P+P chapter 4 Pilgrimage of Grace Flashcards
What was England like before the Reformation?
Monasteries were at the centre of communities, acting as hospitals, hotels and refuges for the poor. However, some felt monasteries were becoming too powerful
Who was Martin Luther?
- Fuelled changing attitudes against Catholic Church by his writings in 1517
- Angry priests sold indulgences for sin (people paid to have their sins forgiven)
- Believed Christians were saved through their own faith
- Translated the Bible into German and spread ideas through Europe, starting the Protestant Reformation
Why did Henry VIII want to break with Rome?
- Unhappy with the wealth and power of the Church
- Saw the Pope as a competing power, wanted people to listen to only him
- Wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn (the Pope wouldn’t let him because Catherine’s nephew Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor)
- He didn’t want to pay taxes to Rome
When did Henry VIII become Head of the Church?
Made himself Head of Church of England in the Act of Supremacy in 1534
What happened to people opposing Henry VIII as Head of the Church?
With the help of Thomas Cromwell, Henry made it treason not to accept him. Thomas More, his Lord Chancellor was beheaded as his declared “as the king’s good servant, but God’s first”
Why were people unhappy with the Reformation?
- Rising prices
- Changes to Religion
- Landowners who supported Catherine fell out of favour
- Cromwell’s power grew: many disliked him as he was the son of a blacksmith and not worthy to advise the king. Landowners felt he was abusing power and pushing them out
Who was Thomas Cromwell?
- A blacksmith’s son
- Part of Henry VIII’s court and his most faithful servant and advisor
- Helped secure Henry’s divorce and made him wealthy again
- Disliked by many
Why were the monasteries dissolved?
Henry VIII was spending too much. Monasteries owned a quarter of all land in England and had an annual income of £200,000, double that of the king’s. Henry wanted to take money from monasteries to become wealthy
What happened in the dissolution of monasteries?
- 1536, parliament passed an act, closing all small monasteries who’s annual income was less than £200
- Cromwell set up Valor Ecclesiasticus, evaluating monasteries’ finances
- Inspectors were sent. If monasteries were not run properly, they would be shut down and finances given to the Crown
- Reports were sent to Cromwell and if they were positive, they were sent back to be rewritten more negatively
What were the causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- the reformation
- the dissolution of the monasteries
- inflation
- poor harvests in 1535 and 1536
What were the demands of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- they did not want to overthrow Henry VIII
- restore the monasteries
- recognise the Pope as Head of the Church
- dismiss Cromwell
- parliament to meet in York
- better representation for the North
When and where the Pilgrimage of Grace start?
1536, in Yorkshire
Who led the Pilgrimage of Grace?
Robert Aske, he was a lawyer
What did marchers in the Pilgrimage of Grace carry?
Banners with the five wounds of Christ
What happened during October 1536?
- rebellion began in Lincolnshire with Lord Hussey, supporter of Catherine
- rebels wanted removal of taxes
- York and Pontefract Castle, held by Lord Darcy, were captured, Darcy joined the campaign
- by the end of October, the pilgrims had control of most of England, north of Cheshire
What was Henry VIII’s immediate response to the Pilgrimage of Grace?
Sent the Duke of Norfolk to represent him and negotiate with the rebels.
Why was the Duke of Norfolk the perfect man to negotiate with the pilgrims?
He was a critic of Cromwell and a Catholic
What happened when the Duke of Norfolk first met the pilgrims?
- 27 October met at Doncaster Bridge
- Norfolk’s army was 8000 men and Aske had 30,000
- Norfolk told Aske, he would give their demands to the king and issue royal pardons to all rebels
When did Aske meet the king?
- December 1536, Aske spent Christmas with Henry VIII
- Henry gave the rebels his support
What happened in January 1537?
- Henry VIII lied to the rebels and instead of supporting them, strengthened his army in the north, the rebels heard and struck first
- January 1537, castles in Hull, Beverly and Scarborough were attacked by rebels
- Henry cancelled the royal pardons and sent Norfolk to meet them
How was the Pilgrimage of Grace ultimately stopped?
Norfolk travelled north to meet a wave of rebellion in Carlisle. The rebels surrendered and 74 were hung
What were the short term consequences of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- Aske was beheaded in York on 12 July 1537
- Darcy and Hussey were also beheaded
- Cromwell wanted everyone involved killed: 200 were
- Henry VIII dissolved the rest of the monasteries by 1539. When some abbots resisted, they were hung, like the Abbot of Glastonbury
- Monastery land was bought by landowners and were stripped of gold and jewels
What were the long term consequences of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- court finances improved (due to dissolution of monasteries)
- royal navy was built up
- Henry VIII improved his control of the north
- no more rebellions took place under Henry’s reign: anyone threatening his power was executed for treason, even Cromwell in July 1540
Why was the Pilgrimage of Grace a significant event?
It had been a serious threat to Henry VIII’s rule as all levels of society were involved: king, lords, knights, gentry and commoners. There were 50,000 armed men in the country at one point
