Rebellion + Unrest 1547-1558

Question 1

Social Causes of Unrest

Answer 1

Pop rise: 2.3m in 1525 to 3m in 1551. Prices: 69% higher in 1530 than 1508, wheat price quadruples. Poor harvests + growing poverty. Coin debasement. Enclosures. Collapse of cloth trade. Influenza.

Question 2

Other Causes

Answer 2

Factionalism + Religion. Issues over minor + female monarchs.

Question 3

Somerset

Answer 3

1548, Cornwall: William Body killed whilst removing images. Continues war with Scotland, too expensive + coin debasement leds to inflation. Issues proclamations to nobility to stop enclosing land + commissions in 1548-49 were set up. Doesn’t work, peasants start destroying enclosures. 1547: Vagrancy Act - any able-bodied person without work for 3+ days was branded with a ‘V’ and sentenced to 2 yrs as a slave, repeat offence meant a slave for life. 1549: 25 counties experienced unrest.

Question 4

Summer 1549: Western Rebellion

Answer 4

Catholic revolt in Devon + Cornwall: 5k men besieged Exeter, defeated by Lord Russell with mercenaries.

Question 5

Summer 1549: Kett’s Rebellion

Answer 5

Enclosures were the problem in East Anglia, captured Norwich with 16k under Robert Kett. Marquiss of Northampton couldn’t defeat them, an army of 14k under JD defeated them with Landsknechts, leading to him grasping power from Somerset.

Question 6

Northumberland

Answer 6

JD repealed Vagrancy Act + was an able politician, reducing revolts. However, army deserts him + removed from power as M1 enters London.

Question 7

M1 - Wyatt’s Revolt

Answer 7

Causes: Xenophobia + Religion. Originally a four-pronged attack led by Sir Thomas Wyatt, Sir James Croft, Sir Peter Carew, but only Wyatt raises force of 3k men from Kent. Reaches London, but defeated by City of London. M1’s courage as she stays in London. M1 executes LJG + husband.

Question 8

Thomas Stafford

Answer 8

1557: Led an invasion from France, but failed + executed.

Question 9

M1’s death

Answer 9

17 Nov 1558, same as Cardinal Pole.