Rebellion and unrest 1547 - 1558 Flashcards
What socio-economic issues plagued England during the mid 1500s (8)?
- Population rise
- Inflation and rising prices
- Enclosure
- Decline in living standards
- Poverty and vagrancy
- Rising rents
- Poor harvests
- Influenza and epidemics
“See how rich men, especially sheep owners, oppress the King’s subjects by enclosing the common pastures…Yet when wool so expensive, or mutton so great a price?…Other men buy up houses, even whole villages, and then allow them to fall into ruin and decay”
What issues is the clergy man, Thomas Becon, addressing here?
The issues of enclosure and uncaring landlords. He takes a moralistic tone.
Why was sheep farming more appealing than growing crops and what issues did this cause?
There was an increase in the demand for cloth and sheep farming required less labourers.
This caused unemployment and enclosure, in addition to contributing to rising grain prices.
True or false: Contemporaries were unaware of inflation as an issue.
False. They were aware of inflation but not of population growth as its cause.
By what percentage did prices increase between 1508 and 1530?
69 percent
How many years in Edward’s reign saw poor harvests, with not enough food to feed the population?
6
What were the repercussions of the Dissolution of the Monasteries for the poor?
Previously, monasteries had helped and fed the poor.
Which trade experienced a depression during this period?
The cloth trade
By how much is it estimated that the population rose between 1525 and 1551?
What impact did this have on food resources?
From 2.3 million to 3million. The young population grew in particular.
Agricultural productivity was unable to keep up with population growth, made even more difficult by bad harvests. This caused inflation.
What did the Vagrancy Act of 1547 do?
It condemned vagrants to slavery for 2 years for a first offence and life for a second
What policy did Somerset continue in order to finance the war in Scotland and what issues did this cause?
He continued debasement, resulting in inflation rising even faster
Many contemporaries believed that it was the greed of landowners and enclosure that was causing food shortages and poverty. What was Somerset’s response and how did this turn out?
Somerset established commissions in 1548 and 1549 to look into the problem of enclosure but landowners blocked any attempt to legislate, forcing Somerset to issue proclamations to force landowners to reverse their policy. This lost him the support of landowners but caused the poor to view him as their champion. When legislation failed, they took the law into their own hands and rebelled, believing Somerset would support them.
Why is the summer of 1548 significant?
Rural riots occurred in England and the Privy Council voiced opposition to Somerset’s policies and Hale’s commission
Why was Somerset’s policies more susceptible to opposition than that of royals?
He lacked the trappings of royal authoritiy. There had been fears about unrest early on and the clergy was instructed to preach obedience.
How many counties saw unrest in the summer of 1549?
25
When was the new Prayer Book introduced and what did this spark?
June 1549
The Western/Prayer Book rebellion
True or false: Demands from the Western rebellion that have survived imply that it was largely religiously motivated but Edward’s journal implies that economic plight was also a motive
True
List as many causes for the Western rebellion as you can (8 in total)
- Continuation of general unrest
- Recently implemented poll tax on sheep
- Lack of local power
- Cornwall’s ancient wish for independence
- The destruction of the monasteries
- The execution of 28 Catholic cornishmen
- Destruction of Catholic practices and rituals and the introduction of the new prayer book
- Resentment of the gentry classes
When was William Body murdered in Helston, Cornwall? Who was he?
April 1548
He was a local archdeacon and Protestant sympathiser who supervised the destruction of images
Describe the beginnings of the Prayer Book rebellion
A significant numbr of peasants gathered at Bodmin to protest against the Act of Uniformity, led by Sir Humphrey Arundell. On Whit Monday a larger distrubance began at Sampford Courtenay, with the inhabitants insisting that the proest said mass according to old customs. The rising spread so that by 20th June rebels from Devon and Cornwall joined forces at Crediton.
Provide two examples of the Western rebels attacking the gentry class
- In Cornwall they attacked and robbed the gentry at St Michael’s Mount and at Bodmin they shouted “kill the gentlemen”
- In Devon, the rebels killed William Hellyons, a member of the gentry class who had resisted them and plundered Trematon Castle
Historian Barrett Beer has said that “the charred barns and houses stood as grim reminders of the widening cleavage between landowning gentry and the masses of working men and women” - what is he referring to?
The government response to the Western rebellion, when they burnt down rebel defences at Crediton
True or false: The mayor of Exeter was sympathetic with the rebel’ demands.
True but pressure from central govt meant he had to defend the city in a 6 week long siege. He encouraged wealthy citizens to organise continual guard and provide poor relief for fear of sympathetic poor rising up within the city and supporting the rebels.
How did the Western rebellion end?
On the 6th August 1549, Lord Russell relieved the town of Exeter and 10 days later led 8000 men against the rebels who had reformed in Sampford Courtenay. A 3 pronged attack was launched by Russell, Grey and Herbert. 4000 men lost their lives and the rebels were defeated.
