Was the support for Mary's claim to the throne due to widespread support for Catholicism?

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  • Created by: Luciieee
  • Created on: 06-04-15 20:16

Was the support for Mary's claim to the throne due to widespread support for Catholicism?

Advantages

  • was able to gain large number of supporters at initial base at Kenninghall, Norfolk
  • Ordinary folk, who would not have been Protestant due to lack of education, 1st to join Mary's cause e.g. proclaimed Queen in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
  • Earl of Oxford intimidated by household servants to declare for Mary - indicates a revolution triggered 'from below'
  • Haigh - "Mary was swept to power by a revolution" - which he believes reflected the devotion of the English people to the Catholic faith
  • E.g. Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire - altar immediately rebuilt + mass said - popular enthuasiasm
  • Yorkshire priest, Robert Parkyn - "all this came to pass without compulsion of any act, statute, proclamation or law"

Disadvantages

  • when Northumberland took troops to apprehend her at Framlingham, Suffolk failed as he was hated in that part of country for brutal way he coped with Kett's Rebellion - navy sent to Great Yarmouth went over to Mary's side
  • Lot of nobility from Norfolk + Suffolk supported Mary despite fact south-east mainly Protestant county - indicates support was for the legitimate succession
  • Northumberland marrying his son to designated heir made him seem suspicious
  • Privy Council had been uneasy about Devise and they abandoned support for Jane in the Tower and proclaimed Mary Queen on 19th July -  as majority of Privy Council Protestant indicates support for legitimate succession

Evaluation

Appears that majority of support for Mary 'from below' was motivated by genuine support for the Catholic faith as a result of the widespread support for the return of Catholicism. It would also appear that the majority of the support 'from above' was due to support for the legitimate succession because the majority of her supporters from the nobility would have been Protestant. It thus appears that support for Mary was due to a variety of motivations.

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