Religious Unrest 1536-7 Flashcards
What were the strengths of Robert Aske? (3)
- Brilliant organiser and speaker
- Made the rebellion appear non-violent and Christian
- Communicated well
What was Robert Aske’s key weakness?
Too naive and trusting of the King and Government
What were the strengths of Thomas Cromwell? (3)
- Closed all monasteries by 1540
- Successfully implemented reform, e.g. publication of the Great Bible
- Strengthened by rebellions
Who was Francis Bigod?
Protestant reformer, but believed Act of Supremacy gave King too much power
What were the weaknesses of Francis Bigod? (2)
- Gathered little support for his rebellion
- Rebellion gave Henry an excuse to execute other rebels
What were the strengths of Henry VIII? (3)
- Allowed Norfolk to negotiate
- Was deliberately vague to stall rebels and recover
- Tactfully began repression
What was the key weakness of Henry VIII?
Sent a letter threatening rebels which only strengthened their anger
What were the strengths of the Duke of Norfolk? (2)
- Successful negotiator, made the rebels trust him
- Tricked rebels and nobles into arrest
What stimulated the Lincolnshire rebellion on 2nd-3rd October?
Government officials investigating monasteries in Lincolnshire are attacked
What happened on the 4th October 1536?
Lincolnshire gentry take leadership over rebels
What did the army of the Lincolnshire rebels grow to?
10,000
What happened 10th-11th October 1536?
Rebellion disperses in Lincolnshire but breaks out in Yorkshire
What happened on the 16th October 1536?
Rebels took York
What happened on the 21st October?
Darcy surrenders Pontefract castle and Norfolk negotiates
Who were the key groups of support for the Pilgrimage of Grace? (2)
- Court Nobility - conservative faction, Percy and Darcy
- Commoners and Peasants - large scale lower class involvement, reflected in Pontefract Articles
What were the religious causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace? (2)
- Northern people more conservative and loyal to the Church
- Dissolution and closures of local churches
What about the Pilgrimage of Grace suggested its religious intent? (3)
- ‘Pilgrimage’
- 5 wounds of Christ symbolism
- Widespread support suggested unifying religious intent
What were the economic/social causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace? (3)
- Government demanded peace-time taxes
- Poor harvest in 1534, 1535 and 1536
- Increasing enclosures
What were the political causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace? (3)
- Northern gentry hated London Government
- Unpopularity of Cromwell and Richard Rich
- Court factions forming
Where did the Lincolnshire rebellion begin?
Louth, Lincolnshire
Who led the Lincolnshire rebellion?
Shoemaker Nicholas Melton
What triggered the Lincolnshire rebellion?
Rumours of Cromwell dissolving local churches and taking silver
How was the Lincolnshire rebellion out of control?
People beat the Chancellor to the Bishop of Lincoln to death
How many Commons supported the Pilgrimage of Grace?
30,000
Where did the Bigod rebellion attack and fail?
Carlisle
What did the Bigod rebellion allow Henry to do?
Punish former rebels
How many rebels did Henry VIII punish after Bigod’s rebellion?
144
What were Henry’s aims for religious reformation?
Boss - Supreme Head of the Church
Reform - Protestantism
Economic - seize the wealth of the Church
Appointments - control bishops/archbishops
Katharine - divorce
What was the Valor Ecclesiasticus?
A survey of the Church’s wealth
What did the Valor Ecclesiasticus find?
The wealth of the monasteries was 3 times that of the crown
What were visitations?
Commissioners were sent out to investigate the standards of the monasteries and find evidence of corruption
What was the 1536 Acts for the Dissolution?
All monasteries with an income under £200 to be close due to corruption
What were the impacts of the Dissolution of the Monasteries?
Rage - nobles angry
Oppression - clergy executed and unemployed
Monasteries - reduced hospitality and education
Excommunication - Henry VIII’s excommunication splits loyalties
How many people were executed for refusing the Oath of Supremacy?
57,000
What was Cromwell appointed to that linked politics to the Church?
Viceregent of Spirituals
What did Henry do after dissolving the monasteries?
Gifted their land and wealth to supportive nobility
What did priests require from Henry following religious changes?
A license
What about the Sacraments did Henry change?
- Reduced from 7 to 3
- Vague wording of the Eucharist
What did Henry ban in the English Reformation? (4)
- Pilgrimages
- Relics
- Worship of Saints
- Excessive Holy Days
How was the Pilgrimage of Grace threatening? (3)
- Wide range of support including JPs and key Northern Gentry involved
- Government forced to negotiate as rebels seized York and Pontefract castle
- Capable and calculated leadership
How was the Pilgrimage of Grace not threatening? (3)
- Rebelling gentry were uncommitted and slowed momentum
- Followed by repression of Bigod and Lincolnshire rebellions
- Loyalty of leadership to Henry led to naivety
What were the consequences of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
- Council of North reorganised in 1537
- Henry VIII went on progress to York in 1541 to address the neglect of the region
- North did not rebel again until 1569
- 200 executions of key rebels
How was the Council of the North reorganised?
Leading pilgrims e.g. Ralph Ellener were appointed, but Southern Protestants still dominated
What was an example of repression of rebels?
Margaret Cheyney tried to persuade her lover, a rebel, to flee and was burned at the stake
What were the Pontefract Articles?
List of demands from rebels given to Henry VIII in exchange for rebels going home
Who wrote the Pontefract articles?
A Parliament containing all classes when the rebels were at their strongest
What was the role of the Earl of Derby?
Key Northern nobleman, prevented the whole North from rebelling
Religious motives - Pilgrim’s Oath
‘only for the love that ye do bear unto almighty God’
Loyalty to the King - Pilgrim’s Oath
‘to the preservation of the King’s person and his issue’
Non-violence - Pilgrim’s Oath
‘nor slay nor murder nor envy’
Political intentions - Pilgrim’s Oath
‘to expulse all villein blood and evil councillors’
Political motivations - Pontefract articles
‘Lord Cromwell, the Lord Chancellor, and Sir Richard Rich to have punishment’
