Mary I

Background

• Met with enthusiasm in London
• Mass was sung despite being illegal under Edward’s laws
• Catholicism was welcomed back
• As she was a female monarch many thought she’d be an incapable ruler who was very weak and uneducated.
• In 1554, she married Philip of Spain – a marriage treaty was passed by Parliament which was very favourable to England
• Marriage failure: never produced an heir, Wyatt rebellion, dragged into war with France and lost Calais in 1558

Factional fighting

• William Paget supported Spanish marriage
• Stephen Gardiner opposed Spanish marriage
• Nobility was divided
• Established committees to exclude casual councillors 
• Gardiner died so Paget dominated and eventually it was turned into a conciliar government 

Persecution of Protestants

• 1555 Bishops Hooper, Latimer and Ridley were executed for heresy
• 1556 Cranmer also burnt for heresy
• Mary ordered the burning of around 300 Protestants in England

The Wyatt Rebellion, 1554

• Cause: religion (Protestant sympathies), economic (cloth trade depression), Spanish marriage
• Aims: 4 coordinated uprisings with 3000 people marching on London with French support. Wanted Elizabeth as Queen.
• Many royal soldiers that Mary sent to quash the rebellion, joined Wyatt
• Suppression: Mary made a popular speech in London to rally the crowds and increase her support, nearly 100 rebels were executed including Wyatt and Mary ordered the execution of Lady Jane Grey and the imprisonment of Elizabeth

Religious Changes

• Mary’s biggest aim when coming to power was the restoration of Catholicism and she achieved this primarily through making changes to legislation
• 1553 Act of Repeal → undid all of Edward’s religious legislation
• Injunctions: compulsory Mass, clergy had to choose between wives or the church – stricter rules
• 1554 Heresy Laws → crime to be a different religion to the monarch
• 1555 Cardinal Pole becomes Archbishop of Canterbury and government advisor
• Formation of the 12 Decrees introduced strictness on clergy abuses
• Support and opposition:
  • Had support from the Parliament to an extent as they agreed to bring back Mass and heresy laws however, they were only supportive in exchange for promises. Mary had to promise that she would not bring back chantries and monasteries.
  • 800 Protestants fled England