Edward VI & Rebellions Flashcards
1
Q
When was the Western Rebellion?
A
1549
2
Q
What were the causes of the Western Rebellion?
A
- Resentment of religious reform - the New Common Prayer Book of 1549 sparked the rebellion.
- Hostility to the enclosure - The enclosure commission of 1548 had dashed people’s high hopes.
- Increasing rents, rising prices and falling wages.
- The local gentry could not deal with the situation.
3
Q
What happened in the Western Rebellion?
A
- The rebellion began on Sunday 10 June in Cornwall and later spread to Devon.
- On 29 June, Lord Russell was sent to find a peaceful settlement.
- From 2 July to 6 July, the rebels besieged Exeter.
- On 8 July, Russell’s last attempt to find a settlement failed.
- On 12 July, Lord Grey was sent to help Russell but was diverted to unrest in Oxford.
- On 28 July, Russell began defeating groups of rebels in Devon.
- On 17 August, the rebels were defeated.
4
Q
What were the consequences of the Western Rebellion?
A
- The rebellion was put down.
- Martial law (military government) was used to deal with the rebels. This indicates how dangerous the situation was.
- Somerset’s position in government was seriously weakened.
5
Q
What is another name given to the Western Rebellion?
A
The ‘Prayer Book Rebellion’.
- This may reflect the disproportionate influence of the clergy who played a leading role in the rebellion rather than accurately representing the grievances of all the rebels.
6
Q
When was Kett’s Rebellion?
A
1549
7
Q
What were the causes of the Kett’s Rebellion?
A
- Enclosure and bad government.
- Local government was a key issue. The rebels attacked the gentry and Justices of the Peace (JPs), accusing them of corruption and mismanaging government policy.
- The New Common Prayer Book did not spark the rebellion. Kett’s rebels wanted more religious reform, such as improving the quality of the clergy.
8
Q
What happened in the Kett’s Rebellion?
A
- On 10 July, Kett led a march of yeomen and farmers to Norwich.
- On 21 July, a full pardon was offered to the rebels with promises to deal with corruption.
- On 22 July, the rebels took Norwich. They set up a camp on Mousehold Heath.
- Somerset wrote letters to the rebels to deal with their grievances.
- On 30 July, the Marquis of Northampton arrived with a small army and retook Norwich. Negotiations with Kett failed.
- On 23 August, the Earl of Warwick arrived with 12,000 men.
- On 27 August, Kett’s Rebellion was put down. 3,000 rebels were killed.
9
Q
What were the consequences of the Kett’s rebellion?
A
- Kett was hanged in November.
- Most of the rebels were dealt with more leniently.
- Somerset tried to be popular and wanted to cooperate with the rebels. This made him seem weak to his rivals in court.
10
Q
What was the purpose of rebellion?
A
- Historians such as Bush argue that rebellion was used as a form of negotiation in the Tudor period. This was because most commoners did not have a formal way to express their grievances.
- Kett and the Western rebellion can be seen as commoners calling for the government to restore harmony. They were not trying to overthrow the government.
