Source question - Western Rebellion 1549

Question 1

How did Henry’s faith change throughout his life?

Answer 1

Began as Catholic - became Protestant - became more Catholic again towards his death (Likely due to Katherine Howard’s association with Catholicism/Catholic factions)

Question 2

What day did the Western rebellion begin?

Answer 2

Whit monday - the day after the book’s introduction

Question 3

What title was given to Henry VIII by the pope?

Answer 3

Fidei Defensor “defender of the faith”

Question 4

Context behind the religious causes of Western Rebellion:

Answer 4

Henry VIII was initially very catholic - title of Fidei Defensor given to him by the pope
Rebellion began on Whit Monday - day after prayer book was introduced
Henry VIIII became more Catholic towards his death - Katherine Howard was associated with Catholicism/catholic factions

Question 5

Religious demands made by the rebels during the Western Rebellion

Answer 5

“Every preacher in his sermon…pray especially by name for the sould in purgatory as our forefathers did”
3. “We will have masse in Latin”
8. “Procession in Latin not English”
12. Cardinal Pole - return from Rome and be promoted - (essentially restore the pope to their former position of authority in England)

Question 6

Who led the Western Rebellion and why is this significant religiously?

Answer 6

Robert Welsh - priest

Question 7

What actions did the rebels do during the Western Rebellion that can be considered religious?

Answer 7

Marched under the 5 wounds of christ,
reportedly destroyed prayer books

Question 8

What was Somerset known as? (socio-economic causes of western)

Answer 8

“Commonwealth man” - believed that wealthy landlords were a problem and had a responsibility to look after the poor (paternalism)

Question 9

What did Somerset do to “help the poor”?

Answer 9

Introduced anti enclosure commissions - prevented greedy landlords from enclosing land and helped the poor in the North

Introduced a poll tax on sheep to prevent farmers from converting arable land to farm sheep

Question 10

What did Exeter town council do?

Answer 10

Gave hundreds to the civilians to prevent them from joining the rebels - may suggest Exeter town council believed the rebellion was economic in nature

Question 11

How long did the Western Rebellion last?

Answer 11

10 weeks - combined forces from Cornwall and Devon

Question 12

Why did the weather increase the seriousness of the Western Rebellion?

Answer 12

Good conditions for a rebellion - began in June ended in August, had the potential to become a camping rebellion

Question 13

Why did the timing of the Western Rebellion make it more serious?

Answer 13

During a period of minority rule
Took place alongside Kett’s rebellion (split government attention) - year of commotion/year of the many headed monster
Franco-Scottish threat

Question 14

Was the Western Rebellion Somerset’s full priority?

Answer 14

No, took place alongside Kett’s rebellion as well as the Franco-Scottish threat

Question 15

Did military success make Western rebellion serious?

Answer 15

no, failed to capture Exeter after 6 weeks of trying

Question 16

What about the Western rebellion’s leadership made it less threatening?

Answer 16

Priest Robert Welsh + Sir Humphrey Arundell (wealthy farmer) - neither had many resources or military experience

Question 17

Why did the Western Rebellion’s size and support make it not serious?

Answer 17

5000-6000 men - far smaller than POG - overwhelmingly a peasant rising
Support: provincial - limited ambitions/no national scale outside of Devon + Cornwall

Question 18

Was Western Rebellion able to take Exeter?

Answer 18

Layed siege to Exeter for 2 weeks however were unable to take it - lacked military expertise

Question 19

Evidence the government response to the Western Rebellion was effective

Answer 19

Decisive victory for the government at Sampford Courtenay (4000 rebels killed)

Question 20

Evidence the government response to the Western Rebellion was ineffective

Answer 20

Somerset had “hopelessly inadequate information”
Lord Russell’s forces were inadequate (Fenny Bridges + Clyst St Mary)
Devonshire JPs lacked the confidence to oppose the rebels

Question 21

Why was the choice of Carew as government representative bad?

Answer 21

Known Evangelical (extreme protestant) - Carew burnt the rebel barns at Crediton (rebels were initially open to negotiation however now felt backed into a corner to fight) - Carew was later reprimanded for his provocative action)

Question 22

Why did the location of the Western Rebellion make it especially hard to squish?

Answer 22

There was a power vacuum in Cornwall - the Courtenay’s were removed from power under Henry VIII which meant there were no local nobility to help suppress the rebellion

Question 23

What did Somerset consider the Western Rebellion as?

Answer 23

A local issue

Question 24

Why was Somerset’s series of proclamations a poor way of dealing with the rebellion?

Answer 24

11th July, Somerset announced that those who did not disperse would be forced to forfeit their lands (attempt to create terror)
12th July, Somerset agreed to pardon any guilty of “riotous assembly” if they made a “humble submission”
16th July, another proclamation pardoned submissive rioters but future rioters were threatened with martial law

• inconsistent approach towards rebels

Question 25

What was Somerset forced to send to deal with the rebels?

Answer 25

The army intended for war with Scotland - instead sent to Cornwall and Devon

Question 26

How many rebels were killed by Somerset’s army?

Answer 26

4000

Question 27

What happened to the western rebels?

Answer 27

Over 100 rebels in Devon and Somerset were hanged, Arundell was executed in 1450, 6 leaders were pardoned

Question 28

What happened to Somerset after the rebellion?

Answer 28

The duke of Somerset was overthrown as a result of the Western Rebellion - not by the rebels but by his fellow councilors as a result of his poor handling of the rebellion

Question 29

Did the government give in to the rebel demands?

Answer 29

The Tudor government did not give in to the religious demands of the rebels and 3 years after the rebellion a new even more protestant prayer book was introduced - arguably rebellion made reforms worse

Question 30

Which laws were imposed as a result of the Western Rebellion?

Answer 30

It was made high treason for more than 12 people to gather with attempts to alter existing laws and policies and refuse to disperse after 1 hour

Question 31

How did the Edwardian government evolve to help the poor after the rebellion?

Answer 31

Introduced several measures to help the poor. The Subsidy and Vagrancy Acts were repealed and an Enclosure act was passed to limit landlord’s powers to enclose common land - further acts fixed grain prices , prohibited exports and maintained arable land

Question 32

What did the year of commotion encourage France to do?

Answer 32

Invade England

Question 33

Who was William Hellyons?

Answer 33

A yeoman farmer who tried to persuade the Western rebels to go home before any more harm was caused - he was killed and this led to the Battle of Stampford Courtenay

Question 34

How many rebels were killed by the government at Stampford Courtenay in a general massacre?

Answer 34

4000

Question 35

How many men did Arundell have camped on Bodmin Moor?

Answer 35

7000

Question 36

How many men lay siege on Exeter as a part of Western Rebellion (1549)

Answer 36

2000