They had known each other for years, and he was one of the first to be appointed to her Council. Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. 11 Mar 2021. In 1601, among the Cecil papers still held at Hatfield House, we hear this: "The queen is discontented at the great numbers of 'negars and blackamoores' which are crept into the realm since the troubles between her Highness and the King of Spain, and are fostered here to the annoyance of her own people.". The people had enjoyed stable government, and Poor Laws had created a new framework of support for the needy. She wept for days. Elizabeth was taught the art of public speaking, unheard of for women at the time. And was her success down to her own skill and judgement – or an intuitive grasp of public relations? Read about our approach to external linking. Sadly, their own story, in their own words, is lacking, but by the time we reach the 18th Century, we have the remarkable works of prose, poetry and music written by black Britons, among whom the likes of Olaudah Equiano, Ottobah Cugoano and Ignatius Sancho deserve their place in any list of Great Britons. Clever, enigmatic and flirtatious, she rewrote the rules of being Queen. On the contrary she thrived on the adoration of her ministers and knew that flirtation was often the easiest way to get things done. The History Learning Site, 17 Mar 2015. And let's be clear - they were not slaves. Their numbers recently increased by many slaves freed from captured Spanish ships, the presence of black people suddenly came to be seen as a nuisance. VideoHow scientists got a very rare toad to breed. It's a fascinating story for modern Britons, writes historian Michael Wood. The poor became poorer, and the sight of vagabonds and beggars was becoming alarming. The "great numbers" were mainly galley slaves and servants from captured Spanish vessels, and a plan was mooted to transport them out of the country. But it cannot be, as is sometimes claimed today, that this edict applied to the many black people who, like Mary Fillis, were living as citizens in London, as they were in Bristol. ( Log Out /  From Lucy Negro to Mary Fillis, their numbers grew in the 17th Century as they were joined by large numbers of people from India and, in particular, Bengal. She recognised how important it was to establish a clear religious framework and between 1559 and 1563 introduced the acts which made up the Church Settlement. The mourning which followed her death was unprecedented. The reign of Elizabeth I saw the beginning of Britain's first black community. The crown passed to the Protestant King James VI of Scotland who became King James I of England. Everyone, from court astrologers to Henry himself, was convinced Anne would give birth to a boy. ‘Elizabeth remained, however, fascinated by the Scottish Queen.’. ‘Henry, beside himself with disappointment, did not attend the christening.’. In 1569 the Northern Uprising failed when the Catholic Earls, marching southwards, discovered that Mary had quickly been moved from Tutbury to Coventry and their plans to rescue her were thwarted. Elizabethan England faced a mounting economic problem as the poor became poorer, and a growing army of vagabonds and beggars roamed the streets and countryside. In an attempt to try to change things, the government passed a number of very strict Poor Laws, … The entertainment lasted several days with fine banquets, jousting and spectacular firework displays. * Turning Ireland English – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/elizabeth_ireland_01.shtml He had the best cloth [and] iiii [4] bearers", Anne Vause - "a Black-more wife to Anthonie Vause, Trompetter", John Comequicke - "a Black-Moore so named, servant to Thomas Love a Captaine", Marie - "a Blackamoor woman that die in the street". Among her witnesses were a group of five women, mostly wives of leading parishioners. Whether this actually happened is unclear. Her ministers knew and Elizabeth certainly knew. The Scots regarded this with some suspicion and John Knox stirred up anti-Catholic feeling against her. As predicted, Mary quickly became the focus of plots to overthrow Elizabeth and return England to the Catholic faith. ‘This I account the glory of my crown, that I have reigned with your loves,’ she said in her Golden Speech of 1601. She knew the political implications of remaining unmarried but effectively banned further discussion. These videos by History revision are great at running through the key aspects of Government and Society. ‘But her reluctance to marry was to become one of her biggest headaches.’, That is not to say that Elizabeth didn’t enjoy the company of men. It was clear that, as long as Mary Queen of Scots was alive, Elizabeth’s life would be in danger. Some were given costly, high status, Christian funerals, with bearers and fine black cloth, a mark of the esteem in which they were held by employers, neighbours and fellow workers. Change ), http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/adams_armada_01.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/elizabeth_ireland_01.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/poverty_01.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/spying_01.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/renaissance/features_renaissance_reformation.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/launch_gms_spying.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_kings_queens.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/launch_vt_elizabethan_room.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stuart_mary.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/elizabeth_i_queen.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/30_12_02/friday/info2.shtml, http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page11.asp, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/elizabeth_i_01.shtml, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/about/copyright.shtml. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE I knew that. The Queen asserted her virginity throughout her life, but was also an attractive woman who thrived on male attention. Protestantism was now firmly established as the country’s religion. Now a "lyvely member" of the church in Aldgate, there is no question from this description that Mary belonged to a community with friends and supporters. New foods became obtainable such as the tomato, turkey, and spices all from the British colonies. Study Notes. But problems remained. The lives of some black people were as free as anywhere in the white European world, but, for many, things were circumscribed and very hard. However, details of the legacy she left the country are open to interpretation. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Yeares xxvi [26]. She became Queen of Scotland aged only six days following the death of her father, and spent her early childhood with her mother in Scotland. This returned England to the Protestant faith stating that public worship, religious books such as the Bible and prayers were to be conducted in English rather than Latin. Mary’s execution would be one of the factors contributing to the Spanish Armada the following year. She had a formidable intellect, and her sharp tongue would quickly settle any argument – in her favour. She landed on English soil ready to meet her fellow Queen. For someone who disliked making decisions, this was torture. The warrant had been taken to Fotheringhay before she was ready. To Elizabeth, Mary was a fellow Queen. To execute any Queen was a precedent she did not wish to set, for her own sake. The welfare of her people was of paramount importance to Elizabeth and she once remarked, ‘I am already bound unto a husband which is the Kingdom of England.’ But her reluctance to marry was to become one of her biggest headaches and would cause her ministers, particularly the anxious Lord Burghley, sleepless nights. Some indeed, both men and women, married native English people. But what was Elizabeth really like? In Tudor England about a third of the population lived in poverty. Read about our approach to external linking. The dashing Earl of Leicester was something of a showman. In July 1602, Cecil was putting pressure on the merchants, one of whom wrote: "I have persuaded the merchants trading to Barbary, not without some difficulty, to yield to [ie pay for] the charges of the Moors lately redeemed out of servitude by her Majesty's ships, so far as it may concern their lodging and victuals, till some shipping may be ready to carry them into Barbary…". Leicester, to whom she had remained close, died in 1588 and Elizabeth kept his last letter beside her bed until her own death. There had been black people in Britain in Roman times, and they are found as musicians in the early Tudor period in England and Scotland. * Elizabeth I – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/elizabeth_i_queen.shtml, * British Timeline – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml, * BBC Radio 4: Woman’s Hour – Elizabeth I – http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/30_12_02/friday/info2.shtml, * Tudor History – http://www.tudorhistory.org/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/elizabeth_i_01.shtml, © British Broadcasting Corporation In the early 1800's the population was Leicester was an unknown quantity. Eventually, sent to stay in the unwelcoming Tutbury Castle, the truth dawned on her. Her young son was crowned James VI on 29 July 1567. During the 16th Century the population rose dramatically and this, added to other economic pressures, meant that an increasing number of people were unable to support themselves. Education in the Elizabethan Era - World History Encyclopedia. Lady Jane Grey was Queen for only a matter of days before being toppled and eventually executed. But the two Queens never met. The reign of Elizabeth I is often thought of as a Golden Age. This video provides a detailed overview of the Elizabethan era, the key events of Elizabeth I's reign and what society was like. Met criticised over Sarah Everard vigil policing1, How a woman's death sparked UK soul-searching2, Ousted Myanmar civilian leader urges 'revolution'3, Racist slur overheard as basketball players kneel5, The art dealer, the £10m bronze and the Holocaust6, Minibus carrying Argentina's president is attacked8, Actress stages naked protest at 'French Oscars'9, Former F1 commentator Walker dies at 9710. parish records She also feared that Mary’s relations in Europe would take revenge on England. In English law, it was not possible to be a slave in England (although that principle had to be re-stated in slave trade court cases in the late 18th Century, like the 1570-1588: Spain angered over Drake’s piracy. The first thing she did to secure her power and ensure her position as queen was not threatened, was to arrange her coronation to happen quickly. Jacobean Era Colonialism. There are four main reasons for the increase in poverty during the Elizabethan era. Ignoring the pleas of her advisors Mary managed to escape from Lochleven and, disguised as a man, fled the country. Of course, there were fewer, and they drew antipathy as well as fascination from the Tudor inhabitants, who had never seen black people before. Walk out of Aldgate Tube and stroll around Whitechapel Road in east London today, and you'll experience the heady sights, smells and sounds of the temples, mosques and curry houses of Brick Lane - so typical of modern multicultural Britain. London grew from 40,000 people to 200,000 in the 1500’s. Tudor England by John Guy, (Oxford University Press, 1988) Elizabethan Essays by Patrick Collinson (Hambledon Press, 1994) Princes, Pastors and People: The Church and Religion in England, 1529 – 1689 by Susan Doran and Christopher Durston (Routledge, 1991) Defeat of the Spanish Armada by Garrett Mattingly (Cape, 1983) Related Links. The year was 1558 and upon the death of Mary, Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25. The reign of Elizabeth saw the population of England grow by around 35%. Elizabeth was rewarded with loyalty and, enhanced by the glow of nostalgia, her own unique place in history. Study Notes. It's a fascinating story for modern Britons, writes Michael Wood. Causes of Poverty in Elizabethan England. Weimar & Nazi Germany (1918-39) - Timeline of Key Events. 1570-87: England and Spain clash over Netherlands (non direct and direct action) By the 18th Century, it is thought as many as 20,000 black servants lived in London. But when Elizabeth heard the bells pealing to celebrate the death of Mary Queen of Scots, she was horrified. Elizabethan England often conjures images of the Royal Court with splendid costumes, banquets and extravagant entertainment. But Elizabeth had other ideas. But Walsingham had reckoned without the Queen’s reluctance to sign the execution warrant. Brief as they are, such hints suggest a surprisingly rich hidden narrative for black people in Elizabethan England. The main activity will take at least 20 minutes, possibly 30 depending on the class. How scientists got a very rare toad to breed. The 1590s proved a difficult decade for Elizabeth. Sometimes the detail in the Botolph's register is absolutely fascinating. Features. It took years to prepare for. As Elizabeth walked along the carpet laid out for her journey to Westminster Abbey, the crowds rushed forward to cut out pieces as souvenirs. ‘…the Scots had had enough of Mary and, imprisoned at Lochleven Castle, she was forced to abdicate…’. She had been in England 13 or 14 years, and was the daughter of a Moorish shovel maker and basket maker. She had married Darnley whose lineage could be traced back to Henry VII, creating an even stronger claim. What would Mary Fillis make of things today I wonder? Elizabeth had often shied away from making difficult decisions and this had sown the seeds for future conflict, particularly in Ireland. He had shown the Queen how much he adored her and, just as he had hoped, eclipsed everyone else. In February 1587 the warrant was finally signed and the execution took place before the Queen could change her mind. For more information on copyright please refer to: Nazi and Weimar Germany dates (OCR History GCSE) 190 terms. Some black women worked alongside their white counterparts as prostitutes, especially in Southwark, and in the brothel area of Turnmill Street in Clerkenwell. I hope you enjoy my lesson for covering the domestic economy; types of poor; poor laws; Vagabonds and their treatment. Learn about and revise what life was like in Elizabethan England with this BBC Bitesize History (Edexcel) study guide. The sixteenth century was also a time when the poor became poorer, books and opinions were censored, and plots to overthrow the Queen were rife. Never christened, she became the servant of Millicent Porter, a seamstress living in East Smithfield, and now "taking some howld of faith in Jesus Chryst, was desyrous to becom a Christian, Wherefore shee made sute by hir said mistres to have some conference with the Curat". http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/about/copyright.shtml Mary I had died unpopular with her people and tormented by her own inability to produce an heir. It was not, however, until she married Lord Darnley in July 1565 that things took a turn for the worse. The problem of vagrancy existed and towns often whipped and expelled vagrants who were not from their town. More than that, Elizabeth simply did not wish to be married. Study Notes. How scientists got a very rare toad to breed. Found guilty of treason, Mary was sentenced to death. A year later Darnley himself was murdered, his residence in Edinburgh blown apart by an explosion. Were women fit to rule the country? Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in Elizabethan times, but attitudes started to change towards the end of Elizabeth’s reign and the government decided to take action. Her most trusted ministers, including Burghley and Walsingham, passed away. Elizabeth remained, however, fascinated by the Scottish Queen. The reign of Elizabeth I saw the beginning of Britain's first black community. She relied upon the ministers close to her but would infuriate them with her indecision – ‘It maketh me weary of life,’ remarked one. This was Elizabeth’s duty and she should get on with it. FEMALE PRESENTER But in Elizabethan times, most people genuinely believed in witchcraft, making their presence on stage truly terrifying. The people had lived through the unpopular reign of Mary I, known as ‘Bloody Mary’ for her merciless persecution of Protestants. In March 1566 Darnley and his accomplices burst in on Mary at Holyroodhouse and stabbed Riccio to death. ‘Elizabeth’s greatest achievement lay in the relationship she had forged with her people.’. In the political arena she encouraged the attentions of Henry, Duke of Anjou, and later his brother Francis, Duke of Alençon, which could form a useful alliance with France against Spain. John Dowland’s songs were massively popular in the Elizabethan era, and played into an idea of English melancholy that continues today, writes Andrea Valentino. She would marry when it was convenient and would thank Parliament to keep out of what was a personal matter. The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Articles ( Log Out /  * Kings and Queens Through Time – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_kings_queens.shtml A new era was dawning, the age of Elizabeth I. On 17 November 1558 it is said that Princess Elizabeth was sitting under an oak tree at Hatfield House when a horseman appeared with the news that would change her life forever. Elizabethan England GCSE History. Walsingham’s spies discovered that she was secretly corresponding with a group of Catholic plotters and, having intercepted her letters, they forged a postscript in her hand asking for the identities of those involved. Was this the first example of government repatriation? But Mary was not giving up without a fight. England changed mostly in trade, strength, and art. 1568: Mary Queen of Scots in England. The question of how to govern Ireland had created terrible problems for the Queen over the years but 1594 saw the start of the Nine Years War in which hundreds of English troops were killed. More Study Notes. For their part, the people were thrilled with their new Queen. Elizabeth’s ministers had to employ spies and even use torture to gain information about threats to her life. * The Reformation – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/renaissance/features_renaissance_reformation.shtml, * Spying Game – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/launch_gms_spying.shtml As the political landscape in Europe changed, the Queen knew that she would need room to manoeuvre. Despite all these tactics Elizabeth was capable of falling in love, and the one who came closest to winning her heart was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Poverty, Elizabeths worries: - Disease - by vagrants - Idleness - unemployment = sinful ... Elizabethan England Gcse (QE=Queen Elizabeth) 8 terms. She knew that, in political terms, she needed their support but she also felt a deep sense of responsibility for their welfare. Her health deteriorated and, when death came on 24 March 1603, it was: ‘mildly like a lamb, easily like a ripe apple from the tree’. of this time from "St Botolph's outside Aldgate", are especially revealing. Certainly, her reign had seen England prosper and become a major player in Europe. GCSE: Early Elizabethan England (1558-88) - Timeline of Key Events. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/. "Somersett" case ‘Elizabeth could be as ruthless and calculating as any King before her.’. He wanted to impress the Queen…’. Elizabeth was brought up in the care of governesses and tutors at Hatfield House and spent her days studying Greek and Latin with the Cambridge scholar, Roger Ascham. This sense of well-being was embodied by Queen Elizabeth who liked to wear sumptuous costumes and jewellery, and be entertained in style at her court. Mary was immediately taken to stay at Carlisle Castle by one of Elizabeth’s ministers but as days turned into weeks, she became suspicious. But for many people life was very different. They are mainly servants, but not all - one man lodging at the White Bell, next to the Bell Foundry off Whitechapel road, probably worked at the foundry. She learnt how to turn the tide of opinion in her favour, and this became one of her most effective weapons. Christopher Cappervert [ie from Cape Verde] - "a blacke moore", Domingo - "a black neigro servaunt unto Sir William Winter", Suzanna Peavis - "a blackamore servant to John Deppinois", Symon Valencia - "a black moore servaunt to Stephen Drifyeld a nedellmaker", Cassango - "a blackmoore servaunt to Mr Thomas Barber a marchaunt", Isabell Peeters - "a Black-more lodgeing in Blew Anchor Alley", "A negar whose name was suposed to be Frauncis. In around 1600, the presence of black people had become an issue for the English government. In Elizabeth's reign, the black people of London were mostly free. As the weeks passed, Elizabeth procrastinated. "Pray enquire after and secure my negress: she is certainly at The Swan, a Dane's beershop in Turnmil Street," wrote one Denis Edwards in 1602. Poor Law, in British history, body of laws undertaking to provide relief for the poor, developed in 16th-century England and maintained, with various changes, until after World War II.The Elizabethan Poor Laws, as codified in 1597–98, were administered through parish overseers, who provided relief for the aged, sick, and infant poor, as well as work for the able-bodied in workhouses. * Elizabethan Room Panorama – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/launch_vt_elizabethan_room.shtml, * Mary Stuart (Queen of Scots) – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stuart_mary.shtml She was well aware that plots were being hatched against her and that she needed the undivided loyalty of those around her as protection. 30 terms. Elizabeth the Queen by Alison Weir (Pimlico, 1999), The Virgin Queen by Christopher Hibbert (Viking, 1990), The Word of a Prince by Maria Perry (The Boydell Press, 1990), Elizabeth: Apprenticeship by David Starkey (Chatto and Windus, 2000), Gloriana: The Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I by Roy Strong (Thames and Hudson, 1987), Mary Queen of Scots by Rosalind K Marshall (HMSO, 1991), Tudor England by John Guy, (Oxford University Press, 1988), Elizabethan Essays by Patrick Collinson (Hambledon Press, 1994), Princes, Pastors and People: The Church and Religion in England, 1529 – 1689 by Susan Doran and Christopher Durston (Routledge, 1991), Defeat of the Spanish Armada by Garrett Mattingly (Cape, 1983), * The Spanish Armada – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/adams_armada_01.shtml Francis Walsingham, one of Elizabeth’s most loyal ministers, was acutely aware of this. At last Walsingham had proof of her guilt. Most of us tend to think that black people came to Britain after the war - Caribbeans on the Empire Windrush in 1948, Bangladeshis after the 1971 war and Ugandan Asians after Idi Amin's expulsion in 1972. She was ahead of her time in her grasp of public relations, and her popularity had remained undimmed. 1569: Revolt of the Northern Earls + Papal Bull. How a woman's death sparked UK soul-searching, Ousted Myanmar civilian leader urges 'revolution', Why science could free Australian 'serial killer', China's parliament remakes Hong Kong in its own image, The art dealer, the £10m bronze and the Holocaust, Grammys 2021: Seven things to look out for. A look at the attitudes towards the poor in Elizabethan society and how the poor were helped or punished. Elizabeth made sure that everyone – down to the lowliest beggar – played a part, pausing to listen to congratulations from ordinary people on the street. In 1558 the Protestant preacher John Knox wrote, ‘It is more than a monster in nature that a woman should reign and bear empire over man.’ So was he right? The new Book of Common Prayer was introduced, adapted from earlier Books used under the Protestant Edward VI. But Elizabeth was careful not to erase all traces of Catholic worship and retained, for example, the traditions of candlesticks, crucifixes and clerical robes. In 1597, for example, Mary Fillis, a black woman of 20 years, had, for a long while, been the servant of Widow Barker in Mark Lane. Mary was said to be a great beauty who exerted a strange power over men and, whenever any minister returned from a visit to the now belligerent Mary, he was quizzed by the Queen on her looks, her clothes, her attractiveness compared to herself. Life for the poor in Elizabethan England was very harsh. ( Log Out /  This was a big mistake. 1571-86: Further plots ( Ridolfi 1571, Throckmorton Plot 1583, Babbington Plot 1586) 1587: Execution of Mary Queen of Scots. Ministers longed for the glory and prestige a visit from the Queen would bestow on them, and would decorate new residences in her honour. Despite the story of Fillis, the lives of others were far from sweetness and light, of course. But life in Tudor England did not always reflect such splendour. Elizabeth was inconsolable and locked herself in her room. The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief in England and Wales that developed out of the codification of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws in 1587–1598. Mary went to live at the French court and at the age of fifteen married Francis, heir to the French throne. A look at the reasons why poverty increased during Elizabeth's reign. She was a prisoner. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. The police's actions at a gathering to mourn the 33-year-old are condemned by politicians from all parties. By 1558, the gap in provision for the poor and unemployed which had been left by the Dissolution of the Monasteries had become a crisis. Elizabethan Society. But just how close was she to Leicester? Marriage was a political necessity and a way of forming a useful alliance with a European power. * Poverty in Elizabethan England – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/poverty_01.shtml © 2021 BBC. That was par for the course. The country now looked to the young Queen for salvation. Her death took a heavy toll on Elizabeth, one observer noting, ‘I never knew her fetch a sigh, but when the Queen of Scots was beheaded.’. It was a girl, Elizabeth. In 1548 the French King, Henry II, proposed that the young Mary would be an ideal wife for his son, Francis, the marriage forming a perfect alliance between the two countries at a time when England was attempting to exert control over Scotland. Shakespeare himself, a man fascinated by "the other", wrote several black parts - indeed, two of his greatest characters are black - and the fact that he put them into mainstream entertainment reflects the fact that they were a significant element in the population of London. But the ability to address a large number of people, from ministers in Parliament to troops on the battlefield, stood Elizabeth in good stead for the future. of 1772). Learn about and revise what life was like in Elizabethan England with this BBC Bitesize History (Edexcel) study guide. As time passed it became clear to Mary that her husband was, in fact, an arrogant bully with a drinking problem. Problem solved. * Elizabeth’s Spy Network – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/spying_01.shtml But she was not allowed a lawyer and, attempting to defend herself, was not even permitted to consult her own papers.