Download Mary I 1553-1558

Mary I 1553-1558
Background
Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII by his first
wife, Catherine of Aragon. She was brought up as
a strong Catholic but ostracised at Court following
the annulment of her parents’ marriage. She was
declared illegitimate by Act of Parliament in 1534
but was restored in 1543. After Edward’s
accession, Mary continued to practise her
Catholic faith, despite her brother’s attempts to
prevent this. Once she had acceded to the
throne, there could be no doubt about her
commitment to the restoration of Catholicism.
Accession to the throne
Mary’s accession was, on the whole, greeted with enthusiasm by the people of
England. In East Anglia it was the ordinary people who first joined her cause and
after she was proclaimed Queen in London on 19 July 1553 there is much evidence
to suggest popular rejoicing in many parts of the country.
Why was she welcomed back with such enthusiasm? Traditional thoughts were that
the people were glad to see the rightful succession upheld. They had disliked the
idea of Northumberland manipulating the succession to suit himself at the cost of
disinheriting Henry’s daughter. However, Haigh argues that devotion to the
Catholic faith was behind the enthusiasm. Indeed, the ‘old religion’ was taken up
again with enthusiasm, before the laws from Edward’s reign had been reversed.
For example, in Yorkshire there were masses from the beginning of August.
Churchwarden accounts show that Latin service books were being bought quickly
and where possible altar stones were restored. Altars, images and crucifixes were
set up and processions began again. All of this happened well ahead of the law,
there was no compulsion, people did this because they wanted to. Evidence
suggests that parishes went to some expense to do this, e.g. in Sherbourne in
Dorset.
Did everyone feel this enthusiastic to see Mary and Catholicism restored? In parts of
London, Essex and Kent there was some resistance – note that these were the
areas with significant Protestant minorities.
Initial Problems
She was inheriting a kingdom with fundamental religious divisions.
Holding such firm views herself meant this problem was unlikely to
be resolved in her reign.
She lacked political instinct as she had not been brought up to rule.
Most of her loyal and trusted supporters who administered her
household such as Robert Rochester, Edward Waldegrave and Sir
Henry Jerningham were not politically from the front rank and had
no serious experience in government. She was therefore forced to
rely to some extent on those who had served her half-brother and
who were implicated in the introduction of the religious reforms
she detested.
Who helped Mary to rule?
Bishop Gardiner: he had been her father’s secretary and his imprisonment in
Edward’s reign meant he was bound to find favour with Mary. He was joined by
other churchmen who had been excluded from influence during Edward’s reign
and some of the more conservative councillors who had served Edward at times
In the end she appointed as many as 50 councillors. Did this lead to inefficient and
faction ridden government? For example, she did not discuss her decision to
marry Philip formally in Council. However, Mary seems to have regarded
‘councillor’ as an honorary title and the working council board was much smaller
and was dominated by experienced figures such as Gardiner, Winchester (William
Paulet, served Edward, Mary and Elizabeth as key financial administrator) and
Paget.
Cardinal Pole, a trusted adviser, was never a member of the Privy Council. Mary was
never at ease with her key councillors and she kept her household separate from
her Council. She lost confidence in Paget due to his opposition to the detailed
programme for the restoration of the English Church to Rome. She never fully
trusted Gardiner who had failed to support her mother during the break with
Rome. However, he was indispensable and his death left a gap in government that
was never really filled, especially as Pole only dealt with secular issues (nonreligious). As a consequence she relied on the judgement of two men she trusted
implicitly: Philip II of Spain (her husband) and Simon Renard, the ambassador of
her cousin and father-in-law, Charles V.