Edward VI came to the throne when he was only nine years old. Although Henry VIII’s will stipulated that a regency council should govern until Edward was eighteen, Edward’s uncle the Duke of Somerset seized power and made himself Protector. Somerset, aided by Thomas Cranmer (AD 1489-1556), the archbishop of Canterbury, was determined to extend Henry VIII’s reforms of the Church of England.

Reform centred on Holy Communion, which took the place of the Catholic mass, and a new Prayer Book, which simplified Catholic ceremonial. Both service and book were in English. In February 1548 widespread iconoclasm (destruction of saints’ images) began, sanctioned by the government. At Easter that year the new Communion service was made compulsory. The Prayer Book was introduced on Whitsunday 1549.

Generally the country accepted the changes, but one Devon congregation forced their priest to wear his old vestments and celebrate the mass. This was the start of the Western Rising in which most of Devon and Cornwall rose up, besieged Exeter, and demanded the return of the Latin mass and all the old ceremonies and images. Suppression of the rising involved the use of German and Italian mercenaries and pitched battles. 2500 peasants were cut to pieces on the battlefield or hanged before order was restored.