On this day in history, 5th October…
1518 – Formal betrothal of Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and the Dauphin of France.
1549 – Edward Seymour, Protector Somerset, “issued a proclamation for a general array to gather at Hampton Court, where the King was lodged with the Protector”, due to tensions mounting between Somerset and John Dudley, Earl of Warwick.
1553 – Parliament met in Mary I’s reign – It repealed the treason act of Edward VI’s reign, passed an act declaring the legitimacy of Mary I, reinstated the Mass in Latin, celibacy of the clergy and ritual worship. It was as if the reformation of Edward’s reign had never happened.
Notes and Sources
- New Advent article on Mary Tudor
- Marian Government Policies on EnglishHistory.net
- “The 1549 rebellions and the making of early modern England” by Andy Wood
Why is the 100-year-old Catholic propaganda encyclopedia New Advent used on this site? The alleged repeal of “the savage Treason Act of Northumberland’s government”, in the words of that “encyclopedia”, is misleading to put it mildly: In 1551 parliament restored “much of the Henrician treason legislation”, by no means all of it (Loach, Edward VI, Yale UP, 1999, p. 114). Thus it was less “savage” than before 1547, and Mary’s first parliament did as well pass treason legislation, together with “comprehensive provision ‘against unlawful and rebellious assemblies'” (Loades, The Reign of Mary Tudor, Longman, 1991, p. 219). Just because Mary’s government engaged in unfair propaganda about her brother’s reign, it needn’t be followed uncritically today.
Christine, I didn’t quote from it and I too view it as propaganda, it was simply one of the sources that gave the 5th October as the date of Mary I’s parliament so please don’t have a go at me. What you are saying is completely untrue, I am not following it “uncritically today”. I wrote:-
“Parliament met in Mary I’s reign – It repealed the treason act of Edward VI’s reign, passed an act declaring the legitimacy of Mary I, reinstated the Mass in Latin, celibacy of the clergy and ritual worship. It was as if the reformation of Edward’s reign had never happened.” I never referred to “the savage treason act” or anything you have referred to.
I am sorry, and I am not “having a go” at you, but you do refer to the act I mention — people going to the sources you cite must conclude that, because only the Catholic encyclopedia mentions this repeal, with the words I quoted. Why mention this repeal at all: people will conclude Mary hadn’t a treason act, while, even if Mary’s parliament revoked that particular law, that was purely technical and they immediately replaced it with another treason law of their own.
I mentioned it because it happened, nothing was meant by it and I certainly didn’t read that into it and I don’t think others would. We’ll have to agree to disagree!
Its a free country; Claire can use what sources she likes and New Advent is not propaganda! It has also been updated and quotes from several other sources. There may be better sources but in a free country you can quote from which article you like; you do not have to agree with it. I do not think everything on the site is objective but that is my opinion and other people may not agree, but I still find them useful and if you are doing reaearch you should get a balance of views to make it assessible to all and more rounded.
As for Mary making much propaganda against her brother Edward’s reign, she probably did; the Tudors invented it and span it all very well. As Mary was constantly harassed about saying Mass in her own house chapel by Edward’s council and saw the religious changes as a mistake, it is not surprising that she did not have a good word to say about the regiem. Elizabeth had her own propaganda about Mary’s reign and her own was promoted through propaganda, that is the way things worked. The sources that are used today may also be propaganda, but then everyone has some idea to promote when writing on a public site. That is what makes for good debate: being able to refer to what you wish and not being restricted just because one person does not agree with it.