Rebellion

Question 1

what was the only significant rebellion that took place in Elizabeth’s reign

Answer 1

The Northern Rebellion

Question 2

date of the Northern Rebellion

Answer 2

1569

Question 3

how did the rebellion start

Answer 3

The rebellion first took place in November and December 1569 in the Northern counties notably Durham and North Yorkshire, followed by a further outbreak in February 1570 Cumberland.

Question 4

who led the rebellion

Answer 4

The rebellion was led by leading figures of the traditional northern nobility and as is always the case, the rebels had varying motives

Question 5

how did political issues spark the northern rebellion

Answer 5

Northern countries came under the jurisdiction of the president of the Council of the North. Elizabeth preferred to appoint non-northerners to the post to reduce the threat of sympathisers, and therefore, prevent rebellion. However, this caused resentment from leading northern nobles who felt the role was rightfully theirs. At the time of the rebellion, the President was the Earl of Sussex, a member of the traditional conservative aristocracy who had a cordial relationship with the leading Northern Nobles. Both parties shared underlying political and religious views.

Question 6

earl of Sussex’s investigation

Answer 6

The Earl of Sussex investigated rumours of trouble in early autumn 1569, however, he was encouraged by the Earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland to ignore this; both men assured Sussex of their loyalty to the Crown and dismissed all allegations. Elizabeth, however, was not appeased so easily and ordered the two earls to court - arguably sparking off the rebellion.

Question 7

the rebellion begins

Answer 7

The rebellion started on 9th November. Initially, Northumberland’s forces moved north to join Westmoreland’s at Branceperth, from where the rebels marched on Durham on the 14th of November to seize the city.

Question 8

the rebellion escalates

Answer 8

The rebels moved from Durham towards York, however, they chose not to defend the thingly defended city and instead marched to Knaresborough. A group of rebels then moved north, passing through Richmond on their way into County Durham. There they captured Barnard Castle (a key stronghold) and Hartlepool. Meanwhile, a royal army was making its way northwards to meet the rebels, prompting the earls to disband most of their forces and flee to Scotland.

Question 9

northern rebellion pt 2

Answer 9

In Jan 1570 Leonard Dacre (a cousin to the Earl of Northumberland and a member of an influential Cumbrian family) started the rebellion in Cumberland. This proved to be disastrous and his forces were destroyed by the rebel forces east of Carlise.

Question 10

what can the motives of the rebels be split up into

Answer 10

Motives of the Leaders
Motives of the ordinary participants

Question 11

motives of the leaders

Answer 11

Courtly Conspiracy
Local and specific factors
Religious Factors
Militant associates

Question 12

motives of ordinary participants

Answer 12

Feudal loyalties
Religious Motivation

Question 13

Courtly conspiracy - political reasons

Answer 13

The arrival of MQS in England in 1568 destabilised the political situation in England and raised the issue of succession once more. An initial plan was for Mary to marry the Duke of Norfolk, to restore Mary to the throne and provide heirs to the throne. The marriage plans fell through, however, and Elizabeth did not respond well to this treasonable offence

Question 14

historiography of the Northern Rebellion

Answer 14

Wallace MacCaffery and Norman Jones both argue that the failure of the plan was the event that forced them into rebellion. The problem with this viewpoint, however, is there is very little evidence in support of it particularly as the rebels did not march towards London to pressurise the government.

Question 15

Krista Kesselring

Answer 15

Kesselring argues that ‘while Norfolk marriage plan cannot safely be treated as a direct cause of the rebellion, it very directly increased Elizabeth’s fears and contributed to the more general sense of crisis that gave rise to the revolt’ perhaps Elizabeth’s harsh reaction should take the blame.

Question 16

local and specific factors - political

Answer 16

A significant factor is that the rebel earls felt a sense of dishonour from being cut out of the northern government, especially considering that both men had very little influence in court. There may have also been some shared resentment on behalf of their relatives who had also been deprived of minor offices.

Question 17

religious factors

Answer 17

The earls were clearly motivated by religion. Westmoreland, in particular, resented Protestantism being imposed on the North and the actions and symbolism of the rebellion suggest their Catholicism. It can be argued that the Revolt of the Northern Earls was a religious dispute, as the Earls wanted the restoration of Catholicism in England. Elizabeth had appointed James Pilkington as Archbishop of Durham in 1561. Pilkington was a Protestant and his appointment was supposed to stamp out Catholicism in northern England. Pilkington was harsh in his methods, and instead of turning the masses to Protestantism, the opposite occurred with many turning away from Protestantism and embracing Catholicism more fully

Question 18

feudal loyalties

Answer 18

There is some evidence to suggest that ordinary men felt a loyalty towards ancient Northern Houses, which had been replaced by the rapidly modernising English state

Question 19

religious motivation

Answer 19

Religion was clearly vital during this uprising. in Durham in particular, radical protestants had pushed through religious reform with no concern for Catholic sensitivities. These actions sparked numerous acts of vandalism from both sides. The two Earls occupied the city of Durham and called on all Catholics to take up arms in defence of their true faith. They held Catholic mass in Durham Cathedral and destroyed Protestant prayers books.

Question 20

why did the rebellion fail

Answer 20

Most historians argue that the rebellion was disorganised. The rebels lacked clarity in their objectives and neither Northumberland nor Westmoderland possessed any political astuteness. The rebels were ultimately crushed by the quick-thinking authorities. For example, Queen Mary was quickly removed, key figures (including Sussex) defended the crown well.

Question 21

significance of the rebellion and the Elizabethan government

Answer 21

At one level, the failure of the rebellion proved that the government system on a local level worked. The crown’s servants in the North acted sensibly in trying circumstances and the actions of the English were well-planned. However, it did show some limitations of the Elizabethan government, its lack of comprehension of the cultural differences between North and South, its willingness to ignore local aspirations and the difficulty it has in raising forces to deal with potential threats. The aftermath also demonstrated the ruthlessness of the Elizabethan government in punishing those who had offended it, mass execution of the rebels was ordered.

Question 22

geographical limitation of the rebellion

Answer 22

The rebellion remained geographically limited with few rebels from outside of Durham and the north of Yorkshire. The rebel earls gained no support from other Northern leaders who had little enthusiasm for removing Elizabeth. This was not necessarily due to support for the government, but due to a lack of consensus about what might possibly replace it.

Question 23

outcome of the rebellion for the rebels

Answer 23

Catholic plot to have Norfolk marry Mary Queen of Scot. The Spanish were willing to help but said that they would not until the English had carried out a
rebellion first. The Northern Earls were unhappy about religious change as well as their lack of control over the North. They marched to Durham and then south before being defeated by Elizabeth’s forces.

Led to mass executions in the north.- 800 hanged. Not a serious rebellion but showed the role of Cecil in dealing with it. Elizabeth still stuck up for Mary and wanted the Scots to allow her the right to rule in Scotland.

Question 24

consequences of the rebellion

Answer 24

The consequences of the rebellion were immense.
1. Northumberland was executed in 1572, following the immediate executions of many of his rebel followers.
2. Westmoreland, however, spent the rest of his years in the Spanish Netherlands.
3. The lands of the rebel leader leaders were forfeit to the crown, which meant that the hold of the traditional nobility in Durham had been broken forever.
4. Finally, to reinforce the crown’s hold on the North, the council of the North was reconstituted in 1572 and placed under the control of Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon, a strong puritan who would keep the northern threat at bay.