Rebellions

Question 1

Why have some described 1549 as “perhaps the worst year in the whole Tudor period”?

Answer 1

• Major rebellions in East Anglia + South-west
• Considerable levels of disorder in much of the rest of the country

Question 2

What is John Guy’s view on 1549?

Answer 2

“Closest thing Tudor England came to a class war”

Question 3

What evidence is there to support the view that Somerset’s govt found it difficult to cope?

Answer 3

• Resources of the Tudor State were overstretched
• Substantial numbers of troops engaged in garrisoning south of Scot and others in the SE to ward off possible Fr invasion.

Question 4

What were the different causes of rebellion and disorder?

Answer 4

• Religion
• Midlands and East Anglia agrarian and social grievances connected to enclosures
• Resentment of taxation = consistent factor

Question 5

Why did most die out quickly?

Answer 5

Insufficient support or prompt action by local nobility and gentry

Question 6

Give an example of action by local nobility

Answer 6

Earl of Arundel - calmed matters down by hearing grievances and punishing oppressive landlords and disorderly peasants evenly.

Question 7

Why was the south-west different?

Answer 7

Lacked a resident aristocrat of Arundel’s stature

Question 8

Where did the Western Rebellion 1549 (Prayer Book rebellion) take place?

Answer 8

Devon and Cornwall

Question 9

How could you argue that this rebellion had religious causes?

Answer 9

• Rebels described the new Prayer Book as a “Christmas game”
• Rebels wanted to reverse the religious reforms which were destroying the way in which people had experienced religion
• Rebels were unhappy that traditional rituals of the church services and the church’s wider role in society had gone

Question 10

What other causes were there?

Answer 10

• Distrust between rural labourers and landowners
• Grievances over taxation - peasant labourers resented sheep tax (to deter the conversion of arable land to pasture often associated with enclosure). Affected hill farmers in Exmoor and Dartmoor in Devon. Saw it as a burden put on them by an uncaring and ignorant govt.
• The sheep tax was implemented by insensitive local officials

Question 11

Timeline of the Western Rebellion

Answer 11

6th June - Formation of Cornish rebel camp near Bodmin
11th June - Start of Devon rebellion at Sampford Courtenay
20th June - The 2 rebellious groups converged on Crediton
21st June - Dispute between rebels and Sir Peter Carew, a Devon JP and courtier
23rd June - Rebels camp at Clyst St Mary, near Exeter
2nd June - Rebels besiege Exeter
28th July - Lord Russell began his advance on the rebels
4th Aug - Rebels defeated at Clyst Heath
17th Aug - Final defeat of rebels at Sampford Courtenay

Question 12

What were the causes of the Kett’s Rebellion in East Anglia?

Answer 12

1. NOT religious - rebels conducted services according to the Book of Common Prayer in Norwich
2. Hatred of local govt officials
3. Resentment of the abuse by landowners of the Norfolk foldcourse system
4. Frustration with the maladministration locally of the Howards

Question 13

Explain what the Norfolk foldcourse system was

Answer 13

• The right to graze sheep on an enclosed piece of common land
• Some villages in Norfolk + Suffolk - many rights held by peasant farmers, problems caused by landowners in some villages by landowners denying access to foldcourse.
• A factor which increased levels of peasant discontent and contributed to outbreak of rebellion

Question 14

Timeline of Kett’s Rebellion

Answer 14

8th July - Tearing down of hedges near Wymondham
9th July - Protestors begin heading towards Norwich
12th July - Rebels begin camping on Mousehold Heath, overlooking Norwich; other camps set up elsewhere in East Anglia
21st July - Rebels began firing on the city
22nd July - Norwich in hands of rebels
1st Aug - Failure of John Dudley (Warwick) to recapture Norwich
27th Aug - Rebels finally defeated by forces led by Earl of Northumberland

Question 15

How were the rebellions suppressed?

Answer 15

Lord Russell:
- Appt by Somerset, rising nobleman with estates in West Country to deal with Western Rebellion.
- Eventually Russell had enough forces including foreign mercenaries to defeat rebels near Exeter

Earl of Northampton:
- Govts original attempt to crush Kett’s by Earl of Northampton ended in humiliating failure to capture Norwich

Earl of Warwick (later N’land):
- Somerset forced to send an army including foreign mercenaries under Earl of Warwick to deal with rebels.
- 27th Aug rebellion brutally suppressed and Kett convicted of treason and hanged.