&amp;nbsp; In May the first revolts
1510broke out; by August, revolts broke out in Leicestershire.&amp;nbsp; It was
1511up to the nobility to restore order to their lands, using troops originally
1512destined for Scotland.&amp;nbsp; But thousands perished during the fighting.
1513&lt;p&gt;The revolts had revealed the ugly undercurrent of dissatisfaction among
1514the English people.&amp;nbsp; The factors already discussed combined to encourage
1515revolt.&amp;nbsp; It was also a terribly hot summer with a bad harvest.&amp;nbsp;
1516As prices rose, Somerset foolishly decided to fix maximum prices for goods
1517- but the prices were incredibly high and,, once again, demonstrated his
1518knowledge of London prices and ignorance of the rest of England.&amp;nbsp;
1519In general, the rebels wanted such basic rights as this - the right to
1520have landlords forced off 'common' ground and the right to fish freely.&amp;nbsp;
1521In a way, it was very much a 'Robin Hood' rebellion; they distrusted the
1522gentry and sought to separate the church and nobility.
1523&lt;p&gt;Somerset's policies during the rebellions were typical of 'the Good
1524Duke', or so the peasantry believed - but they enraged the nobility.&amp;nbsp;
1525In effect, he waffled between action and inaction.&amp;nbsp; When the revolts
1526began, he had not wanted to delay his Scottish campaign and so he didn't
1527respond immediately.&amp;nbsp; Instead, he issued grandiose proclamations and
1528promised to pardon rebels if they stopped.&amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, the revolts
1529spread and the council urged action.&amp;nbsp; In July, Somerset finally brought
1530troops back from Scotland and sent them to smash the rebels with impunity.&amp;nbsp;
1531Thousands of deaths ensued and much property was damaged.&amp;nbsp; The council
1532was furious - Somerset had blundered once again, disregarding their advice
1533and following no clear policy of his own.&amp;nbsp; Even Paget, his former
1534ally, was disgusted.&amp;nbsp; He wrote Somerset a threatening and dismissive
1535letter which read, in part:
1536&lt;ul&gt;Society in a realm doth consist and is maintained by mean of religion
1537and law.&amp;nbsp; And these two or one wanting, farewell all just society,
1538farewell king, government, justice and all other virtue.&amp;nbsp; Look well
1539whether you have either law or religion at home and I fear you shall find
1540neither. ....And put no more so many irons in the fire at once as you have
1541had within this twelvemonth - war with Scotland, with France.... commissions
1542out for that matter, new laws for this, proclamation for another, one in
1543another's neck.&lt;/ul&gt;
1544Paget's opinion of his former ally indicated the growing disillusionment
1545with Somerset.&amp;nbsp; Coupled with his brother's ambitious attempt to overthrow
1546him, the complete loss of the council's confidence was thus the beginning
1547of Somerset's end.
1548&lt;p&gt;
1549&lt;hr WIDTH=&quot;100%&quot;&gt;
1550&lt;center&gt;&lt;font size=-1&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs.html&quot;&gt;to
1551Tudor Monarchs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;
1552&lt;br&gt;&lt;font size=-1&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor.html&quot;&gt;to Tudor
1553England&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/center&gt;
1554&lt;/blockquote&gt;
1555
1556&lt;center&gt;&lt;font size=-1&gt;written by &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:[email protected]&quot;&gt;Marilee&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/center&gt;
1557&lt;/td&gt;
1558&lt;/tr&gt;
1559&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/center&gt;
1560
1561
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1564</Content>
1565</Section>
1566</Archive>
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