Western Rebellion

Question 1

Alternative title of Western Rebellion

Answer 1

The Prayer Book Rebellion 1549

Question 2

Who was involved in the Western Rebellion

Answer 2

Cornwall, Devon and Norfolk weren’t happy with the Edwardian reform.

Question 3

What was wrong with the Edwardian reform

Answer 3

• The English Prayer book was nicknamed the Christmas game
  -The English Bible and revised liturgy of 1547
  -Liturgy no longer in Latin which was unacceptable to the clergy, everyone was able to understand

Question 4

What did they want

Answer 4

-Return of the papal relics and images
-Restoration of chantries
-At least two monasteries in every county
-Latin mass celebrated with bread only
-Return of the act of six articles of 1539

Question 5

Key Figures

Answer 5

Humphrey Arundell- respected gentryman led rebels and opposed religious reforms
Thomas Underhill- Tailor who led rebels before Arrundell became involved
Robert Welsh- Member of the clergy who wrote the demands “The Articles”
Sir Peter Carew- Known Evangelical and former Sheriff sent to calm threat did the opposite and further increased tensions by barning burn at Crediton
Henry Courtenay- executed noble that left power vacuum in the area (executed during Henrician Reformation) Rebels wanted to reinstate Cardinal Pole
William Helyons- Member of the gentry murdered by the rebels
Sir Thomas Denys & Sir Hugh Pollard- sent to suppress rebels but sympathised with them instead
Lord Russell- Led royal army had troops with Lord Herbert and Lord Grey as well as 300 Italian Mercenaries, force of 8,600 and 450 cavalry men
William Body- Murdered at Helston in April 1548 for investigating property in Cornwall ordering the destruction of Catholic images and iconography.
Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury)- people disliked the religious reforms and religious uniformity for “national cohesion”

Question 6

Five Skirmishes

Answer 6

Siege of Exeter lasted around 6 weeks
Battle of Fenny Bridges 28th July 1549- Several hundred Cornish and Devonians killed in battle
Woodbury Common- 2,000 men barred Russel’s army at Aflington. Cornish rebels supposedly “slain like beasts”
Clyst St Mary- 5th August 1549- Devonian and Cornish rebels defeated by Lord Russell’s troops ~900 prisoners massacred. Gentrymen Sir Thomas Denys and Sir Hugh Pollard sympathised with religious cause
Battle of Sampford Courtenay- 17th August Surviving rebels fled or were executed. Ring leaders sent to TOL for questioning then found guilty of treason and were executed. ~4000 killed for taking part.

Question 7

Political Stability

Answer 7

-Lord Lieutenants appointed where trouble broke out e.g Lord Russell
-Bonds used to control nobles
-Censorship of radical sermons
-Rumours disrupted the stability e.g farmers fears of tax increases
-Act against unlawful enclosures
Cranmer’s homilies (1547) and Latimer’s sermons (1548)

Question 8

Cranmer’s response

Answer 8

Condemned the articles particularly the demands of Latin Liturgy.
Cranmer used examples of historical rebellions e.g the German Peasants War (1525)- 100,000 peasants were killed

Question 9

Regency Council

Answer 9

Constantly undergoing change
- Duke of Somerset was brought down
- costly wars with France and Scotland
-opposition to domestic reforms
-growing factionalism among the nobility and gentry opposed to his authoritarian leadership
-fear his populist policies would lead to further disorder among the commons

Question 10

History of rebellion

Answer 10

Many rebels had ancestors who had fought in the Battle of Blackheath 1497 supporting Perkin Warbeck.
Resentment towards the government could not be erased after these events.