OCR Specification focus:
‘extent and results of religious change under Edward and Mary’
The reigns of Edward VI and Mary I were marked by rapid and dramatic shifts in religion, reflecting the volatility of mid-Tudor England and deeply affecting society.
Edward VI and Religious Reform
Context of Edward’s Reign
Edward VI (1547–1553) inherited a Protestant reform agenda fostered by Thomas Cranmer and Protestant-leaning ministers. His youth meant real power lay with protectors and councillors, most notably Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and later John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. Both regimes pursued reforms, though at varying speeds and intensities.
Key Legislation and Doctrinal Changes
1547 Injunctions: Ordered the removal of religious images, condemned pilgrimages, and mandated the preaching of the English Bible.
1549 First Book of Common Prayer: Introduced by Cranmer, it offered a moderate form of Protestant worship in English but retained some traditional elements.
itle page of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, the first authorised English liturgy. It exemplifies Edwardian reform by standardising worship in English across the realm. The clean title layout reflects official imprimatur and the move to uniform services. Source
1552 Second Book of Common Prayer: A more radical text that abolished altars in favour of communion tables, denied the real presence in the Eucharist, and simplified ceremonies.
1552 Act of Uniformity: Enforced use of the Second Prayer Book across England, making refusal punishable.
Act of Uniformity: Statute that enforced religious uniformity by mandating use of the official Book of Common Prayer in worship.
Extent of Edwardian Reform
The Protestant transformation was legally extensive, reshaping doctrine and liturgy. However, the practical impact varied:
In Protestant regions such as London and East Anglia, reforms were embraced.
Many rural areas remained conservative, with clergy and parishioners reluctant to comply.
Resistance emerged, most notably in the Western Rebellion (1549), fuelled partly by hostility to the Prayer Book.
Results of Edwardian Changes
Created a stronger Protestant minority, especially among elites and urban groups.
Generated division and unrest, undermining stability.
Left a fragile religious settlement dependent on the monarch’s continuation, with little deep entrenchment at parish level.
Mary I and Catholic Restoration
Context of Mary’s Reign
Mary I (1553–1558), a devout Catholic, sought to reverse her half-brother’s reforms and restore England to papal authority. Her policies reflected both personal conviction and political necessity.
Steps Towards Restoration
1553 Act of Repeal: Removed Edwardian legislation and restored the situation to 1547.
1554 Royal Injunctions: Restored traditional practices, clerical celibacy, and Latin services.
1555 Second Act of Repeal: Reinstated papal supremacy and undid all Henrician religious legislation since 1529.
Reconciliation with Rome was achieved through Cardinal Pole, Papal Legate, who absolved England from schism.
The Marian Persecutions
Mary authorised the burning of Protestants who refused to recant under the Heresy Acts (1554–55). Around 280 individuals were executed, including Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer.
Historic-era illustration (archival photograph of a drawing, dated 1895) depicting the burning of Latimer and Ridley at Oxford in 1555. It conveys the performative, public nature of Marian executions. Extra detail: as a 19th-century rendering, it is not contemporary with the event but is used here as a clear educational visual. Source
Heresy Acts: Statutes permitting the trial and execution of individuals judged guilty of denying Catholic doctrine.
Extent of Marian Reform
In terms of legislation, Catholicism was legally re-established with papal authority restored.
Support existed in many rural communities where traditional practices were cherished.
Urban areas and educated elites often resisted, with Protestant exiles forming communities abroad in centres like Geneva and Frankfurt.
Results of Marian Changes
The burnings generated widespread fear and resentment, creating Protestant martyrs and strengthening opposition to Catholicism.
Woodcut from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (1563) showing Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley burned at Oxford in 1555. It illustrates how executions forged a potent Protestant martyrology. Extra detail: Foxe’s work is a Protestant polemical source, valuable for impact and reception but not neutral. Source
Her efforts were cut short by her death in 1558, preventing full consolidation.
The return to Rome damaged Mary’s popularity, particularly when combined with her unpopular marriage to Philip II of Spain.
Comparative Analysis of Outcomes
Successes and Failures of Edwardian Reform
Success: Created a coherent Protestant liturgy and doctrine that later influenced Elizabeth’s settlement.
Failure: Lack of grassroots penetration meant reforms were vulnerable to reversal.
Successes and Failures of Marian Restoration
Success: Reinstated Catholic worship with genuine backing in some communities.
Failure: The severity of persecutions and political unpopularity undermined legitimacy, ensuring Catholicism would not endure beyond her reign.
Broader Impacts
The rapid swings between Protestantism and Catholicism deepened religious polarisation.
Both reigns demonstrated the extent to which religion was tied to monarchical authority rather than popular consensus.
The groundwork laid by Edward, combined with Mary’s failure to consolidate Catholicism, created conditions for Elizabeth I’s Religious Settlement of 1559.
FAQ
Reactions varied widely. In some Protestant-leaning towns like London and Norwich, congregations accepted changes quickly, especially among younger, literate communities.
However, many rural parishes resisted or only superficially complied, often continuing traditional practices in private. The lack of trained clergy to explain complex reforms also weakened acceptance.
This uneven reception meant Edward’s Protestant reforms had a limited hold outside urban and reformist centres.
Pole, appointed Papal Legate and Archbishop of Canterbury, was central in negotiating reconciliation with Rome.
He oversaw the Second Act of Repeal (1555) and directed the reorganisation of diocesan structures. His pastoral emphasis focused on improving clerical education and restoring church discipline.
Yet his late arrival and limited time in office meant his reforms lacked full implementation before Mary’s death.
During Mary’s reign, several hundred Protestants fled to centres like Geneva, Zurich, and Frankfurt.
They absorbed radical Reformed ideas from continental leaders such as Calvin and Bullinger.
Many later returned under Elizabeth, bringing back stronger Protestant convictions.
Thus, the exile experience created a more committed leadership that influenced Elizabeth’s eventual Religious Settlement.
The government hoped public executions would intimidate heretics and deter dissent.
Instead, burnings often had the opposite effect. Crowds sometimes sympathised with victims, spreading accounts of their bravery.
While some conservative regions approved of harsh measures, widespread reports from Foxe’s later Book of Martyrs highlighted the cruelty, damaging Mary’s long-term reputation.
Religion was intertwined with financial and political realities.
Under Edward, crown finances gained from the dissolution of chantries, funding wars and consolidating authority.
Under Mary, returning land seized under Henry VIII or Edward proved impossible, limiting a full Catholic restoration.
Political pressure—such as the unpopularity of Mary’s Spanish marriage—also undermined confidence in her Catholic reforms, linking them with foreign influence.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Name one key piece of legislation introduced under Edward VI and one under Mary I that demonstrate their differing religious policies.
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for identifying one correct Edwardian measure (e.g. First Book of Common Prayer 1549, Second Act of Uniformity 1552, Injunctions 1547).
1 mark for identifying one correct Marian measure (e.g. First Act of Repeal 1553, Second Act of Repeal 1555, Heresy Acts 1554–55).
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain the main differences in the extent of religious change achieved under Edward VI and Mary I.
Mark Scheme:
Up to 2 marks for explanation of Edwardian extent of reform (e.g. establishment of Protestant doctrine through the Prayer Books, abolition of altars, English liturgy).
Up to 2 marks for explanation of Marian extent of reform (e.g. restoration of papal supremacy, Latin services, reintroduction of Catholic practices).
Up to 2 marks for comparison of scope and limitations (e.g. Edward’s reforms legally far-reaching but not entrenched; Mary’s restoration legally comprehensive but short-lived and resisted in parts).
Full marks require explicit contrasts, not just descriptions of each reign in isolation.
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