KS3 > The Reformation > Parliaments > Mary I 1st Parliament
When Mary I (known as ‘Bloody Mary’) became Queen in 1553, historians are unsure how ordinary people felt. The people certainly preferred her to Lady Jane Grey, and we know that some Catholics were delighted with her return. Those who had become Protestants, however, did not. If they were able to they fled abroad. Others tried to resist the return to Catholicism such as Sir John Perrott. Many, of course, simply tried to get on with their lives as best they could without getting into trouble.
The Entrance of Queen Mary I with Princess Elizabeth into London, 1553
by John Byam Liston Shaw © Palace of Westminster WOA 2592
Philip II of Spain by Richard Burchett
© Palace of Westminster
Mary’s first Parliament passed the first Act of Repeal that undid all of her brother’s religious laws, such as allowing priests to marry or for church services in English. Yet Mary had to be careful about religious changes. Many of the elite, including MPs, had bought land that used to be owned by the church (such as Richard Tracy and Sir Robert Tyrwhitt) and were worried that a return to the Catholic faith would mean they would lose these lands. These were powerful people and Mary needed their support.
Mary’s marriage was also an issue. It was widely known that she wanted to marry Philip II of Spain. In November 1553 a deputation of MPs petitioned her to marry an Englishman. There was a lot of prejudice in England against Spain, and many feared England would be dragged in to Philip’s wars on mainland Europe. In Kent, a rebellion took place against the marriage.