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117-756: Guildable Manor is a Court Leet in Southwark under the authority of the City of London , along with the King's Manor, Southwark , and the Great Liberty. The name of 'Guildable', first recorded in 1377, refers to the collection of taxes there and was adopted to distinguish this from the other manors of the Southwark area. Its legal title, according to a royal charter granted to the City by King Edward III in 1327,

234-404: A coup d'état . By 1 October 1549, Somerset had been alerted that his rule faced a serious threat. He issued a proclamation calling for assistance, took possession of the king's person, and withdrew for safety to the fortified Windsor Castle , where Edward wrote, "Me thinks I am in prison". Meanwhile, a united council published details of Somerset's government mismanagement. They made clear that

351-541: A jury , and punish, crimes committed within the jurisdiction; more serious crimes were committed to the king's justices. Despite the presence of a jury, it was not trial by jury as understood today. The court leet had developed while the jury system was still evolving; the jury indicted wrongdoers, stood witness, and helped decide on punishment. It also developed as a means of proactively ensuring that standards in such matters as sales of food and drink, and agriculture, were adhered to. The Alcester Court Leet contained

468-845: A treatise on the pope as Antichrist and was making informed notes on theological controversies. Many aspects of Edward's religion were essentially Catholic in his early years, including the celebration of the mass and reverence for images and relics of the saints. Both Edward's sisters were attentive to their brother and often visited him—on one occasion, Elizabeth gave him a shirt "of her own working". Edward "took special content" in Mary's company, though he disapproved of her taste for foreign dances; "I love you most", he wrote to her in 1546. In 1543, Henry invited his children to spend Christmas with him, signalling his reconciliation with his daughters, whom he had previously illegitimised and disinherited. The following spring, he restored them to their place in

585-470: A "beggarly king". He also urged the king to throw off the Protector within two years and "bear rule as other kings do"; but Edward, schooled to defer to the council, failed to co-operate. In the spring of 1547, using Edward's support to circumvent Somerset's opposition, Thomas Seymour secretly married Henry VIII's widow Catherine Parr, whose Protestant household included the 11-year-old Lady Jane Grey and

702-427: A "godly imp". Edward was depicted during his life and afterwards as a new Josiah, the biblical king who destroyed the idols of Baal . He could be priggish in his anti-Catholicism and once asked Catherine Parr to persuade Lady Mary "to attend no longer to foreign dances and merriments which do not become a most Christian princess". Edward's biographer Jennifer Loach cautions, however, against accepting too readily

819-560: A "worm in the bud". As King Edward's uncle, Thomas Seymour demanded the governorship of the king's person and a greater share of power. Somerset tried to buy his brother off with a barony , an appointment to the Lord Admiralship , and a seat on the Privy Council — but Thomas was bent on scheming for power. He began smuggling pocket money to King Edward, telling him that Somerset held the purse strings too tight, making him

936-571: A Catholic, reversed Edward's Protestant reforms during her reign, but Elizabeth restored them in 1559. Edward was born on 12 October 1537 in his mother's room inside Hampton Court Palace , in Middlesex . He was the son of King Henry VIII by his third wife, Jane Seymour , and was the only son of Henry VIII to outlive him. Throughout the realm, the people greeted the birth of a male heir, "whom we hungered for so long", with joy and relief. Te Deums were sung in churches, bonfires lit, and "their

1053-616: A Constable, an Affeeror, a Flesh Taster and Ale Conners, who take their oaths. The Affeeror, 'a-fee-rs', i.e. prices the fines; the Ale Conners and the Flesh Taster are appointed to test the quality and measure of beers and meats, i.e. check weights and measures. The terminology is similar to the practice of livery companies : foreman = master ; sworn officers = wardens ; tithing = court of assistants; tithingmen = assistants who have served as foreman. The High Bailiff then reads

1170-507: A barony, joined Warwick when he realised that a conservative policy would not bring the emperor onto the English side over Boulogne. Southampton prepared a case for executing Somerset, aiming to discredit Warwick through Somerset's statements that he had done all with Warwick's co-operation. As a counter-move, Warwick convinced Parliament to free Somerset, which it did on 14 January 1550. Warwick then had Southampton and his followers purged from

1287-446: A colossal failure of government, and the council laid the responsibility at the Protector's door. In July 1549, Paget wrote to Somerset: "Every man of the council have misliked your proceedings ... would to God, that, at the first stir you had followed the matter hotly, and caused justice to be ministered in solemn fashion to the terror of others ...". The sequence of events that led to Somerset's removal from power has often been called

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1404-414: A compromise, was attacked by traditionalists for dispensing with many cherished rituals of the liturgy, such as the elevation of the bread and wine, while some reformers complained about the retention of too many "popish" elements, including vestiges of sacrificial rites at communion. Many senior Catholic clerics, including Bishops Stephen Gardiner of Winchester and Edmund Bonner of London, also opposed

1521-477: A contented child. From the age of six, Edward began his formal education under Richard Cox and John Cheke , concentrating, as he recalled himself, on "learning of tongues, of the scripture, of philosophy, and all liberal sciences". He received tuition from his sister Elizabeth's tutor, Roger Ascham , and from Jean Belmain , learning French, Spanish and Italian. In addition, he is known to have studied geometry and learned to play musical instruments, including

1638-588: A deal with some of the executors, who almost all received hand-outs. He is known to have done so with William Paget, private secretary to Henry VIII, and to have secured the support of Sir Anthony Browne of the Privy Chamber. Somerset's appointment was in keeping with historical precedent, and his eligibility for the role was reinforced by his military successes in Scotland and France. In March 1547, he secured letters patent from King Edward granting him

1755-482: A government-run appointment system, authorising ministers to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments rather than, as before, "to offer sacrifice and celebrate mass both for the living and the dead". After 1551, the Reformation advanced further, with the approval and encouragement of Edward, who began to exert more personal influence in his role as Supreme Head of the church. The new changes were also

1872-461: A majority of councillors, he encouraged a working council and used it to legitimise his authority. Lacking Somerset's blood-relationship with the king, he added members to the council from his own faction in order to control it. He also added members of his family to the royal household. He saw that to achieve personal dominance, he needed total procedural control of the council. In the words of historian John Guy , "Like Somerset, he became quasi-king;

1989-400: A possible connection to the verb " let ". At a very early time in medieval England, the lord of the manor exercised or claimed certain feudal rights over his serfs and feudal tenants . The exercise of those rights was combined with manorial administrative concerns , in his court baron . However this court had no power to deal with criminal acts . Criminal jurisdiction was held by

2106-497: A regency council that would rule collectively, by majority decision, with "like and equal charge". Nevertheless, a few days after Henry's death, on 4 February, the executors chose to invest almost regal power in the Duke of Somerset. Thirteen out of the sixteen (the others being absent) agreed to his appointment as Protector, which they justified as their joint decision "by virtue of the authority" of Henry's will. Somerset may have done

2223-641: A response to criticism from such reformers as John Hooper , Bishop of Gloucester, and the Scot John Knox, who was employed as a minister in Newcastle upon Tyne under the Duke of Northumberland and whose preaching at court prompted the king to oppose kneeling at communion. Cranmer was also influenced by the views of the continental reformer Martin Bucer , who died in England in 1551; by Peter Martyr , who

2340-485: A unanimous council which they and observers, such as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V 's ambassador, expected to reverse Somerset's policy of religious reform. Warwick, on the other hand, pinned his hopes on the king's strong Protestantism and, claiming that Edward was old enough to rule in person, moved himself and his people closer to the king, taking control of the Privy Chamber. Paget, accepting

2457-485: A way of promoting or celebrating their local area. Despite this, their legal jurisdiction over crime was only abolished in 1977, by section 23 of the Administration of Justice Act 1977 . However, one exception was allowed: the court leet for the manor of Laxton, Nottinghamshire , which had continued to operate judicially; Laxton retains the open-field system of farming, which had been replaced everywhere else by

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2574-611: A withdrawal from Scotland. During 1548, England was subject to social unrest. After April 1549, a series of armed revolts broke out, fuelled by various religious and agrarian grievances. The two most serious rebellions, which required major military intervention to put down, were in Devon and Cornwall and in Norfolk . The first sometimes called the Prayer Book Rebellion , arose from the imposition of Protestantism , and

2691-502: Is 'the ville of Southwark' ('ville' meaning 'town'); in the more substantive charter of Edward VI it is designated 'The Town and Borough of Southwark' as is stated on its seal. It is a preserved limited jurisdiction under the Administration of Justice Act 1977 . Although neither a guild nor a livery company , the Guildable Manor does have a permanent organization, consisting of officers and jurors . The Court of Aldermen of

2808-416: Is that the freemen could express the truth in the knowledge of royal protection from the wrath of local magnates . In the sections of Domesday Book in regard to this manor, the 'Men of Southwark' are shown as doing this. In 1326 the City was allied to the cause of Queen Isabella and Mortimer to remove Edward II and replace him with his juvenile son as Edward III . In doing so the City was rewarded with

2925-653: The Chamberlain 's Court of the City also attends to inform his superior that the rent for Southwark has indeed been paid and the city's obligations to the Crown fulfilled. Although largely now decorative, the ceremony underlies the fact that the City Bridge House Estate & Lands committee is the largest land-owner in the area. The estate pays the annual jurors' fee; the Chamberlain's office pays

3042-460: The Steward who was appointed by the lord), bringing matters to the attention of the court and deciding on them. The officers of courts leet could include some or all of the following: The introduction of magistrates gradually rebalanced power away from manorial lords. Magistrates were later given authority over view of frankpledge , which effectively negated the remaining significance of

3159-485: The chrisom ; the Garter King of Arms proclaimed him as Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester . The queen, however, fell ill and died from postnatal complications on 24 October, days after Edward's birth. Henry VIII wrote to Francis I of France that "Divine Providence ... hath mingled my joy with bitterness of the death of her who brought me this happiness". Edward was a healthy baby who suckled strongly from

3276-402: The hundred courts ; the country was divided into hundreds , and there was a hundred court for each of them. Each hundred comprised 100 hides , with each hide being an area of land of variable size that is enough to support one entire household. A tithing was an area of 10 hides, which therefore originally corresponded to about 10 households. The heads of each household were judicially bound to

3393-486: The lute and the virginals . He collected globes and maps and, according to coinage historian C. E. Challis developed a grasp of monetary affairs that indicated a high intelligence. Edward's religious education is assumed to have favoured the reforming agenda. His religious establishment was probably chosen by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer , a leading reformer. Both Cox and Cheke were "reformed" Catholics or Erasmians and later became Marian exiles . By 1549, Edward had written

3510-423: The shire court . Before feudalism, hundred courts had also dealt with administrative matters within their area, such as bridge repairs, road conditions, and so forth, but the courts baron had largely superseded that in practice, and some manorial lords began claiming authority over criminal matters as well. Eventually, the king formally granted certain trusted lords with the legal authority that had been held by

3627-461: The 13-year-old Lady Elizabeth. In summer 1548, a pregnant Catherine Parr discovered Thomas Seymour embracing Lady Elizabeth. As a result, Elizabeth was removed from Parr's household and transferred to Sir Anthony Denny's. That September, Parr died shortly after childbirth, and Seymour promptly resumed his attentions to Elizabeth by letter, planning to marry her. Elizabeth was receptive, but, like Edward, unready to agree to anything unless permitted by

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3744-522: The 18th century (as a result of the process of enclosure ), and required the court in order to administer the field system. Although the Administration of Justice Act had abolished the legal jurisdiction of the other courts leet, it emphasised that "any such court may continue to sit and transact such other business, if any, as was customary for it". Schedule 4 to the Act specified the "business" which

3861-434: The 1977 act): By contrast, the statutory backing for the following courts leet was preserved by the 1977 Act, but it is not clear whether they are still operative: The following courts leet are also listed here for unclear reasons, despite not having been exempted from abolition by the 1977 act, and despite it not being clear whether they are still operative: Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553)

3978-497: The 20th century, historians have presented the whole gamut of possibilities, "balanc[ing] an articulate puppet against a mature, precocious, and essentially adult king", in the words of Stephen Alford. A special "Counsel for the Estate" was created when Edward was fourteen. He chose the members himself. In the weekly meetings with this council, Edward was "to hear the debating of things of most importance". A major point of contact with

4095-628: The City appoints a High Steward . Since 1900 this has been the Recorder of London , sitting at the Old Bailey . The Aldermen also appoint a High Bailiff ; since 1750 this had been the current Under Sheriff and Secondary of London, but since 2017 this is the senior administrator of the Old Bailey. Once a year, usually on the second Wednesday in November, these two officials swear into office

4212-467: The City of London by Edward III to take control of the ancient borough and manor ('ville of Southwark' alias Guildable Manor) was specific in that an annual render of cash had to be made to the Crown's treasury, the Exchequer . In Domesday Book the value of Southwark to the king was noted as £16.00, and there is some evidence that the render was for £10 in the early period but it eventually settled at £11;

4329-493: The Duke of Northumberland's policies. The regime also cracked down on widespread embezzlement of government finances, and carried out a thorough review of revenue collection practices, which has been called "one of the more remarkable achievements of Tudor administration". In the matter of religion, the regime of Northumberland followed the same policy as that of Somerset, supporting an increasingly vigorous programme of reform. Although Edward VI's practical influence on government

4446-466: The Guildable Manor, in their capacity as the representatives of the city in Southwark, to the court as jurors to make the payment. They then travel to Southwark to institute the court. The jurors attend and stand witness to their foreman and officers, presenting the rental by placing 44 crowns , i.e. five shilling (now 25 pence) pieces onto the Exchequer Cloth to represent the £11. The clerk to

4563-604: The High Steward of the said Manor, at a Court Leet and View of Frankpledge with the Court Baron of the Mayor and Commonality and Citizens of the City of London to be held at [a venue and date/time] then and there to serve as a Juror of the said Court. Hereof you are not to fail on pain of amerciament. High Bailiff ". On the appointed day, the court is assembled, the jurors are sworn in and they name their Foreman and he names

4680-580: The Jurors and their nominated officers. The area of the manor includes the south-side footing of London Bridge , Southwark Cathedral , Borough Market , Hays Galleria and The Shard . In 2012 a small connecting street was named 'Guildable Manor Street' to commemorate the institution, and was formally opened in 2018. A summons from the 'Old Bailey': "Juror of the Town and Borough of Southwark 'Guildable Manor': You are hereby summoned to appear personally before

4797-481: The L Fraunces to be (reget altered to) gouuernres. For lakke of her, the her eldest daughters,4 and for lakke of them the L Marget to be gouuernres after as is aforsaid, til sume heire masle be borne, and then the mother of that child to be gouuernres. 6. And if during the rule of the gouuernres ther die 4 of the counsel, then shal she by her letters cal an asseble of the counsel w'in on month folowing and chose 4 more, wherin she shal haue thre uoices. But after her death

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4914-443: The L Katerins heires masles, To the L Maries heires masles, To the heires masles of the daughters wich she shal haue hereafter. Then to the L Margets heires masles. For lakke of such issu, To th'eires masles of the L Janes daughters. To th'eires masles of the L Katerins daughters, and so forth til yow come to the L Margets [daughters inserted] heires masles. 2. If after my death theire masle be entred into 18 yere old, then he to have

5031-482: The Protector's power came from them, not from Henry VIII's will. On 11 October, the council had Somerset arrested and brought the king to Richmond Palace . Edward summarised the charges against Somerset in his Chronicle : "ambition, vainglory, entering into rash wars in mine youth, negligent looking on Newhaven, enriching himself of my treasure, following his own opinion, and doing all by his own authority, etc." In February 1550, John Dudley, Earl of Warwick , emerged as

5148-562: The Riot Act (section 7 of the act required, before it was repealed, that the full act be read out at courts leet) and the High Steward then delivers his 'charge' to the Jury. After this the Foreman states any 'presentments', i.e. the cases he wishes to present. There have been none since the early Victorian period. The High Steward, being such an eminent jurist, then gives a talk (a 'charge' to

5265-465: The Succession 1. For lakke of issu [masle inserted above the line, but afterwards crossed out] of my body [to the issu (masle above the line) cumming of thissu femal, as i have after declared inserted, but crossed out] . To the L Franceses heires masles, [For lakke of erased] [if she have any inserted] such issu [befor my death inserted] to the L' Janes [and her inserted] heires masles, To

5382-597: The actual rent along with many others to the Crown. The event has been held in a number of dignified venues over the years, including the Cathedral Library , Glaziers Hall and Guy's Chapel , but most often in recent years at the church of St George the Martyr, Southwark . Court Leet The word "leet", as used in reference to special court proceedings, dates from the late 13th century, from Anglo-French lete and Anglo-Latin leta of unknown origin, with

5499-448: The age of four, he fell ill with a life-threatening " quartan fever ", but, despite occasional illnesses and poor eyesight, he enjoyed generally good health until the last six months of his life. Edward was initially placed in the care of Margaret Bryan , "lady mistress" of the prince's household. She was succeeded by Blanche Herbert, Lady Troy . Until the age of six, Edward was brought up, as he put it later in his Chronicle , "among

5616-660: The almost monarchical right to appoint members to the Privy Council himself and to consult them only when he wished. In the words of historian Geoffrey Elton, "from that moment his autocratic system was complete". He proceeded to rule largely by proclamation , calling on the Privy Council to do little more than rubber-stamp his decisions. Somerset's takeover of power was smooth and efficient. The imperial ambassador , François van der Delft , reported that he "governs everything absolutely", with Paget operating as his secretary, though he predicted trouble from John Dudley, Viscount Lisle, who had recently been raised to Earl of Warwick in

5733-679: The ancient status of the Southwark free-tenants is their first written appearance; this is in Domesday Book compiled in 1086 for William the Conqueror . This was a national record of account to list what was owed to the king by his tenants in chief, his fellow Norman conquerors and the senior Prelates of the Church, whom were the greatest landholders. These in turn had sub-let to others, so that ownership and duties, either food-rents or military services, had become confused as to who owed them,

5850-627: The announcement of the king's death until arrangements had been made for a smooth succession. Seymour and Sir Anthony Browne , the Master of the Horse , rode to collect Edward from Hertford and brought him to Enfield , where Lady Elizabeth was living. He and Elizabeth were then told of their father's death and heard a reading of his will . Lord Chancellor Thomas Wriothesley announced Henry's death to Parliament on 31 January 1547, and general proclamations of Edward's succession were ordered. The new king

5967-489: The centre of power. Stephen Gardiner was refused access to Henry during his last months. Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk , found himself accused of treason ; the day before the king's death his vast estates were seized, making them available for redistribution, and he spent the whole of Edward's reign in the Tower of London. Other historians have argued that Gardiner's exclusion was based on non-religious matters, that Norfolk

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6084-476: The centuries; for those courts leet that still exist, the fine has effectively become merely nominal – 2p for example in the case of Laxton. Courts leet generally had a jury formed from the freehold tenants, as bondsmen could not give an oath ( jury means persons having taken an oath). The jury's role was similar to that of the doomsmen of the Anglo-Saxons and included electing the officers (other than

6201-459: The common people against a rapacious landowning class. More recently, however, he has often been portrayed as an arrogant and aloof ruler, lacking in political and administrative skills. In contrast, Somerset's successor the Earl of Warwick, made Duke of Northumberland in 1551, was once regarded by historians merely as a grasping schemer who cynically elevated and enriched himself at the expense of

6318-481: The council after winning the support of council members in return for titles, and was made Lord President of the Council and great master of the king's household. Although not called a Protector, he was now clearly the head of the government. As Edward was growing up, he was able to understand more and more government business. However, his actual involvement in decisions has long been a matter of debate, and during

6435-491: The council. In January 1549, the council had Thomas Seymour arrested on various charges, including embezzlement at the Bristol mint . King Edward, whom Seymour was accused of planning to marry to Lady Jane Grey, himself testified about the pocket money. Lack of clear evidence for treason ruled out a trial, so Seymour was condemned instead by an act of attainder and beheaded on 20 March 1549. Somerset's only undoubted skill

6552-591: The country, not only in Norfolk and the west. The origin of the popular view of Somerset as sympathetic to the rebel cause lies partly in his series of sometimes liberal, often contradictory, proclamations, and partly in the uncoordinated activities of the commissions he sent out in 1548 and 1549 to investigate grievances about loss of tillage, encroachment of large sheep flocks on common land , and similar issues. Somerset's commissions were led by an evangelical MP called John Hales , whose socially liberal rhetoric linked

6669-471: The court leet, and they gradually ceased to be held, largely dying out. Following the collapse of the feudal system, and subsequent rise of the Reformation , civil parishes had largely taken over the remaining authority of courts baron, and tithings were seen as a parish sub-division. Nevertheless, courts leet technically survived into the late 20th century, though almost all of the small number which still operated had become merely ceremonial, simply forming

6786-469: The court leet, exercising the powers formerly held by the hundred court, emphasising that the ability to hold court leet depended upon a royally granted franchise. However, in many areas it became customary for the court baron and court leet to meet together, as a single operation. The court leet was a court of record , and its duty was not only to view the pledges, which were the freemen's oaths of peacekeeping and good practice in trade, but also to try with

6903-462: The crown. Since the 1970s, the administrative and economic achievements of his regime have been recognised, and he has been credited with restoring the authority of the royal council and returning the government to an even keel after the disasters of Somerset's protectorate. The Earl of Warwick's rival for leadership of the new regime was Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, whose conservative supporters had allied with Warwick's followers to create

7020-447: The difference was that he managed the bureaucracy on the pretence that Edward had assumed full sovereignty, whereas Somerset had asserted the right to near-sovereignty as Protector". Warwick's war policies were more pragmatic than Somerset's, and they have earned him criticism for weakness. In 1550, he signed a peace treaty with France that agreed to withdrawal from Boulogne and recalled all English garrisons from Scotland. In 1551, Edward

7137-657: The differences may have been related to fee or tax farming . Each year, usually near the charter date of 6 March, this Quit Rent is made at a ceremonial Court of Exchequer of the Kings Remembrancer . The Remembrancer instructs the Attorney to the City of London as Clerk of the Court (a post held by an officer of the City Remembrancer 's department at Guildhall ) to summons the free burgess tenants of

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7254-445: The disastrous state of the kingdom's finances. However, his regime first succumbed to the temptations of a quick profit by further debasing the coinage. The economic disaster that resulted caused Warwick to hand the initiative to the expert Thomas Gresham . By 1552, confidence in the coinage was restored, prices fell and trade at last improved. Though a full economic recovery was not achieved until Elizabeth's reign, its origins lay in

7371-519: The divisive matter of the communion service. Cranmer's formulation of the reformed religion, finally divesting the communion service of any notion of the real presence of God in the bread and the wine, effectively abolished the mass. According to Elton, the publication of Cranmer's revised prayer book in 1552, supported by a second Act of Uniformity , "marked the arrival of the English Church at Protestantism". The prayer book of 1552 remains

7488-456: The efficiency of Somerset's takeover of power, in which they detect the organising skills of allies such as Paget, the "master of practices", with the subsequent ineptitude of his rule. By autumn 1549, his costly wars had lost momentum, the crown faced financial ruin, and riots and rebellions had broken out around the country. Until recent decades, Somerset's reputation with historians was high, in view of his many proclamations that appeared to back

7605-425: The following wording: To enquire regularly and periodically into the proper condition of watercourses, roads, paths, and ditches; to guard against all manner of encroachments upon the public rights, whether by unlawful enclosure or otherwise; to preserve landmarks, to keep watch and ward in the town, and overlook the common lands, adjust the rights over them, and restraining in any case their excessive exercise, as in

7722-552: The foundation of the Church of England's services. However, Cranmer was unable to implement all these reforms once it became clear in spring 1553 that King Edward, upon whom the whole Reformation in England depended, was dying. After the Rough Wooing and Thomas Seymour's plan to marry him off to Lady Jane Grey, the 13-year-old King was betrothed to the five-year-old Elisabeth of Valois , daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici , in 1550. The marriage alliance

7839-510: The free tenants or burgesses of the 'Town and Borough of Southwark' which is the title given to it in the charter granted to the City by Edward VI in 1550. The original burh of Southwark (ſuðringa geƿeorce) was founded by Alfred the Great ca 879-886 as part of a system of 33 forts to defend the kingdom of Wessex and English Mercia from the Vikings (see Burghal Hidage ). These forts had become by

7956-538: The frið-borh. This was the ‘peace-oath’, which required all freemen to pledge by oath to uphold the peace of the realm . They did this by binding each other in mutual cogniscence, usually in an assembly of a tenth part, a ‘tything’, of a ‘hundred’ (a subdivision of a shire with a taxable value of a hundred hides). This procedure is prefigured in King Alfred’s law codes by an arrangement called the gegilden and references to tenth century ‘frith gilds’. The clearest proof of

8073-765: The granddaughter of his chamberlain, William Sidney, who in adulthood recalled the prince as "a marvellous sweet child, of very mild and generous condition". Edward was educated with sons of nobles, "appointed to attend upon him" in what was a form of miniature court. Among these, Barnaby Fitzpatrick , son of an Irish peer, became a close and lasting friend. Edward was more devoted to his schoolwork than his classmates and seems to have outshone them, motivated to do his "duty" and compete with his sister Elizabeth's academic prowess. Edward's surroundings and possessions were regally splendid: his rooms were hung with costly Flemish tapestries, and his clothes, books and cutlery were encrusted with precious jewels and gold. Like his father, Edward

8190-497: The hole rule and gouernauce therof. 3. But if he be under 18, then his mother to be gouuernres til he entre 18 yere old, But to doe nothing w'out th'auise (and agremet inserted) of 6 parcel of a counsel to be pointed by my last will to the nombre of 20. 4. If the mother die befor th'eire entre into 18 the realme to be gouuerned by the cousel Prouided that after he be 14 yere al great matters of importaunce be opened to him. 5. If i died w'out issu, and there were none heire masle, then

8307-445: The hundred court over the tithings in the lord's manor, the most important of those being view of frankpledge . The group of tithings that were located within each manor had come to be called a leet , and hence, in the later Middle Ages these judicial powers came to be called court leet . The quo warranto proceedings of Edward I established a sharp distinction between the court baron, exercising strictly manorial rights , and

8424-453: The issue of enclosure with Reformation theology and the notion of a godly commonwealth . Local groups often assumed that the findings of these commissions entitled them to act against offending landlords themselves. King Edward wrote in his Chronicle that the 1549 risings began "because certain commissions were sent down to pluck down enclosures". Whatever the popular view of Somerset, the disastrous events of 1549 were taken as evidence of

8541-412: The jury) on some historical matter or an issue of some current legal concern and controversy, and the court then adjourns to allow the jurors to continue in a convivial way, entertaining their guests and the Old Bailey officers to a festive meal. This arrangement of the city's law officers swearing the jurors ('freemen') and foreman with officers/tithing ('master and wardens') is unique in the city, unlike

8658-400: The king was the Privy Chamber, and there Edward worked closely with William Cecil and William Petre , the principal secretaries . The king's greatest influence was in matters of religion, where the council followed the strongly Protestant policy that Edward favoured. The Duke of Northumberland's mode of operation was very different from Somerset's. Careful to make sure he always commanded

8775-530: The last minute, which allowed the executors to freely distribute lands and honours to themselves and the court, particularly to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, the new king's uncle who became Lord Protector of the Realm , Governor of the King's Person and Duke of Somerset . Henry VIII's will did not provide for the appointment of a Protector. It entrusted the government of the realm during his son's minority to

8892-496: The late tenth century settlements and towns in which there where markets, tradesmen/ craftsmen and a mint. The denizens had certain rights within the feudal system which meant they were 'free' of manorial obligations, indeed they began to exercise within their settlements what were effectively manorial rights of a 'lord'. Apart from trade and administrative control the 'freemen' or burgesses (burh members) also dispensed local justice and this too grew from an early Anglo-Saxon procedure of

9009-468: The leader of the council and, in effect, as Somerset's successor. Although Somerset was released from the Tower and restored to the council, he was executed for felony in January 1552 after scheming to overthrow Dudley's regime. Edward noted his uncle's death in his Chronicle : "the duke of Somerset had his head cut off upon Tower Hill between eight and nine o'clock in the morning". Historians contrast

9126-451: The link between the English Church and Rome but continued to uphold most Catholic doctrine and ceremony. It was during Edward's reign that Protestantism was established for the first time in England with reforms that included the abolition of clerical celibacy and the Mass , and the imposition of compulsory English in church services. In 1553, at age 15, Edward fell ill. When his sickness

9243-457: The liveries and guilds which swear their own freemen and courts of assistants. The city's authority in Southwark in relation to its manors there dates from 1327, considerably pre-dating most of the livery companies' foundations. However, it is the manor's officers who conduct all ceremonial in the borough and not (as in the city) the Guildhall officials. The members of the 'Guildable Manor' are

9360-613: The maintenance and extension of its privileges at the first Parliament of the new reign in March 1327 and granted associated charters to authorise some major livery companies and to grant the Crown's interest in Southwark to the City for the fee or tax farm , the City thereafter appointing the Bailiff who was now responsible to the City as ' Lord of the Manor '. The charter of 1327 is still extant and held at Guildhall . The charter granted to

9477-503: The most savage campaign ever launched by the English against the Scots. The war, which continued into Edward's reign, has become known as "the Rough Wooing ". The nine-year-old Edward wrote to his father and stepmother on 10 January 1547 from Hertford thanking them for his New Year 's gift of their portraits from life. By 28 January, Henry VIII was dead. Those close to the throne, led by Edward Seymour and William Paget , agreed to delay

9594-441: The others in their tithing by an arrangement called frankpledge , which created collective responsibility for behaviour within their tithing. The hundred court monitored this system, in a process called view of frankpledge , with the tithing reporting any wrongdoing in their area, and handing over the perpetrators among them. If the wrongdoing was minor, it would be dealt with by the hundred court, but serious crimes were passed up to

9711-558: The outset. His father was delighted with him; in May 1538, Henry was observed "dallying with him in his arms ... and so holding him in a window to the sight and great comfort of the people". That September, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Audley , reported Edward's rapid growth and vigour, and other accounts describe him as a tall and merry child. The tradition that Edward VI was a sickly boy has been challenged by more recent historians. At

9828-540: The pageants for a previous boy king, Henry VI . He laughed at a Spanish tightrope walker who "tumbled and played many pretty toys" outside St Paul's Cathedral . At the coronation service, Cranmer affirmed the royal supremacy and called Edward a second Josiah , urging him to continue the reformation of the Church of England , "the tyranny of the Bishops of Rome banished from your subjects, and images removed". After

9945-433: The pasturage of cattle; to guard against the adulteration of food, to inspect weights and measures, to look in general to the morals of the people, and to find a remedy for each social ill and inconvenience. To take cognisance of grosser crimes of assault, arson, burglary, larceny, manslaughter, murder, treason, and every felony at common law. The court generally sat only a few times each year, sometimes just annually. A matter

10062-458: The peace with Edward's betrothal to the seven-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots , granddaughter of Edward's aunt and Henry's sister Margaret Tudor . The Scots were in a weak bargaining position after their defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss in November 1542, and Henry, seeking to unite the two realms, stipulated that Mary be handed over to him to be brought up in England. When the Scots repudiated

10179-599: The pious image of Edward handed down by the reformers, as in John Foxe's influential Acts and Monuments , where a woodcut depicts the young king listening to a sermon by Hugh Latimer . In the early part of his life, Edward conformed to the prevailing Catholic practices, including attendance at mass, but he became convinced, under the influence of Cranmer and the reformers among his tutors and courtiers, that "true" religion should be imposed in England. The English Reformation advanced under pressure from two directions: from

10296-541: The prayer book. Both were imprisoned in the Tower and, along with others, deprived of their sees. In 1549, over 5,500 people died in the Prayer Book Rebellion in Devon and Cornwall. Reformed doctrines were made official, such as justification by faith alone and communion for laity as well as clergy in both kinds , of bread and wine. The Ordinal of 1550 replaced the divine ordination of priests with

10413-410: The property of the bishops transferred into lay hands. The religious convictions of both Somerset and Northumberland have proved elusive for historians, who are divided on the sincerity of their Protestantism. There is less doubt, however, about the religious fervour of King Edward, who was said to have read twelve chapters of scripture daily and enjoyed sermons, and was commemorated by John Foxe as

10530-574: The realms through conquest became increasingly unrealistic. The Scots allied with France, who sent reinforcements for the defence of Edinburgh in 1548. The Queen of Scots was moved to France, where she was betrothed to the Dauphin . The cost of maintaining the Protector's massive armies and his permanent garrisons in Scotland also placed an unsustainable burden on the royal finances. A French attack on Boulogne in August 1549 at last forced Somerset to begin

10647-407: The second , led by a tradesman called Robert Kett , mainly from the encroachment of landlords on common grazing ground. A complex aspect of the social unrest was that the protesters believed they were acting legitimately against enclosing landlords with the Protector's support, convinced that the landlords were the lawbreakers. The same justification for outbreaks of unrest was voiced throughout

10764-484: The service, Edward presided at a banquet in Westminster Hall , where, he recalled in his Chronicle , he dined with his crown on his head. Henry VIII's will named sixteen executors , who were to act as Edward's council until he reached the age of eighteen. These executors were supplemented by twelve men "of counsail" who would assist the executors when called on. The final state of Henry VIII's will has been

10881-691: The share-out of honours. In fact, in the early weeks of his Protectorate, Somerset was challenged only by the Chancellor, Thomas Wriothesley , whom the Earldom of Southampton had evidently failed to buy off, and by his own brother. Wriothesley, a religious conservative, objected to Somerset's assumption of monarchical power over the council. He then found himself abruptly dismissed from the chancellorship on charges of selling off some of his offices to delegates. Somerset faced less manageable opposition from his younger brother Thomas, who has been described as

10998-463: The subject of controversy. Some historians suggest that those close to the king manipulated either him or the will itself to ensure a share-out of power to their benefit, both material and religious. In this reading, the composition of the Privy Chamber shifted towards the end of 1546 in favour of the reforming faction . In addition, two leading conservative Privy Councillors were removed from

11115-526: The succession with a Third Succession Act , which also provided for a regency council during Edward's minority. This unaccustomed family harmony may have owed much to the influence of Henry's sixth wife, Catherine Parr , of whom Edward soon became fond. He called her his "most dear mother" and in September 1546 wrote to her: "I received so many benefits from you that my mind can hardly grasp them." Other children were brought to play with Edward, including

11232-414: The succession", in which he undertook to change the succession, most probably inspired by his father Henry VIII's precedent. He passed over the claims of his half-sisters and, at last, settled the Crown on his first cousin once removed, the 16-year-old Lady Jane Grey, who on 25 May 1553 had married Lord Guilford Dudley , a younger son of the Duke of Northumberland. In the document he writes: My devise for

11349-403: The tenant in chief or the under-tenant. The king therefore sent his commissioners across the nation to interrogate these to provide evidences, they also asked the king's local agent in the shires or counties to confirm these statements, the 'shire-reeves'. These sheriffs could not know everything, but they could ask the local freemen on oath to announce their opinion of this information. The point

11466-421: The traditionalists on the one hand and the zealots on the other, who led incidents of iconoclasm (image-smashing) and complained that reform did not go far enough. Cranmer set himself the task of writing a uniform liturgy in English, detailing all weekly and daily services and religious festivals, to be made compulsory in the first Act of Uniformity of 1549 . The Book of Common Prayer of 1549 , intended as

11583-524: The treaty in December 1543 and renewed their alliance with France, Henry was enraged. In April 1544, he ordered Edward's uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford , to invade Scotland and "put all to fire and sword, burn Edinburgh town , so razed and defaced when you have sacked and gotten what ye can of it, as there may remain forever a perpetual memory of the vengeance of God lightened upon [them] for their falsehood and disloyalty". Seymour responded with

11700-477: The women". The formal royal household established around Edward was, at first, under William Sidney , and later Richard Page , stepfather of Edward's aunt Anne (the wife of Edward Seymour ). Henry demanded exacting standards of security and cleanliness in his son's household, stressing that Edward was "this whole realm's most precious jewel". Visitors described the prince, who was lavishly provided with toys and comforts, including his own troupe of minstrels , as

11817-551: Was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his third wife, Jane Seymour , Edward was the first English monarch to be raised as a Protestant . During his reign, the realm was governed by a regency council because Edward never reached maturity. The council was first led by his uncle Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1547–1549), and then by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (1550–1553). Edward's reign

11934-440: Was as a soldier, which he had proven on expeditions to Scotland and in the defence of Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1546. From the first, his main interest as Protector was the war against Scotland. After a crushing victory at the Battle of Pinkie in September 1547, he set up a network of garrisons in Scotland, stretching as far north as Dundee . His initial successes, however, were followed by a loss of direction, as his aim of uniting

12051-504: Was betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois , King Henry II 's daughter, and was made a Knight of Saint Michael . Warwick realised that England could no longer support the cost of wars. At home, he took measures to police local unrest. To forestall future rebellions, he kept permanent representatives of the crown in the localities, including lords lieutenant , who commanded military forces and reported back to central government. Working with William Paulet and Walter Mildmay , Warwick tackled

12168-520: Was crowned at Westminster Abbey on Sunday 20 February. The ceremonies were shortened, because of the "tedious length of the same which should weary and be hurtsome peradventure to the King's majesty, being yet of tender age", and also because the Reformation had rendered some of them inappropriate. On the eve of the coronation , Edward progressed on horseback from the Tower to the Palace of Westminster through thronging crowds and pageants, many based on

12285-433: Was discovered to be terminal, he and his council drew up a "Devise for the Succession" to prevent the country's return to Catholicism . Edward named his Protestant first cousin once removed, Lady Jane Grey , as his heir, excluding his half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth . This decision was disputed following Edward's death, and Jane was deposed by Mary - the elder of the two half-sisters - nine days after becoming queen. Mary,

12402-503: Was fascinated by military arts, and many of his portraits show him wearing a gold dagger with a jewelled hilt, in imitation of Henry. Edward's Chronicle enthusiastically details English military campaigns against Scotland and France, and adventures such as John Dudley 's near capture at Musselburgh in 1547. On 1 July 1543, Henry signed the Treaty of Greenwich with the Scots , sealing

12519-487: Was in a hopeless condition. The king's death and the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary would jeopardise the English Reformation, and Edward's council and officers had many reasons to fear it. Edward himself opposed Mary's succession, not only on religious grounds but also on those of legitimacy and male inheritance, which also applied to Elizabeth. He composed a draft document, headed "My devise for

12636-423: Was institutionally Protestant. The confiscation of church property that had begun under Henry VIII resumed under Edward—notably with the dissolution of the chantries —to the great monetary advantage of the crown and the new owners of the seized property. Church reform was therefore as much a political as a religious policy under Edward VI. By the end of his reign, the church had been financially ruined, with much of

12753-425: Was introduced into the court by means of a "presentment", from a local man or from the jury itself. Penalties were in the form of fines or imprisonment. Attendance at the court leet was often compulsory for those under its jurisdiction, with fines being meted out for non-attendance. The ability of the court to levy a fine was always subject to limitations, but the limits were never updated to account for inflation over

12870-419: Was limited, his intense Protestantism made a reforming administration obligatory; his succession was managed by the reforming faction, who continued in power throughout his reign. The man Edward trusted most, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, introduced a series of religious reforms that revolutionised the English church from one that—while rejecting papal supremacy—remained essentially Catholic to one that

12987-440: Was marked by many economic problems and social unrest that in 1549 erupted into riot and rebellion. An expensive war with Scotland , at first successful, ended with military withdrawal from Scotland and Boulogne-sur-Mer in exchange for peace. The transformation of the Church of England into a recognisably Protestant body also occurred under Edward, who took great interest in religious matters. His father, Henry VIII, had severed

13104-437: Was negotiated in secrecy, although Pope Julius III became aware of the plan and threatened to excommunicate both Henry and Elisabeth if the marriage went forward. A dowry of 200,000 écus was agreed to, but was never paid due to Edward's death before marriage. Elisabeth later married his sister Mary's widower, Philip II of Spain . In February 1553, Edward VI became ill, and by June, after several improvements and relapses, he

13221-404: Was not noticeably conservative in religion, that conservatives remained on the council, and that the radicalism of such men as Sir Anthony Denny , who controlled the dry stamp that replicated the king's signature, is debatable. Whatever the case, Henry's death was followed by a lavish hand-out of lands and honours to the new power group. The will contained an "unfulfilled gifts" clause, added at

13338-422: Was shott at the Tower that night above two thousand gonnes". Queen Jane, appearing to recover quickly from the birth, sent out personally signed letters announcing the birth of "a Prince, conceived in most lawful matrimony between my Lord the King's Majesty and us". Edward was christened on 15 October, with his 21-year-old half-sister Lady Mary as godmother and his 4-year-old half-sister Lady Elizabeth carrying

13455-459: Was taken to the Tower of London , where he was welcomed with "great shot of ordnance in all places there about, as well out of the Tower as out of the ships". The following day, the nobles of the realm made their obeisance to Edward at the Tower, and Seymour was announced as Protector . Henry VIII was buried at Windsor on 16 February, in the same tomb as Jane Seymour, as he had wished. Edward VI

13572-533: Was teaching at Oxford; and by other foreign theologians. The progress of the Reformation was further speeded by the consecration of more reformers as bishops. In the winter of 1551–52, Cranmer rewrote the Book of Common Prayer in less ambiguous reformist terms, revised canon law and prepared a doctrinal statement, the Forty-two Articles , to clarify the practice of the reformed religion, particularly in

13689-477: Was to be considered customary, which included the taking of presentments relating to matters of local concern and – in some cases – the management of common land . The following courts leet were exempted from abolition by the Administration of Justice Act 1977, and were known to be still functioning in 2010: In addition, the following courts leet are in operation, having been re-established, or continued, but without statutory authority (not having been preserved by

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