Size, support and frequency Flashcards
What did the rebellions range from?
As small as four rebels in the 1596 Oxfordshire rising to as many as 40,000 in the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace
What happened to the size of the Cornish rebels?
Grew in size from a few thousand to 15,000 as they travelled east
By the time they reached Blackheath 5000 rebels had deserted
What happened to the size of the Pilgrimage of Grace?
Some of the 30,000 rebels in Lincoln joined the Yorkshire movement
Different groups targeted particular towns, numbers ranging from 3000 at Hull to 20,000 at York
40,000 rebels once the groups converged on Pontefract
What happened after 1536 and give examples:
Rebellions were smaller affairs
16,000 protestors at Norwich in 1549
Wyatt had 3000 supporters
6000 followed the northern earls
Essex mustered no more than 300 men
What was O’Neill’s uprising and why?
A surprise that he was able to rally 6000 troops
Irish rebellions comprised a few hundred men at most
What were the most serious revolts and why?
Those that attracted noble and foreign interest
Nobles were the natural leaders in society; could call on servants and tenants, had finances to fund an army, and had access to military equipment
Troops sent by foreign leaders were battle-hardened mercenaries and the English could not be sure when and where they might strike
What happened fortunately in most cases?
Promises of foreign assistance failed to materialise
When did rebellions of this nature occur?
At the beginning and end of the Tudor period
What happened in the Lovel and Stafford rebellion?
They were unable to get enough support from their retainers before Henry suppressed their conspiracies
What happened in the Simnel rebellion?
Had greater support, which ranged from Irish nobles and bishops to English nobles and clerics and German mercenaries, who were funded by Margaret
What happened in Warbeck’s rebellion?
Support came from disaffected Yorkists keen to remove Henry, merchants unhappy at trade embargoes, and renegade Scottish, Irish, and Flemish adventurers
Included Lord Fitzwater, steward of the royal household, and Sir William Stanley, lord chamberlain
When Warbeck landed in Cornwall, he gathered 6000 men - none was a noble or a gentleman
What was the involvement of the nobles in Northumberland’s rebellion?
Had the support of aristocrats like the earls of Oxford and Huntingdon, and lords Grey and Clinton
More nobles rallied to her defence
His army of 2000 deserted
What was the involvement of the nobles and foreigners in Wyatt’s rebellion?
Had expected the Duke of Suffolk, James Croft, Peter Carew, and French troops to support his uprising but none transpired
Relied on the county militia and gentry, like Henry Isley, George Harper, and Thomas Culpepper, and a host of minor gentry and their tenants
Only two leading Kentishmen, Lord Abergavenny and Robert Southwell, were openly loyal to the government
What was the involvement of the nobles and foreigners in the northern earl’s rebellion?
Failed to attract any major noble family
None rose in Lancashire, Cheshire, or Cumberland
Some of Neville’s tenants were reluctant to get involved
Relied on disaffected gentry
Spanish support never materialised
What was the involvement of the nobles and foreigners in Essex’s rebellion?
Had more noble support than any other rebellion
The earls of Southampton, Sussex, and Rutland, lords Cromwell, Mounteagle, and Sandes, and twelve deputy lieutenants gathered with their servants
Received no help from Scotland and Ireland
Didn’t get any support from the mayor, sheriff, and City of London
Where did most of an Irish earl or clan claimant’s support come from?
Their tenants and Catholic clergy, who were loyal to their landlord and faith and opposed to all things English
What happened in 1580 and 1601?
Spanish tried to exploit the situation in Irish by sending troops to assist revolts in Munster
What was the situation with demonstrations against government policies
Often attracted support from a range of lower social groups
Fewer attracted noble or gentry interest
What rebellions solely consisted of commoners?
The Amicable Grant and Oxfordshire rising
What was the case with the Amicable Grant and how does this compare to the Oxfordshire rising?
4000 peasants, artisans, and unemployed people gathered in Suffolk
Royal councillors and the Archbishop of Canterbury sympathised with the complaints
Oxfordshire rising had neither sympathy nor support, and without their financial backing or involvement, had no hope of success
What happened with the Oxfordshire rebellion?
Most of the servants of the gentry lost their nerve when the uprising began
30 men were rounded up and all were local workers and tradesmen
What support did the Cornish rebellion have?
A peer, a lawyer, and a blacksmith
Had 44 parish priests, several abbots, monks, and local gentry
When it reached Somerset, 22 gentry, four sheriffs, three MPs, and four abbots were among the 4000 rebels who enlisted
Majority were urban artisans and peasant farmers
What support did the Western rebellion have?
Eight priests, several JPs, two mayors, gentry such as Arundell and Winslade, and a large number of farmers, labourers, artisans, and itinerant unemployed people
Attracted no noble support
What support did Kett’s rebellion have?
No major landowner
Support came from small tenant farmers, lesser gentry, rural workers, and and unemployed craftsmen
What rebellion reflected the greater degree of social variety and why?
The Pilgrimage of Grace
Among the leading nobles were Sir Ingram and Sir Thomas Percy, Lords Darcy and Hussey, George Lumley, John Neville, and Lord Latimer
What happened regarding leadership of the POG and give an example?
Revolts were started in 1536 by lower orders and parish clergy but leadership and control soon passed to the gentry and important families
Dymokes and Willoughbys led the Lincolnshire rising but it began at the hands of ‘Captain Cobbler’ and the local clergy
What made the POG unique?
The high-profile involvement of the commons, clergy, gentry, and lesser nobles at every stage of the revolt
Many became captains
What gentry claimed they were threatened but what did most have?
Sir Christopher Hilyard, John Hallam, and Robert Bowes
Ulterior motives for their involvement
What were the motives of the leading gentry?
The Willoughbys resented the Duke of Suffolks’s acquisition of family lands
Sir Ingram Percy had been disinherited
Lord Darcy of Pontefract was out of favur with the king
When did most rebellions occur and why?
At the beginning of the period
The Tudor dynasty was very vulnerable
Why was the summer of 1497 a critical time and what did the Spanish ambassador remark?
England was at war with Scotland
Battle of Blackheath
Warbeck was laying claim to the throne
‘had the king lost the battle he would have been finished off and beheaded’
What did politically important groups do and where did issues of major concern come to be aired?
Saw the benefits of allying with the ruling family and turned away from rebellion as a means of solving their problems
Court, in council, and in parliament
What gave Elizabeth a lot of trouble?
Ireland
What were most of the disturbances that faced Henry VIII, Edward VI, and mary I?
A reaction to their religious and economic policies
How many serious rebellions did Mary I and Elizabeth I face?
Two, one of which enabled her to secure the throne
1 in the north
Why did rebellions decline in frequency?
Dynastic and political factors lost their impetus as the Tudors removed pretenders and claimants
The Elizabethan Church settlement of 1559 was a moderate policy that satisfied most groups. Terms not strictly enforced
Socioeconomic problems peaked in the 1540s
What happened during the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I?
Poor and unemployed people were helped rather than punished
JPs and lord lieutenants kept a closer eye on local tensions and tried to overcome potential difficulties before they got out of hand
People were encouraged to resolve their problems by peaceful means
