Edward VI
The son of Henry VIII, king of England from 1547 until his death at fifteen in 1553. In his reign Parliament authorised the English Book of Common Prayer in 1549 and a revised book in 1552.
A London chronicler records the birth of a son to Henry VIII and his queen at Hampton Court in 1537, on the eve of St Edward’s day (Wriothesley, Chronicle vol. 1, p. 66), and his proclamation as King Edward VI on 31 January 1547, three days after his father’s death (Wriothesley, Chronicle vol. 1, pp. 178–179). The first Act of Uniformity speaks of the king acting with the advice of his uncle the lord protector and his council (Statutes of the Realm, 2 & 3 Edw. VI c. 1). That Act authorised the first Book of Common Prayer and a second Act the revised book of 1552 (Statutes of the Realm, 5 & 6 Edw. VI c. 1); see the Book of Common Prayer. The same chronicler records that Edward died on Thursday 6 July 1553 (Wriothesley, Chronicle vol. 2, p. 85).
In the timeline
- 1549 to 1552, firm dateThe Book of Common Prayer
Parliament orders one English service book, drawn up under the archbishop of Canterbury, to be used in every church in England from Pentecost 1549. A revised book, which no longer calls the communion the Mass, follows in 1552.