Welsh Journals

WALES AND THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY I LITTLE attention has hitherto been paid to the events of Mary I's reign in Wales, and such account as has been given of them is short, forthright and uncomplicated.1 It runs much as follows: the earlier Reformation changes from 1529 to 1553, having been imposed by government diktat, were unsought and disliked. Backward-looking, loyal Wales welcomed its Catholic Tudor ruler with acclamation and, in the wake of its royal shepherd, returned to the Roman fold without hesitation or demur. There were no rebels in the country, hardly any heretics, and few exiles for religion among the laity or the clergy. Wales saw little of that persecution inextricably linked with 'Bloody' Mary's name, there being only three martyrs, not one of whom was from Welsh Wales. But a narrative so brief, neat and slightly old-fashioned could hardly survive intact once more detailed investigations had been undertaken.2 Despite the serious shortage of diocesan and local sources in Wales, extensive revision and ampli- fication of the customary account are now possible and are presented in this article. Mary's initial right to succeed to the throne did not go as com- pletely unchallenged in Wales as has been thought. During the last months of Edward's reign, Northumberland was making dispositions to safeguard his position in all parts of the kingdom. In Wales he appeared to have won two powerful noblemen to his party. Much the more significant was the earl of Pembroke, the most influential figure in south-east Wales and the nobleman who could probably raise more troops to follow him than any other in the realm. Earlier, in February 1553, Pembroke was reported by the imperial ambassa- dor to be on bad terms with Northumberland and in April was 1 See, for example, W. LI. Williams, The Making of Modern Wales (London, 1919), pp. 196-97; W. A. Bebb, Cyfnod y Tuduriaid (Wrecsam, 1939), pp. 92-100; David Williams, A History of Modern Wales (new ed., London, 1977), pp. 60-61; Hugh Thomas, A History of Wales, 1485-1660 (Cardiff, 1972), pp. 95-100. For example, A. G. Dickens, Lollards and Protestants in the Diocese of York (Oxford, 1959); idem, The Marian Reaction in the Diocese of York (Borthwick Institute Papers, vols. XI and XII); D. M. Loades, Two Tudor Conspiracies (Cambridge, 1965); The Oxford Reformers (London, 1970); The Reign of Mary I (London, 1979); 'The enforcement of reaction, 1553-1558', Journ. Eccles. Hist., XVI (1965); J. E. Oxley, The Reformation in Essex (Man- chester, 1965); Christopher Haigh, Reformation and Resistance in Tudor Lancashire (Cam- bridge, 1975); J. Loach and R. Tittler (eds.), The Mid-Tudor Polity, c. 1540-1560 (London, 1980). Cf. also H. F. M. Prescott, A Spanish Tudor: the Life of 'Bloody Mary' (London, 1952); C. Erickson, Bloody Mary (London, 1978); W. G. Schenk, Reginald Pole, Cardinal of England (London, 1950); J. P. Marnion, 'Cardinal Pole in recent studies', Recusant History, XIII (1975); R. H. Pogson, 'Revival and reform in Mary Tudor's Church: a question of money', Journ. Eccles. Hist., XXV (1974); 'Reginald Pole and the priorities of government in Mary Tudor's Church', Hist. Journ., XVIII (1975).