The Reign of Mary I (1553-8)

Summary

Overview

Mary I's reign was an attempt to restore of the traditional Church of England, and the fate of the convocations during these years is typical of the successes and failures which that attempt encountered. In practical terms, it was not possible to restore the monasteries, nor could the new dioceses be abolished. Not much could be done about Henry VIIFs tax reforms, though Mary I did try to divert some of the crown's revenue from ecclesiastical sources to church uses. On the other hand, most of the ecclesiastical legislation passed since 1532 could be rescinded, and the convocations could be allowed to exercise their traditional powers, without being subjected to parliament or bypassed by it. In one respect, subsequent generations have cause to be grateful for the traditionalism of Mary's reign, because Bishop Edmund Bonner of London who, as locum tenens of the see of Canterbury during Thomas Cranmer's imprisonment, followed the medieval practice of recording the acts of convocation in his register, with the result that they have survived.

But the convocations were a cumbersome anachronism in a church whose leaders wanted to reverse the reformation as quickly as possible. Cardinal Pole, who arrived as the papal legate in 1554, had no role in them until he was appointed archbishop of Canterbury in 1556, and so had to pursue his counter-reformation by other means. It is instructive to note that he resorted to the example of Cardinal Wolsey, combining the provinces in a legatine synod, which tried to enact canons which might turn back the tide. Pole would probably have made this device permanent, but there was little enthusiasm for such centralization. Time soon ran out, and when both he and the queen died (within twenty-four hours of each other), the convocations were still functioning more or less as they had been in 1553 and no real reforms had been enacted.

The convocation of October 1553

Canterbury

A convocation was called by Edward VI for 19 September 1553, but after his death it had to be summoned again, this time for 6 October. The mandate was issued by Thomas Cranmer on 24 August, but by the time the convocation met he was under arrest and the proceedings were directed by Bishop Bonner of London.

On 20 October there was a debate about the nature of the real presence of Christ in the eucharist.