How big was Elizabeth’s Privy Council?
19 members — reduced from 40+ under Mary. More efficient and easier to manage.
How long did Cecil serve Elizabeth?
1558-1598 — 40 years as Principal Secretary, then Lord Treasurer. The most important minister of the reign.
How many clergy refused the Oath of Supremacy (1559)?
c.300 out of c.8,000 — meaning 96% conformed. But ALL Marian bishops except one (Kitchen of Llandaff) refused.
How much did the Netherlands war cost?
c.£1.4 million by 1603. Enormous drain on the treasury. Dutch independence not achieved until 1648.
How much did the Irish wars cost?
c.£2 million total under Elizabeth. Tyrone’s Rebellion/Nine Years’ War (1594-1603) was the most expensive military commitment.
How big was the Spanish Armada?
130 ships, c.30,000 men. Only c.60 returned to Spain. Further Spanish Armada attempts in 1596 and 1597 were scattered by weather.
How much did Drake bring back from his circumnavigation?
£600,000 in plunder. Elizabeth invested £1,000 and received c.£300,000 return — more than her annual Crown income.
How big was London by 1603?
c.200,000 people — up from c.50,000 in 1500. Largest city in Northern Europe.
What was England’s population by 1603?
c.4.1 million — up from c.2.3 million in 1500. Population growth drove inflation, urbanisation, and pressure on land.
What happened to real wages under Elizabeth?
Fell c.50% from 1500 levels. The 1590s were especially harsh — harvest failures in 1594, 1595, 1596, 1597 caused widespread famine.
What was male literacy by 1600?
c.30% — up from c.10% in 1500. Driven by grammar schools, the printing press, and the English Bible.
How much did Essex’s Irish expedition cost?
c.£300,000 — achieved nothing. Essex returned without permission and later launched his rebellion (1601).
What was the monopolies crisis?
1597 and 1601 — Parliament challenged Elizabeth over Crown-granted monopolies (exclusive trading rights). She was forced to concede in 1601. Shows her weakening authority in later years.
