England, 1485–1603 – Instability and consolidation: 'the Mid-Tudor…

The idea

The early years of Elizabeth’s reign faced severe economic and social distress, exacerbated by bad harvests, high mortality from influenza, and rampant inflation caused by earlier debasement. Economically, the government attempted to stabilise the currency and introduced the Statute of Artificers (1563) to regulate wages and tackle vagabondage, though its impact was limited by poor enforcement. Socially, local authorities struggled with rising poverty, leading to early, piecemeal poor relief measures. Religiously, the implementation of the 1559 Settlement caused local friction; Marian bishops were deprived of their sees for refusing the Oath of Supremacy, and the Crown faced the challenge of enforcing Protestant conformity across a largely conservative populace.

What earns the marks

• Analyse the economic challenges of the late 1550s, including inflation, debased coinage, and the impact of the influenza epidemic on the labour market.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of early Elizabethan social legislation, particularly the 1563 Statute of Artificers, in addressing wage demands and vagrancy.
• Assess the social impact of population changes, harvest failures, and the growing problem of poverty in urban and rural communities.
• Examine the religious impact of enforcing the 1559 Settlement at the parish level, including the deprivation of Marian clergy and the slow pace of Protestantisation.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the 1563 Statute of Artificers with the later 1598 or 1601 Poor Laws.

  Put it right: Specify that the 1563 Statute focused on wage regulation, apprenticeships, and tying men to the land, rather than comprehensive national poor relief.

• Assuming the 1559 Religious Settlement instantly transformed England into a Protestant nation.

  Put it right: Highlight that early religious developments were slow, with widespread survival of Catholic sympathies and practices at the local level.

• Blaming Elizabeth entirely for the economic crisis of her early reign.

  Put it right: Contextualise the economic turmoil as a legacy of the 'Mid-Tudor Crisis', including Henry VIII and Edward VI's debasement of the coinage and the Marian influenza epidemic.

Exam tips

• Use the 1563 Statute of Artificers as a primary example of the government's attempt to enforce social hierarchy and economic stability.
• Connect economic hardship, such as inflation and harvest failures, to the broader theme of the 'Mid-Tudor Crisis' to evaluate whether 1558 marked a turning point.
• When discussing religious developments, differentiate between the official legislation passed in Westminster and the practical reality of enforcement in the parishes.