Paper 2 Section B/C: Elizabethan England, c1568–1603

June 2023

Q1: How convincing is Interpretation A about Essex’s rebellion?

Explain your answer based on your contextual knowledge and what it says in Interpretation A.

Answer:

For example, the interpretation is convincing because patronage was important for people at court. They had to be in the Queen’s favour. In the 1560s Elizabeth was able to set one faction against another, Leicester against William Cecil and divide the Privy Council. By the 1590s many experienced counsellors were dead and the Queen sided with Robert Cecil. This forced Essex and other disappointed courtiers to rebel. more than one aspect of the interpretation. For example, it is convincing because the Queen did not renew Essex’s monopoly on the import of sweet wine. This ruined him financially and a major reason why the relationship deteriorated. So, the Queen did provoke him to rebel because he had no other options and large debts. Other people at court who were not on Cecil’s side went to join him. For example, the interpretation is convincing because Essex did not like Robert Cecil. While he was away in Ireland he thought Cecil was becoming too powerful so against the Queen’s orders he rushed back to see her. He burst into her bed chamber and caught her without her wig. Answers may show understanding/support for interpretation, but the case is For example, Essex rebelled in February 1601.

Q2: Explain what was important about the Elizabethan voyages of discovery.

Answer:

the consequences of the stated development (the Elizabethan voyages of discovery) in the broader historical context (Elizabethan England). This is For example, the Elizabethan voyages of discovery were important because they allowed English naval power to grow and this was vital in defeating the Armada in 1588. It was English seamanship perfected on the overseas voyages that won victory which in turn helped to unite the country behind Elizabeth. English naval power continued to develop, gaining colonies, discovering new goods and confirming for many Elizabethans that they lived in a ‘Golden Age’. For example, the Elizabethan voyages of discovery were important for England because it gained land from the voyages of discovery. England began the search for land abroad and to establish colonies, for example, in 1584 Walter Raleigh tried to colonise North America for Queen Elizabeth. In later periods this would lead to great wealth and an overseas empire for England. For example, the voyages of discovery were important because they boosted the country’s income, they brought riches back to England. As well as trading in African slaves, English ships traded with South American countries, seized Spanish treasure ships with gold and silver. Drake gave the Queen a half share of the treasure from his round the world voyage in 1580 which was more than a year’s income for the Crown. the identified consequences, supporting by factual knowledge and For example, the voyages of discovery led to England becoming a slave trading nation. In 1564 John Hawkins kidnapped several hundred West Africans and sold them in South America. Slave traders became very rich. For example, the voyages of discovery allowed English ships to steal Spanish gold and treasure.

Q3: Write an account of the ways in which the lives of poor people changed in Elizabethan

England.

Answer:

reasoning supported by a range of accurate and detailed factual knowledge and understanding. For example, an explanation of different impacts/ consequences of change in the broader historical context. For example, the Elizabethans showed a change in attitude to the poor based upon a better understanding of the causes of poverty. In the time of Elizabeth’s father, poverty and beggars were punished. However, from 1576, that changed for the better as the state stepped in. An Act of Parliament allowed the able- bodied poor to be helped to find work or paid ‘outdoor relief’. The government learned from the examples of new methods in towns like York, Norwich and Ipswich. They dealt selectively and flexibly with the poor. The Elizabethans thought that private charity would not cope. The government took responsibility for the welfare of people and the poor did not have to rely upon private charity and from 1598 it was established that poor relief would be paid for by a compulsory poor rate. For example, in Elizabethan England the lives of the poor people changed depending on why they were poor. They still punished the idle poor who were seen as lazy, they could be whipped and sent to a House of Correction where they would be forced to work. The able-bodied poor were given food and helped with money collected by a Poor Rate. Some towns treated the poor differently and did not whip or punish them for example, in 1569, Ipswich licensed genuine beggars, and trained poor children in a trade. simple understanding of consequence(s) with supported with factual For example, the Elizabethans dealt with the poor by separating the able- bodied poor and the helpless poor from those poor people who were idle. The idle poor were seen as a threat and punished. The able-bodied and helpless poor were given money from the poor rate. For example, the Elizabethans passed a Great Poor Law in 1601 which looked after the poor. should demonstrate their ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.

Q4: ‘The main reason that Mary, Queen of Scots did not escape while in England was

because of where she was imprisoned.’ How far does a study of Sheffield Manor Lodge support this statement? Explain your answer. You should refer to Sheffield Manor Lodge and your contextual knowledge. and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the CopyrightTeam.

Answer:

To support their answer students could include aspects of the site such as: location, function, structure, design, people connected with the site, how the site reflects culture, values and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events and/or developments of the specified period. understanding of the site. For example, there were several reasons why Mary, Queen of Scots did not escape from imprisonment. She was kept on properties which the Earl of Shrewsbury owned and were centrally located in the Midlands and northern England, far from the coast. She was moved around and as a moving target was difficult to rescue. George Talbot was the wealthiest man in England, able to balance the costs of supporting a Queen’s household, with the need for security and to keep a watchful eye on his prisoner. However, perhaps the reason she did not escape was down to Walsingham who always kept one step ahead of her and her supporters. With an extensive network of spies, in England and abroad as well as informers inside Shrewsbury’s household, he had his own sources of information about Mary as well as George Talbot’s Answers may suggest that one factor has greater merit. and understanding of the site. For example, the location of the Earl of Shrewsbury’s estates was crucial to making sure that Mary did not escape. Talbot’s properties were in the Midlands and South Yorkshire. They were close together so that Mary could be moved around easily, on open roads, and no one intending to help her escape would know precisely where she was at any one time. The estates of George Talbot were gathered together in the centre of the country and far away from the coast which would make it difficult for a foreign invader to reach her without Elizabeth’s government knowing and for her then to be taken out of the country. His estates were far away from London and that meant that Mary would be kept away from any scheming at court, such as that which involved the Duke of Norfolk and led to the Northern Rebellion. For example, the main reason for using George Talbot as her jailer was that he could afford to look after Mary in the manner appropriate to a queen, yet keep her secure. Talbot paid for improvements, such as the Turret House, to the comfort and security he could provide at Sheffield Manor Lodge. He was a trusted moderate Protestant, with Catholic sympathies, and his wife, Bess of Hardwick was respected by the Queen. Bess of Hardwick could be trusted to keep an eye on Mary, as they both enjoyed embroidery. Another good reason why George Talbot was a good choice as Mary’s jailer was that there were very few other people who would do the job or be persuaded to do it. At the start it might have been considered a temporary job but it lasted for 15 years. It kept the Earl of Shrewsbury away from court which cost him politically. causation by simple reasoning supported with factual knowledge and understanding of the site. For example, Sheffield Manor Lodge was a fortified building in which Mary was kept when she was not in Sheffield Castle. George Talbot kept her well- guarded. After the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in August 1572, he reported to the Privy Council that he had over 70 armed guards looking after Mary night and day. Built on high ground, Sheffield Manor Lodge had a good view of the surrounding countryside. For example, the main reason Mary, Queen of Scots, did not escape was because George Talbot kept her under armed guard all the time and she was not allowed out. He moved her around his estates so that nobody knew where she was to rescue her.