Edward VI

Edward VI, 1537-1553

1546
Artist unknown
National Portrait Gallery, London

Edward reigned for a brief time under two protectors.  Henry had intended for him to rule with a regency council.  Instead, the 10-year-old king first reigned with his uncle, Edward, as a Lord Protector.  Edward Seymour, named Duke of Somerset in 1547, dominated Edward's reign in direct opposition to Henry's will, which explicitly called for a balanced regency council.  Somerset had almost absolute royal power during the first portion his nephew's reign.  His primary opponent was John Dudley, who first gained a foothold when Somerset failed in an attempt to bring Mary, later Queen of Scots, to England to learn English ways in preparation for a marriage to Edward.  The resulting bloodshed at Pinkie pushed Scotland into an alliance with France.  This fiasco opened the door for Dudley.   Other political failures eventually led to Somerset's downfall.  Dudley stepped in  He died at the age of 15.

The Accession

Henry VIII died secure in the knowledge that he had left a son to inherit his throne.  It might have bothered him that after his son, Edward VI, eight women followed in the succession, but there was little reason to assume that Edward would not live to beget a male heir himself.  Henry's primary concern lay in the fact that his son was only nine and not yet able to rule under his own authority.  The last Edward who had succeeded the throne with an uncle as his protector had died as a result of his uncle's ambitions  (Edward V, one of the princes in the tower).

Protector Somerset, 1547-1549

After Henry VIII's death, Edward's uncle, Edward Seymour was created Duke of Somerset. Somerset managed to establish himself as Lord Protector over Edward with the backing of most of the government's counselors. This was in direct conflict with Henry's will, which had provided for a well-balanced Regency Council of 16, where no man would have absolute power. Somerset's influence over his nephew was such that he managed to obtain almost absolute royal power.  With Edward's acquiescence, he obtained control of the privy council and had the power to act on issues without its consent.  In 1547, Somerset attempted to enforce the marriage treaty with Scotland, which called for Mary Stuart to marry Edward.  He requested that Mary be sent to England to become accustomed to the English lifestyle.  The Scots refused and the resulting defeat which Somerset inflicted upon the Scots at Pinkie was the bloodiest in the history of conflict between the two countries.  It also did not accomplish the goal, since Mary was not surrendered to Somerset.  In this manner, Somerset failed in his first action as Lord Protector by pushing Scotland toward a French alliance.

The Rise of Dudley

Ket's rebellion (1549) was aimed at bringing attention to the economic problems faced by agricultural workers due to instability and inflation in East Anglia.  During Ket's rebellion, Dudley became a national hero and a regional butcher as he killed over 4000 rebels to suppress the rioting, while granting mercy to those left after the defeat.  In contrast, Somerset was widely blamed for the rebellion and the related declaration of war against France.  The people of the countryside were angered over personal losses and all fingers pointed at Somerset.

Thomas Seymour

Meanwhile, Somerset's brother, Thomas Seymour, made Lord Admiral by Edward, struggled to gain a foothold of power by any means possible.  His actions further muddied his brother's name.  He courted the princesses Mary and Elizabeth, but married Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's widow of three months.  The marriage was clearly a calculated move on Seymour's part for his own advancement.   Included in his household at Chelsea, were Elizabeth, second in the line for the throne, and Lady Jane Grey, fourth in line.  Seymour gave Jane's parents £2000 and a promise to marry her to Edward.  When Katherine Parr died in childbirth in August of 1549, Jane's parents sent for her, but were paid  £500 and reassured by Seymour that he intended to marry her to    the king.  There was also some speculation that Seymour intended to marry Jane himself if his renewed bid for Elizabeth's hand were to fail.  Soon after, however, Seymour was arrested and executed for treason.  Frustrated by his brother in his attempts to gain the king's favor, he had been caught attempting to enter the king's bedchamber armed with a pistol.  Edward's pet dog was shot in the episode which appeared to be an attempt to seize Edward.

The Fall of Somerset

Seymour's death squelched Jane's marriage opportunity and pushed Somerset further down the path of destruction.  Many people were horrified that Somerset could sign the papers which sealed his brother's execution.  Throughout Seymour's trial, Dudley was a distinct, yet subtle influence.  It was his tale-bearing that which had created the schism between the Seymour brothers.  In addition, Dudley prevented Somerset from visiting his brother while he was imprisoned, probably fearing such a meeting would lead to reconciliation, a pardon, and popular support for Somerset.

In most respects, Somerset's fall coincided and was related to Dudley's rise.  In October of 1549, Somerset was arrested and imprisoned in the tower.  His economic and religious policies had wreaked havoc domestically and abroad.  In addition, he was charged with willfully ignoring the council's advice and endangering the king's person.  Dudley, recognizing Somerset's lingering popularity, secured his release, arranging for his pardon by Edward, but stripping him of his power.  He was relieved of his duties as Lord Protector, fined, and ordered not  to come within 10 miles of the king.  Within two months, however, Dudley had allowed Somerset to regain admittance to the king's presence, where he was kept under Dudley's watchful eye.  This pretense of friendship placed Somerset completely within Dudley's power.  In June of 1550, Somerset was falsely accused of plotting the deaths of the council members and organizing an armed revolt.  His appeal to the populace was also viewed in a negative light.  While Dudley personally pardoned Somerset for his supposed crimes against him, Somerset was executed anyway.   For more information on Somerset, see M. L. Bush, The Government Policy of Protector Somerset and Edward VI, the Young King: The Protectorship of Duke of Somerset by W.K. Jordan.

Duke of Northumberland, 1549-1553

John Dudley was the eldest son of an executed traitor.  His father, Edmund Dudley, was a hard-working, loyal servant of Henry VII who became a victim when Henry VIII took the throne and redistributed power.  Despite his father's fall, John Dudley worked hard and regained the power and lands that were lost upon his father's death.   Introduced at court by his guardian and father-in-law, Sir Edward Guildford, Dudley gained a reputation as a skilled soldier and sailor under Henry VIII.  In recognition of his value, he was created Viscount Lisle by Henry in 1542. Under Edward, who succeeded his father in 1547, Dudley continued to improve his position, moving ahead in both power and rank.  He was made Earl of Warwick soon after the death of Henry VIII and later became Duke of Northumberland.
 
 

During the last two years of Edward's life, Dudley firmly held the reins of power.  The source of his strength lay in his ability to understand Edward.  For example, Dudley understood that although Somerset had been domineering, autocratic, and an inept ruler, he was popular with king and country.  Consequently, Dudley took care not to condemn Somerset too fast or in the king's presence. In addition, following the destruction of the protectorship, Dudley appeared to give Edward the power of the royal prerogative.  Countersigning, which had been required under Somerset's protectorship, was eliminated and Edward began to sit in on council meetings in order to air his opinion.  The effect  of these actions was to make Edward more a king and less a minor.  Dudley, aware of Edward's concern for Protestant religious reform, became interested himself.  The second prayer-book was issued and the Act of Uniformity was enforced against the clergy, but it is unlikely that Dudley was truly devout since he converted back to Catholicism during Mary's reign in a futile attempt to save his head. Nonetheless, in the months following Somerset's fall, Dudley skillfully gained and maintained Edward's favor.

Dudley's Unpopularity

The king's favor was particularly important to Dudley's precarious position since he had become unpopular with the council and the populace.   As Dudley's rule continued, his popularity plunged.  Religious conservatives disliked his advanced form of Protestantism, while Protestants disliked his exploitation of their religion and his apparent intention of draining the old Church of its remaining wealth through vigorous application of Protestant doctrine.  In addition, nobles who had supported Dudley in the overthrow of the Somerset protectorship began to resent Dudley as an upstart who was not of royal blood.  In 1551, Dudley further flaunted his power when he confronted Mary's saying of the Mass.  He considered her non-conformity with the state religion to be a bad example for the heiress presumptive to be displaying.  When Mary refused to give in, Dudley asserted his will and burned his own bridges by arresting members of her household.  This almost caused Mary to flee for Spain before a compromise was reached.

For more information on John Dudley, try John Dudley: Duke of Northumberland, 1504-1553 by D. M. Loades and Northumberland: The Political Career of John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland by Barrett L. Beer.

Preparing for Edward's Death

By the spring of 1553, it had become evident that Edward was dying.  Not only was Dudley's career dependent on the survival of the young king, but so was his life.  If Mary were to ascend the throne all that Dudley had striven for would be lost.  Recognizing this, Dudley attempted to make amends for his earlier actions and restored to Mary the Royal Arms which had been deprived her since her mother's divorce.  He also ensured that she was sent regular bulletins on Edward's health.  It is somewhat ironic that this practice allowed Mary to take precautions and ensure her succession upon Edward's death.  All of this notwithstanding, it was clear to everyone that Dudley's future was dependent upon the king's life.  Rumors circulated London that the Earl of Warwick, Dudley's son, was to divorce his wife and marry Elizabeth.  The assumption was that Mary, as a Catholic, would then be excluded from the succession.  Dudley's actual plan was only slightly less obvious.

Dudley was faced with a need to ensure his own position in the face of a new sovereign.   His best chances would have been for Edward to live long, or at least long enough to father a child.  Lacking this option, Dudley began casting about for a successor who would be as pliable as Edward.  Clearly, Edward's older half sisters would not submit to his domination as Edward had.  Otherwise, Mary Stuart, as the granddaughter of Henry VIII's elder sister, was closest to the throne via blood, but she was not appropriate due to her foreignness and the fact that she had been excluded in Henry's will.  Next came the descendants of Henry's youngest sister, Mary.  Henry's niece, the Duchess of Suffolk, was an ambitious accomplice to Dudley's plottings.  Lady Jane Grey, who was her eldest daughter, became the focus of Dudley's machinations.

The Device of Succession

Edward agreed to leave his crown by will.  Mary's succession would most likely see a reversal of religious policy, yet her claim was much stronger than Elizabeth's.  It would be best, therefore, to exclude both sisters. The first draft of the Device for Succession which Edward drew up in his own hand, excluded all females from the succession.  Thus written, it was dependent upon the birth of a yet to be conceived male heir.  This was done on the basis of Salic Law, which allowed sons to inherit by bypassing their mothers.  Both Dudley and Edward preferred to adhere to the Salic tradition, yet Edward's fast approaching death meant they could not.  In an attempt to buy time, Dudley put Edward into the care of an old woman who claimed she could cure him.  Her treatments, which were probably laced with arsenic, created a temporary rally in Edward, but eventually led to his death.  In the meantime, Edward and Dudley revised the device twice.  In the first revision "Lady Jane's heirs male" became "Lady Jane and her heirs male."  While there has been some debate as to whether the addition of the words "and her" was done in Edward's hand, there is no doubt that it was done with his knowledge and consent.  In the third draft, it was emphasized that Mary and Elizabeth were barred from the throne due to their illegitimacy in addition to the chance that they could endanger the country by marrying foreigners and that as mere half sisters they were not eligible to inherit from Edward.

Just prior to his death, Edward became resolved that his device would determine the succession.  Faced with the opposition first of his council and then of his justices, Edward demanded that they obey his command and sign the device.  When the Lord Chief Justice refused to draw up the letters patent, Edward flew into a rage.  Finally, a compromise was reached.  The letters patent were drawn up and signatures were obtained from everyone, including Archbishop Cramner, and in return Edward pardoned them all in advance for treason in the event that their actions be judged as such.  He also assured them that Parliament would be called in order to ratify the documents. After the signatures had been obtained, Dudley strengthened the device by adding a clause whereby the subscribers swore to maintain the device to the limits of their power and abilities.  There is no question that the device was illegal.  Henry the VIII had been granted permission by Parliament to determine the succession through his will, while Edward had not.  Furthermore, as a minor, it was questionable whether or not it was possible for Edward to even draw up a legal will.  Finally, in Edward's own Treason Act of 1547, it was confirmed that it was high treason to attempt to meddle with the succession which had been laid down by the Statutes of 1544.

Before we turn to Jane's ill-fated reign, let's look at the activities of Edward's reign.

Summary of church activity during Edward's reign

1547
The Dissolution of the Chantries (which were endowments within the churches that paid stipends for prayers for the dead) put an end to the practice of praying for the dead.  These prayers were no longer seen as necessary, since belief in purgatory was replaced by belief in the doctrine of justification of faith alone.

1549
The First Book of Common Prayer was issued at the direction of Archbishop Cramner in 1549. This also resulted in the suspension of the Latin service in churches, since the Latin service did not conform with the prayer book.

The Act of Uniformity ordered the demolition of the old church service books and the installation of the new book in all churches. The book was fairly ambiguous in tone so that it would please conservatives and reformers.  Nonetheless its installation led to a Rebellion in Cornwall, which was put down by Somerset.

1552
The Second Book of Common Prayer was intended as a revision of the first book.  It represented a highpoint of Protestantism. Transubstantiation was no longer supported and the other reforms were enacted. For example, catholic statues and ornaments removed from churches, which leg to the destruction of stained glass and Catholic paintings in churches. In addition, ornate alters replaced with wooden tables.

1553
The 42 Articles set out the full Protestant theology, denounced the popes, rejected Catholic doctrines of transubstantiation and adoration of the sacrament.  They also affirmed the belief in the doctrine of salvation by faith alone and predestination.