Edward VI of England church property that had begun under Henry VIII resumed under Edward—notably with the dissolution of the chantries—to the great monetary advantage of the crown and the new owners of the seized property. Church reform was therefore as much a political as a religious policy under Edward VI. By the end of his reign, the church had been financially ruined, with much of the property of the bishops transferred into lay hands. The religious convictions of both Somerset and Northumberland have proved elusive for historians, who are divided on the sincerity of their Protestantism. There is less doubt, however, about the
The Merry Monarch sold all his horses for £10,000 to Edward Lloyd-Mostyn. The Merry Monarch was put up for auction and bought back by his original owner, William Gratwicke for 78 guineas. "The Sportsman" magazine described The Merry Monarch as "a very bad horse" and his Derby win as the biggest "fluke" in the history of the race. "The Farmer's Magazine" concurred, calling the result "one of the greatest flukes that we have on record". The Merry Monarch stood as a stallion at his owner's stud at Ham, where his fee was initially 10 guineas. He attracted few mares however, and in only