Edward and Somerset - Domestic policies

Considerations:

- High priority, Henry VIII bankrupt country, high inflation

- Effective reform would be unpopular

Policy:

- Somerset spent £350,000 on garrisoning troops

- Only gained £400,000 from Boulogne, promised £2million

- Somerset increased taxes BUT unpopular so continued debasement (silver coins, 75% copper)

- Population growth exacerbated problems

- 1547 Chantries Act, gained land and property

- 1549 poor harvest and rebellions

- Somerset did very little to improve the economy

Considerations:

- Catholic 6 Articles were still in place

- Edward, Cranmer and Somerset all had Protestant views

- Somerset wanted to keep Catholics on board, Mary was Catholic, didn't want rebellion

- Move to Catholicism would ease foreign affairs, neutrality would be dissatisfactory

Policy:

TREASON ACT - Repealed the Act of 6 Articles

                         - No longer executed for practising Protestantism, increase Lutheran and Calvinist teaching

ICONOCLASM - Outbreak of iconoclasm (destorying Catholic religious images)

Considerations:

- Concern over poverty due to social injustice

- Anger over enclosures

Policy:

TREASON ACT, 1547 - abolished death for Protestant practise, repealed Act of 6 Articles

                                   - Restored Catholic practises and sacraments

VAGRANCY ACT - provided housing for the 'deserving poor'

                           - anyone able bodied and unemployed for 3+ days was sold as a slave, children to apprenticeships

                           - BUT, not enforced as JP's hated policies

ENCLOSURE - Somerset set up commission under John Hales to investigate enclosures

                      - issued proclamation ending eclosed sheep farms, tax on sheeo, 5% tax on property

                      - BUT failed, life worse for labourers, 1549 bad harvest, Gentry feared rebellion

Considerations:

- Somerset to follow Henry VIII wish to marry Edward to MQS + retain warrior nobility

- Somerset aimed to win the war over Scotland

Policy:

- Defeated Scots at Pinkie Cleugh, 1547

- Use of garrisoning troops bankrupted England, £600,000. 

--> meant there was no one to fend of 1549 rebellions

- Failed to marry Edward to MQS, MQS married by French to French Dauphin