Tactics Flashcards
What were the Tudor government’s main weapons and why?
Their claim to be legitimate rulers and the fact that they derived their authority from God
Anyone who fought against them would be condemned as a sinner
What did the governments stress the need for?
Upholding order, using a range of tactics to persuade rebels to disperse
What did governments seek to do?
Buy time until they had enough troops to call the rebels’ bluff
What did governments want to do and why?
Avoid violent confrontations
The outcome was uncertain and they were always expensive
What was common, what was the effect, and give examples:
For pardons to be offered to rebels if they would first disperse
Weakened the morale of some rebels and reduced their numbers
Rebels at Stoke, Blackheath, Clyst St Mary, and Dussindale were offered a pardon on the eve of the battle. A royal herald in 1554 gave Wyatt’s rebels a chance to go home
Why did most governments see no mileage in negotiating with rebels?
It was a sign of weakness and would only serve to encourage rebel leaders
What did confrontations have to be?
Skilfully handled
What did Wolsey receive in April 1525 and what did he do?
A report that several people were refusing to pay the Amicable Grant
Told the Lord Mayor of London, Sir William Bailey, ‘beware and resist not’ and threatened Lord Lisle with execution if he failed to collect taxes
What did Wolsey advise when the Duke of Suffolk reported that protestors were becoming more vociferous?
Wolsey advised stiff retribution and accused the duke of being oversensitive
What happened on 25 April 1525?
Henry informed the Lord Mayor and aldermen that the Amicable Grant would be halved
None of the commissioners outside London was informed
Reports of hundreds of protestors gathering and 4000 protestors gathered at Lavenham
How did Norfolk and Suffolk deal with the rebellion in 1525?
Suffolk’s army of retainers was much smaller than the rebels’ forces and was unsure of the reliability of his men
Suffolk waited for Norfolk
Suffolk destroyed bridges
Heard a deputation of 60 rebels, warned them of the consequences, and persuaded them to submit
How did Henry VIII and Cromwell deal with POG at first?
Allowed Norfolk to negotiate with the rebels
Norfolk’s and Shrewsbury’s 8000 troops dwarfed by 30,000 rebels
Norfolk decided to arrange a truce with the gentry, promise whatever was needed to disperse their army, and pacify the disaffected rebels
What did Henry VIII favour but what happened?
A military solution but bowed to Norfolk’s more diplomatic approach
Norfolk assured Henry that ‘whatsoever promise I shall make unto the rebels for surely I shall observe no part thereof for any respect of that other might call mine honour’
What happened on 27 October 1936?
Norfolk talked only to the gentry and nobles
Darcy reflected how the commons feared they might be betrayed ‘because we tarried a while about the entreaty’
Norfolk stemmed the advancing rebels, separated the rank and file from the leaders, and escorted four of them to Windsor
What was Henry VIII’s tactic now?
Stand firm
Refused to discuss their petition, rejected pleas to reverse his policies and told them to go away and clarify their grievances
Where were the representatives kept and what did this result in?
Waiting in London for over three weeks
The commons suspecting they might not return
What happened on 6 December 1536?
A meeting between pilgrims and Norfolk took place when the duke promised that a parliament would resolve the issues behind the rebellion, there would be no monastic suppressions, and the rebels would receive a pardon
What did Henry VII spend the next month doing?
Gathering information, interviewing the gentry and nobles involved in the uprising, and deciding what to do about the north
What was the Duke of Somerset’s response to the news that Exeter was under attack?
Sent a series of letters to the camp urging them to desist, offering them a pardon if they did, and threatening dire punishment if they did not
What were the proclamations on 11 July, 12 July, and 16 July?
Threatened to forfeit their land and property to create terror and division
Pardoned any guilty of riotous assembly if they made a humble submission
Pardoned submissive rioters but future offenders were threatened with martial law
What did Somerset’s fellow councillors do?
William Paget criticised his leniency in promising to listen to the rebels’ grievances
Herbert and Wariwck favoured swift repression
Pressed him to send troops to Devon and Norfolk
How was propaganda used in response to the POG?
Richard Morrison declared that ‘obedience is the badge of a Christian man’
Henry rejected the Lincoln rebels’ petition, ordered them to disperse, said that the rebels were ‘one of the most brute and beastly of the whole realm’, and warned that Suffolk was gathering a 100,0000-strong army
Henry condemned disobedience, asking ‘when every man will rule, who shall obey’ in his Remedy for Sedition
Little impact
What did Thomas Cranmer do in 1529?
Attacked the Western rebels’ religious ignorance and brazen effontery
Said that the rebels ‘be taught to speak and yet understood not one world what they say’
What was Philip Nichols commissioned to do in 1549?
Write a lengthy criticism of the rebel articles, which he condemned on moral and religious grounds
What was one of the most skilful pieces of propaganda in 1549?
John Cheke’s The Hurt of Sedition
Commended the citizens of Exeter for holding out against the assault
Said that the people of Norwich were censured, and their behaviour ‘white livered’
Why did the writing of polemics have a limited impact?
Few could read and rebels were not interested in lessons on morality
Court propaganda did more to buttress the morale of the rebels
How was propaganda also used?
Speeches and sermons were used to persuade the rebels to disperse
How was propaganda used in 1549?
Russell took with him a handful of preachers whom Somerset advised should proclaim the Gospel
Preachers were sent to Mousehold Heath and Matthew Parker narrowly escaped being captured
What pre-emptive measure was taken by Henry VII in 1487 and 1497 and what was the response?
He produced a papal condemnation on the eve of the Battle of Stoke and at Blackheath
Many rebels surrendered rather than risk eternal damnation
What happened at Easter 1487?
The real Earl of Warwick was paraded to convince people that Simnel was an impostor
A proclamation ordered all rumour-mongers to be pillorised
Elizabeth Woodville was confined to a nunnery
What foreign measures were taken by Henry VII to combat the threat of Warbeck?
Pressure was put on diplomats to deny Warbeck political support
What domestic measures were taken by Henry VII to combat the threat of Warbeck?
In 1493 he informed troublemakers that there was no future in supporting Warbeck
15 counties were under suspicion and investigated
Henry deprived Desmond of his office of Constable of Limerick Castle in 1494
14 nobles and gentry were attainted and four executed
What happened in 1495?
Henry VII’s men were waiting when Warbeck tried to land in England
51 were caught and hanged, and 150 put on trial
What did Mary I’s council do when they heard whispers that there was a conspiracy in 1553?
The council interrogated Sir Edward Courtenay and identified Carew, Suffolk, Croft, and Wyatt as the main leaders
Circular letters were sent to counties
What did local authorities do in January 1554?
The sheriff of Devon garrisoned Exeter, which led to Carew fleeing to France
The Earl of Huntingdon searched for Suffolk in the midlands, which discouraged others from joining him; and Croft lost his nerve and disappeared into north Wales
What did Elizabeth I do when she heard of the northern earls’ conspiracy?
Norfolk was denied permission to marry and nobles such as Arundel, Pembroke, Lumley, and Leicester all disassociated themselves from the plot
What happened in November 1569?
Norfolk sent a letter to the Earl of Westmorland, forbidding him from starting a revolt in his name
What happened when Elizabeth I was made aware of the revolt?
Mary was moved 30 miles south to a new location near Coventry
The President of the Council of the North, Sussex was ordered to suppress the rising
What tactics were used in Ireland?
Rebels were offered pardons and promises
Rival clan chiefs were encouraged to assist the Crown through offers of reward
Steps were taken to raise a sufficiently large loyalist army
What contributed to the government’s difficulties in dealing with rebellions in Ireland?
Marshy terrain
Poor communications
Problems in recruiting troops
The increasing hostility of native Irish towards the English
What did rebellions in Ireland have to be treated like?
Wars of attrition that could last for several years and end without a satisfactory outcome
Why were orders to raise troops delayed and give an example:
Paying troops were expensive and if the men were not paid they could become threats
Somerset in 1549 faced the prospect of having to suppress rebellions in England as well as waging war against Scotland
What did Somerset have to do, what did this explain, and why?
Deploy his troops prudently
Why major rebellions took so long to suppress and why he employed foreign
The treasury was short of money, Somerset was short of soldiers, and he was more concerned about disturbances closer to London
What did the government rely on and what was the problem?
The nobility and gentry provided retainers for their army
If any noble put his men in armour and prepared to fight without receiving a royal commission, he knew he was committing treason
What dilemma did Henry VIII’s commanders face in 1536?
The Earl of Shrewsbury mustered troops in anticipation
The Earl of Huntingdon preferred to wait for official authorisation
What mistake did Henry VIII make during the POG?
Underestimated the size of the rebel host in comparison with the small number of loyalist troops available to his commanders
Bragged that 40,000 would soon arrive when in practice Suffolk had half this number
Why was Henry VI fortunate during the Simnel rebellion?
He set up command in Warwickshire and could deal with an invasion or quickly return to London
Raised money to pay for retainers, urged nobles to muster as many men as possible, and sifted intelligence reports
Had a number of nobles and their retainers numbering 15,000
Why was Henry VIII caught by surprise by the POG?
Had told Suffolk to scale down his military operations
Had cancelled plans for royal troops to assemble in Bedfordshire
Why was Henry VI less fortunate during the Cornish rebellion?
Daubeny was unable to prevent the Cornish rebels from reaching Blackheath because he had insufficient men, and held back until he was joined by other men
What was Henry VIII made aware of?
That further results had broken out in Richmond and Lancashire
That many gentry had defected to the rebels or gone into biding
What happened after 13 October 1936?
Letters were issued commissioning nobles to raise armies
The Duke of Norfolk was told to take as many man as he could, join the Earl of Shrewsbury, and hold a line of the River Trent
What problems did Henry VIII have during the POG?
Didn’t know who to trust
Had his doubts about the Earl of Derby
More than two weeks passed before Norfolk and Shrewsbury had enough troops to advance
In 1549 what problems did Lord Russell have?
Had 300 men and the rebels had 6000
Managed to raise 2000 soldiers but since most of the gentry were unwilling to volunteer their services, all he could do was wait for reinforcements and hope that Exeter could hold out
How long did Russell have to wait and what happened at the end of July 1549?
5 weeks
Wilton appeared with 400 English troops and some mercenaries
Only then was Russell prepared to risk a battle
What was the problem with troops during Kett’s rebellion?
Northampton was only given 1500 troops because Somerset deemed the presence of two peers, two privy councillors, and the leading Norfolk gentry strong enough
His army was outnumbered ten to one
The Earl of Warwick didn’t arrive with 7500 troops until 24 August
What revealed the frailty of the government’s position in 1554 and how did Mary I compound her problems?
Wyatt’s sudden appearance at Rochester with 2000 men
By insisting that the Duke of Norfolk should lead her army: he was 80, uninspiring, and unable to discipline his 500 whitecaps
What were the sheriff of Kent and Lord Abergavenny unable to do?
Raise many men
What did Mary I learn of and what did she then do?
That London-trained bands had changed sides
Offered Wyatt a truce to negotiate with the rebels and appointed lords Pembroke and Clinton to raise an army
What did Mary I do on 1 February and what was the result?
Declared she would only marry Phillip with her council’s consent and called on the assembled citizens to support her
Londoners rallied behind her, London Bridge was blocked, barricades were thrown up around the city, and Wyatt was defeated
What was the problem with troops during the Northern Earls’ rebellion?
Sussex could raise 400 cavalry and a small number of county militia, but ranged against him were 1600 cavalry and 3400 infantry
Ralph Sadler informed Cecil ‘if we should go to the field with the northern force only, they would fight faintly; for if the father be on this side, the son is on the other’
What did Elizabeth I do during the Northern earls’ rebellion and what was the response?
Exaggerated the dangers of a lawless mob that had been enlarged by vagrants and masterless men
Parliament voted for more money to pay for a very large army, but it took time to assemble
What was the case by December 1569?
Sussex had gathered 12,000 troops at York
Lord Hunsdon was preparing to move south from Newcastle with a small army
Lords Warwick and Clinton were collecting 10,000 men in the south
The royal forces outnumbered the rebels and the fled north into Scotland
Why was raising troops in Ireland problematic?
Troops were never sufficient to deal with large-scale disturbances
Lord deputies had to rely on recruiting Irish volunteers and the retainers of clan chiefs
Give two examples of men recruiting troops in Ireland and the problems they faced:
Sir William Skeffington raised 2300 troops in 1534 and only defeated Thomas after 14 months
Lord Deputy Sidney depended on the earls of Kildare and O’Donnell to defeat O’Neill despite Elizabeth sending 700 troops under Randolph
What did Lord Wilton do in 1580?
His army of 6500 was enough to suppress the Geraldine rebellion, demonstrating the importance of the government putting its mind to tackling the Irish problem
Why did the national uprising of the 1590s prove the biggest test for Elizabeth?
England was at war with Spain
Runaway inflation
Food shortages
Rising unemployment
Recurrent plague
What was Elizabeth aware of?
The strategic importance of Ireland - Spain had landed troops before and Phillip intended to assist Irish rebels again
What was in short supply in the 1590s and what was the result?
Money and men
The scale of Tyrone’s rebellion was allowed to grow, traversing all four provinces and the rebel armies exceeded 6000
What mistake did Essex make?
Divided his army, putting half in garrisons and sending the rest into provinces
By 1603 how many English troops had been sent to Ireland?
30,000
What happened in 1497?
Warbeck arrived at Taunton with 6000 men but fled at the approach of Daubeny’s army
Willoughby de Broke gathered ships at Portsmouth
What seemed likely in October 1536 and what happened?
Military confrontation when pilgrims called on the Earl of Derby’s army to settle their differences at Clitheroe Moor
Aske urged the rebels not to break the truce and Shrewsbury ordered Derby to disband
What happened during the LJG rebellion?
Northumberland decided to try and defeat Mary in battle with 2000 men but the Earl of Oxford defected and the privy council declared for Mary
What happened in 1554?
Wyatt surrendered to the Earl of Pembroke’s troops rather than risk a battle
Why did the northern earls’ lose heart?
When confronted with the prospect of fighting a battle even though they could muster 5000 men
What did the Earl of Essex do?
Held back from engaging royal troops after failing to get past Legate
How many rebels were killed at East Stoke, Blackheath, Clyst St Mary, and Sampford Courtenay?
East Stoke: 4000
Blackheath: 1000
Sampford Courtenay: 4000
How many of St Francis Bigod’s supporters fell when trying to storm Carlisle and how many rebels were taken prisoner at the end of the POG?
700
800
In Norfolk in 1549 what did Warwick do and what happened at Dussindale?
Hung 49 prisoners when Kett turned down an offer of pardon
3000 rebels were killed at the hands of the royal army
What happened at Naworth in February 1570?
500 of Lord Dacre’s 3000-strong rebel army were killed or captured
What did most rebellions consist of in Ireland and what was the exception?
Skirmished between clans
The Battle of Yellow Ford
What were the consequences of the Lovel and Stafford rebellion?
Sir John Conyers lost his stewardship of Middleham and had a £2000 bond imposed
The Abbot of Abingdon faced a 3000-mark bond of allegiance
What did Henry VII do in February 1487?
Bound over a large Sussex contingent for sums up to £1000
How many men were knighted in the aftermath of the Battle of Stoke?
70
How many men had their lands attainted between 1487 and 1489?
33
What was Henry VII’s preferred punishment and what was unusual?
Bonds up to £1000
The treatment given to lords Scrope of Bolton and Masham, who were bound for £3000 each, and Sir Edmund Hastings for £2000; in addition, each faced a spell in prison
What happened to most of the ringleaders of the Yorkshire and Cornish tax revolts?
Rounded up, tried, and executed
How many men were pardoned and executed in the case of Yorkshire?
1500
Only 6
How did Henry VII deal with the Cornish rebellion?
Spent three years investigating the Cornish rebellion
Over 4000 people in Somerset were fined in 1500
Bridgwater, Taunton, Wells, and Bruton paid £1400, and ex-sheriffs Lutrell and Speke, £100 each
Fine of £14,000 was levied on Cornwall
Families such as the Godolphins were bound over to keep the peace
What did Henry VII do in October 1497?
Visited Wells and Exeter to reassert his authority in the area
Exeter was presented with a sword and ceremonial cap for maintenance of loyalty
In 1504 what did Henry VII do?
24 attainders were passed on the leading rebels and 38 received a royal pardon
Forgave those who had subsequently shown their loyalty to their regime
How did Wolsey deal with the Amicable Grant?
18 ringleaders taken to London
Called for the indictment of over 525 men on charges of riot and unlawful assembly
Freed the leading rebels that appeared before him in the Star Chamber, realising how impoverished they were or was forced to release them by Henry VIII
What brought no credit to Henry VIII or Wolsey?
The rebels returning to Suffolk with 90 pieces of silver as compensation
What did Henry VIII tell the Duke of Norfolk in 1537?
That the accused were to be tried by commissions without a jury and a summary verdict without appeal announced
What happened to anyone involved in the POG of was suspected of knowing something?
Had to take an oath disclosing the names of the rebel captains
What did Henry VIII instruct Norfolk to do?
Hang any monks who had repossessed their dissolved monasteries
How many men were executed in Carlisle?
74
What did the Earl of Suffolk do in Lancaster?
Executed the Abbot of Whalley and 4 monks, four canons from Cartmel, and nineteen husbandmen
What did Sir William Parr do in Lincoln?
Arrested 12 ringleaders and sentenced 34 others to death, including Sir Thomas Moigne, the Abbot of Kirkstead, 14 monks, and six priests
What happened to Lord Darcy and Hussey and why?
Tried by a court of peers in London and executed
Darcy had failed to distance himself from the pilgrims
Hussey had not tried hard enough to stop the Lincolnshire rising
What happened to Aske, the Percy brothers, George Lumley, Sir Robert Constable, and Sir John Bulmer?
Judged to have been in contact with Bigod and so broke their pardon
What did Nicholas Tempest and Stephen Hammerton admit to?
Helping monks to return their abbeys
How many were hanged as a result of the Lincolnshire rising and the POG and Bigod’s rising?
46
132
How many POG rebels were pardoned?
56
Why was the clergy less fortunate after the POG?
All 20 clerics tried at Lincoln in March 1537 were executed, whereas only 14 out of 67 laymen were given death sentences
What was Russell ordered to do in 1549?
Execute ‘the heads and stirrers of rebellion in so diverse places as you may to the more terror of the unruly’
How many rebels were hung in Devon and Somerset towns?
100
What did Sir Anthony Kingston, the provost marshal, do and who was among his victims?
Imposed martial law in Cornwall
8 priests
In January 1550 what happened?
Arundell, Winslade, Bury, and Holmes were executed
What happened to the other leaders of the Western rebellion?
6 were pardoned, with the exception of Robert Welsh who was hung on his own church tower in Exeter
What happened to the ringleaders of Kett’s rebellion?
Tried and executed, some under the Oak of Reformation, others on the city gallows
What happened to Kett?
Held for six weeks in the Tower of London, tortured, tried, convicted, and returned to Norwich to hang from the city walls in December 1549
What was Mary I’s response to Northumberland’s revolt?
Showed leniency towards the rebels
Northumberland, Sir John Gates, and Sir Thomas Palmer were executed
LJG, her father, and Northumberland’s sons were imprisoned
How many Wyatt rebels were indicted, pardoned, convicted, and executed?
1000
600
480
71 (Wyatt, Suffolk and his brother, and Jane and her husband)
What did Renard, the imperial ambassador in London, reassure Phillip of Spain of?
That the rebellion was a minor religious disturbance
What was Mary I’s privy council divided over?
The extent of Princess Elizabeth’s and Courtenay’s involvement
Some Catholics, like Rochester, wanted to put her on trial; others, like Paget and Arundell, came to her defence
What did Mary I’s government do after weeks of deliberations but what happened in 1555?
Elizabeth was placed under house arrest and Courtenay was confined to Fotheringay Castle
Both were released
What were the queen and her council less concerned about following Wyatt’s rebellion?
Enacting revenge and more interested in winning over the hearts and minds of the people
What did Elizabeth I do following the northern earls’ rebellion?
Encouraged Sussex and Hunsdon to take raiding parties into Scotland, where they burned 300 villages and sacked 50 castles
Northumberland was captured and ransomed to the English for £2000 in 1572, and then executed
Martial law was declared
Who evaded capture, how many rebels were executed, and how many hung following the northern earls’ rebellion?
Dacre and Westmorland
700
450
What did George Bowes do following the northern earls’ rebellion?
Acted more discriminately and hung only 81 out of 256 tried in Darlington and Richmond
What happened to the gentry and lesser nobles following the northern earls’ rebellion?
Had their lands attainted and castles seized
What happened to the ringleaders of the Oxfordshire rebellion?
5 were taken to London, interrogated, imprisoned for six months, tortured, and sentenced to death for making war against the queen
What happened in June 1597?
Two rebels, Bradshaw and Burton - were hanged, drawn, and quartered
What did the council order the Lord Lieutenant of Oxford to do and what was the consequence?
Make extensive arrests even though he believed no more than twenty men were involved
Many innocent men found themselves in London prisons
Why did the council overreact following the Oxfordshire rebellion?
Out of fear that the rising was part of a larger conspiracy or that a similar incident might occur elsewhere
How many suspects involved in Essex’s rebellion were detained and arrested?
100
What did the council do following Essex’s rebellion and what was the impact?
Acted quickly to examine the accused and judges were told to hear these cases before setting off on circuits
Within a few weeks trials took place and verdicts were given
What happened to Essex, Merrick, and Cuffe?
Executed
How many were fined, what did Rutland have to pay, what did Bedford and Neville have to pay, and what happened to the Earl of Southampton?
36
£30,000
£10,000 each
FIned and given a spell in the Tower of London
What was invoked whenever rebellion broke out in Ireland and why?
Martial law
Allowed English troops to shoot to kill and execute anyone without trial anyone they suspected was involved
Between 1535 and 1537 what happened?
70 English and Irish supporters of Silken Thomas were hanged
Thomas and his five uncles were executed
200 rebels were fined and their lands attainted
What happened during the Munster rebellion?
Lord Deputy Sidney executed 800 rebels and over 20 castles were captured and their lands seized
What happened during the Geraldine rebellion?
Lord Wilton massacred the entire garrison of Smerwick and hanged as many rebels as he could find
The Earl of Desmond’s head was forwarded to Elizabeth
Why did the English treat the Irish quite differently from their counterparts in England?
Never showed any sympathy or understanding towards Irish rebels
