Tudors and Stuarts

THE TUDORS 1485 1603

The beginning of the Tudor period in British History also signalled the end of
the Middle Ages. The old feudal ways of life has largely disappeared and a new
aristocracy drawn from the growing middle classes was emerging. This was a
period of great exploration and expansion in overseas trade, which gave the
country a new source of wealth.
The ideas of the Renaissance, which revived an interest in the art of learning of
ancient Greece and Rome, marked the beginnings of modern culture and
science. These were spread by the use of the printing press. The protestant
reformation, which began in Germany in an attempt to correct some of the worst features of the Roman Catholic Church,
was adopted in England as first as a political move, and later as a matter of faith. The Tudors finally untied Wales and
England, so that one set of laws applied to both countries. They also tried to complete the conquest of Ireland by setting
English colonists in large estates which were called plantations. Scotland suffered years of conflict.

1.1

Henry VII

The Lancastrian Henry Tudor defeated the Yorkist King Richard III at the
battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, thus ending the wars of the roses. To
strengthen his position he took over many Yorkist estates and married
a Yorkist princess. Despite his victory he was still forced to watch
constantly form the remaining Yorkist supporters often aided by
foreign powers. Richard III younger sister, Margaret, Duchess of
Burgundy twice found young men whom she used to pretend to be claimants to the throne.
Lambert Simnel who tried to claim to be the missing Earl of Warwick, he was caught and made a
servant in the riyal kitchens where he worked for forty years. Perkin Warbeck posed as Richard
Duke of York the youngest of the Princes in the tower, the children of Richard IIIs brother whose
throne he took. Perkin was executed in 1513.
To limit Irish support for Perkin and the Yorkist cause, Henry VII sent Sir Edward Poynings to
Ireland as Lord Deputy. He called a parliament and passed a law, the Statue of Drogheda, which
meant no Irish Parliament could meet, nor Irish bill be passed without the consent of the English
King. This ended home rule in Ireland for centuries.

1.2

Henry VIII

Henry became King in 1509 at the age of 17. He was betrothed to Catherine of Aragon a Spanish
Princess, his brother Arthurs widow. Arthur had died suddenly and although at first the Pope had
refuse to allow it, but persuaded by Henry VII, worried about having to return her dowry, the Pope
relented.

1.3 THE RENAISSANCE

This the modern name for the revival and spread of learning that grew from its roots in Italy throughout Europe. A
renewed in interest in the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans and development of new styles of art, literature and
learning. The speed at which these new ideas spread was due to the invention of the printing press. Henry invited Italian
scholars and artist to his court. It greatest expression in England was found in the poetry and music of the time.

1.4 THE FRENCH AND THE SCOTS

In 1511 the Pope asked for assistance with the French and eager to regain English lands in France Henry agreed. Though
the first expedition failed, he won at the Battle of the Spurs. In that year Henry also won the Battle of Flodden Field
against the Scots. They Scots lost James IV and 10,000 men.

1.5

HENRY, DIVORCE AND THE CHURCH.

After 18 year Henry and Catherine had only a

daughter, Mary. A woman had never ruled all
England and the wars of the roses had shown what
damage disputes over the succession could cause. In
1527 Henry determined to divorce Catherine and
ordered Cardinal Wolsey to ask the pope to
grant him a divorce. The Pope refused and
Catherine Anne Jane Anne Catherine
Wolsey fell from power. Henry determined in
the light of the Lutheran movement in Europe to
make himself the leader of the Church in England achieved by a series of Acts in Parliament. Henry Married Anne Boleyn,
and in 1533 and the new Arch bishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer declared Henrys marriage with Catherine invalid
using that Popes original objection that they were too closely related. Anne soon produced a child but again it was a girl,
Elizabeth. Disappointed by the lack of a male heir, he turned against Anne. In 1526 she was charged with Adultery and
executed. Henry Married Jane Seymour who gave him a son Edward.

1.6 DISSOLUTION OF THE

MONASTERIES.
Badly run and in decline during the
early 1500s Englands monasteries
were still rich. Henry needed money
for his treasury and his first attack
came in the form of the suppression of
forty smaller monastic houses. In 1536
he ordered the dissolution of 400
remaining smaller houses, taking the
land and property. In 1539 he
dissolved the remaining larger
monastic houses, those that resisted
were destroyed, and the leaders of a
rebellion, the Pilgrimage of Grace were executed. This rebellion was the only time in Henrys Reign that he came close to
losing his throne. Only his false promise of a truce and then capture and execution of the ring leaders averted a
catastrophe for Henry.

1.7 UNION WITH WALES

This became law in 1541, and gave Wales the right to send members to the English Parliament at Winchester. This
meant that English laws governed Wales.

1.8 IRELAND
Henry now set his sights on Ireland. Parliament in Dublin was called and gave him the title of King of Ireland. More than
40 chiefs and Anglo-Irish nobles surrendered their land and received them back as vassals, the terms by which English
Barons held their land. He also tried to force Protestantism on Catholic Ireland.

1.9 HENRYS OTHER WIVES.

Jane died shortly after Edwardss birth and Henrys chief minister, Thomas Cromwell saw an opportunity for a marriage
of alliance with a Protestant Princess of northern Germany. But Henry, according to popular belief took a dislike to her
on sight and called her the Flanders mare. The marriage was soon dissolved and Henry married the beautiful Catherine
Howard. But she was young and rumours of adultery led her to the executioners block. Henrys last Marriage was to
Catherine Parr, a widow, a strong woman who outlived him. Henry died in 1547 leaving a young son and two unmarried
daughters. The succession was far from secure.

1.10 THE REFORMATION

Although Henry had broken ties with the Pope he still supported the customs and beliefs of the Catholic faith. Only
through the reign of his son Edward VI did England start to move towards the Protestant faith. This movement had
started in 1517 in Europe when Martin Luther had protested against certain practices f the Catholic Church. Forty year
later half of Europe was Protestant.

1.11 EDWARD VI
Nine when he came to the throne Edwardss kingdom was governed by his uncle the
Duke of Somerset as Lord Protector. Under him the heresy laws were abolished, images
were removed from churches and the English Book of Common Prayer, compiled by
Thomas Cranmer, was introduced. The Act of Uniformity made it compulsory in 1549. In
addition priests were now allowed to marry.

1.12 LADY JANE GREY QUEEN OF NINE DAYS

In 1550 the Duke of Northumberland took over as Lord Protector and persuaded Edward to name
Lady Jane Grey as his heir. She was the grand-daughter of Henry VI and Northumberlands
daughter-in-law. Edward agree as he feared the crown may pass to his sister Mary a staunch
Catholic. Edward died in 1553 and Lady Jane secretly proclaimed queen. However Marys Catholic
supporters aided her and Lady Jane, her husband and Northumberland were executed and Mary
became queen.

1.13 MARY I
Determined following Henrys divorce from her mother Catherine of Aragon to undo the Reformation
and return England to the Catholic faith, Mary was encourage by her Catholic husband Philip II of
Spain. Harsh measure were employed and the first act of stopping all clergy from reading the book
of Common Prayer was followed in her five year reign by the death of 275 protestants from refusing
to convert back to Catholicism including the Bishops Latimer and Ridley. She became known as
Bloody Mary. She died childless and alone in 1558, Philip lived in Spain and did not care for his wife.

1.14 ELIZABETH I
Henry VIIIs third child ascended the throne unopposed in 1558 and restored the Protestant faith,
gradually establishing the Church of England. A remarkable woman, speaking five language, a
talented musician, graceful dancer and a fine archer. She was also a skill politician, calculating and
very clever. Her reign lasted for 45 years, she remained unmarried and independently powerful.
Her court celebrated her as Gloriana, and ordinary people referred to her as Good Queen Bess.
Her enemies were mostly Roman Catholics who were badly treated and in fear of their lives. Her
reign also witnessed the execution of her cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots and the Spanish
Armada.

1.15 MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

Brought up in France and married to the dauphin of France who became King in 1559, she
was both Queen of France and Scotland in addition when was also Elizabeths heir. In 1561
when her husband died she came to Scotland and married her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord
Darnley. The Scots disliked her foreign ways and her religion as they were mainly Protestants.
Darnley murdered David Rizzio whim her though was having an affair with Mary, who in turn,
after the birth of James their son is thought to have been behind Darnleys murder. He was
strangled and the house he was staying in blown up by James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell,
whom Mary later married. The Scottish Lords did not like Bothwell and forced Mary to give
up her throne in favour of her infant son. She fled to England and fell upon the mercy of
Elizabeth. However suspected of being the ringleader of Catholic plots against Elizabeth she
was imprisoned. A final death knell was the Babington plot and she was executed.

1.16 THE ARMADA

In 1558 a fleet of 130 Spanish
ships set sail for the English coast.
Elizabeths experience sailors Lord
Effingham, Francis Drake, John
Hawkins and Martin Frobisher
fought a running naval battle in
the channel. The Armada took
shelter at Calais then Drake sent in
fire ships, to escape the Spanish
set sail after another confused
battle into the North Sea. They
lost 44 ships and final returned to
Spain after sailing around the
whole British coast, many of their
surviving ships had to be scrapped.

1.17 ELIZABETHS COURT

The Queens court glittered like the
queen herself. It seemed every
gentleman aspired to be a poet or
musician. Her reign saw a flourishing
of plays and poetry. The Globe Theatre

could hold nearly 3000 people. This was the age of Shakespeare, Marlow, Spencer and Jonson. Sir Philip Sidney a brave
soldier was also a great poet and called the jewel of Elizabeths court.

1.18 EXPLORATION
Columbus had approached Henry VII for funds, but had been refused and it was Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain who had
benefitted from his discoveries in the Americas. But Henry did finance John Cabot five years later leading eventually to
the founding of the first British colony at Newfoundland. Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh are names we still
remember from this time of great exploration. They helped England become a great sea power and brought back
tobacco and potatoes to the amazed court.

2 THE STUARTS 1603 1714

Elizabeths heir was James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots. The Stuarts had ruled in Scotland for 232 years
before James united England and Scotland under a common crown. However in the following 111 years the combined
nation underwent two revolutions; the English Civil War 1642 1645 which ended with the execution of Charles I, and
the Glorious revolution of 1688. This was a bloodless affair, when Dutch Prince William of Orange was invited to become
King in place of the Catholic James II, and so secure a Protestant succession for the English throne.
At first the Stuart monarchs claimed to rule by divine right: eventually it was made plain that they ruled by the consent
of and by invitation of Parliament. The death of Charles I brought a period known as the Commonwealth when England
was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and Parliament. On Cromwells death, Parliament called Charles II back from exile and in
1660 the monarchy was restored. By the end of the Stuart period England and Scotland were formally united, and
Ireland was more controlled by the British than before.
Meanwhile the British were expanding overseas. Many colonies were set up in North America. The religious tensions at
home drove some people abroad to escape persecution. The most famous group were the Pilgrim Fathers, who founded
the Plymouth Colony in America in 1620. Elsewhere, British traders established settlements in southern Africa and India
which would eventually develop into and empire.

2.1 SAMUEL PEPYS

During this period the Diarist Samuel Pepys record two events the great plague of 1664-1665 and the great fire of
London. The pages of his diary bring the London of this period to life. A civil servant at the Navy offices and a great
gossip he recorded everything he saw including horse racing, gambling the coffee houses and the theatre.

2.2 COFFEE HOUSES

During the 1600s coffee was brought to England from the Middle East. In 1652 the first coffee house was opened in
London. Such establishments quickly spread and became popular places where people went to gossip, do business and
discuss politics. In 1688 Edward Lloyd opened a coffee house in Tower Street, a rendezvous for people who would insure
ships and their cargos and read a publication called the Lloyds news, which gave important shipping details. From this
original 17th century coffee house sprang the modern Lloyds, the worlds foremost shipping insurers. From about 1704
single news sheets the first form of newspapers could also be bought and read at coffee houses.