Why did the rising fail?

Question 1

Failures in the leadership of the Northern Uprising

Answer 1

• Lacked the co-ordination and clear objectives of earlier risings. Compared to the POG or Ketts, where one charismatic leader emerged with a clear set if aims and methods, the leadership of W and N was less focused.
• Although W was committed to the N-M marriage, he still needed convincing by his uncle, Chris Neville and N needed even more persuading and didn’t agree with the N-M marriage, although he was prepared to plot to achieve Mary’s freedom from imprisonment.
• Suggests that there was disagreements among the rebel leaders and this weakened leadership.

Question 2

The government’s response

Answer 2

• Although local govt officials struggled to cope initially, the Tudor govt ultimately had the strength to reinistate order.
• Liz’s policy of giving local office to loyal Protestant outsiders and local men whom relied on royal favour for their position, helped to bring about the rebellion but also end it = Foster, Bowes and Lord Hundson remained loyal and were in constant contact with the London govt, relaying the situation tot those coordinating a response.
• Info led to the organisation of a counterattack and removing QM of Scots from rebel’s reach.
• News of the arrival of the large army from south was clear enough to deter the rebels advancing further.
• Initially slow but when it materialised in Dec, the threat of its size scared the rebels who didn’t wish to fight.

Question 3

Lack of international support

Answer 3

• No support from foreign Catholic powers.
• Falsey believed Phillip II of Spain would send troops - despite Anglo-Spanish relations deteriorated by 1568, Spain was reluctant to help Mary due to her French connections and he preferred a Protestant and free of French controlled England.
• Hoped Scottish Catholic supporters of Mary would invade from the North - prevented by the pro-English regent of Scot, the Earl of Moray.
• Lacked legitimacy in the eyes of some Scots - Liz hadn’t been excommunicated by the Pope, when he did in Feb 1570 it was too late.

Question 4

Lack of widespread support

Among the nobles

Answer 4

• Although it was still threat due to the numbers involved and the time it took to shut down, it failed to attract support from the nobility - felt it was too risky.
• EXAMPLE = Henry Clifford, the Earl of Cumberland, was in trouble protecting Catholic priests. Yet, he wasn’t prepared to take the risk of open rebellion - insead helped defend Carlise from a rebel attack.
• Even in the heartlands of Neville and Percy, local gentry stayed neutral or supported Liz.
• EXAMPLE = John Sayer (Durham gentry - supporter of Northumberland) chose not to follow the Earl into the rebellion, but to help George Bowes in defending Barnard Castle.
• Shows that the rebellion didn’t automatically attract the support of all those who had grievances against Liz’s government - fear of the consequences of supporting a failed rebellion overrode any resentment they felt.

Question 5

Lack of widespread support

Among the ordinary people

Answer 5

• Attracted 5K supporters from their own estates but never gained the level of popular support seen in the POG (30K.
• Reasons why = combination of the Earl’s lack of influence beyond the regions they were the dominant landlords and the popular apathy from the Commons.
• W/O the support of other nobility, the earls couldn’t raise support outside of Yorkshire and Durham.
• Attitudes to religions began to change: Catholic Mass at Durham attracted a large congregration but it didn’t translate into mass support - it appealed the commons’ sense of tradition, but a rebellion didn’t.
• Popular dislike and suspicion of foreigners meant that a return to a Pope-Controlled Church wasn’t supported = their attempt to rally popular support for a return to Catholicism was met with indifference.

Question 6

Government repression following the revolt

Violently

Answer 6

• Despite the relatively non-violent approach of the rebels (1570 clash of Dacre-Hunsdon killed 500 rebels), Liz wanted to exact revenge to make an example of those who supported the rebellion.
• Although W + N escaped, 8 other ringleaders were executed, Liz wanted to send out a stronger message - ordered the execution of 700 rebels.
• Evidence this order was softened and Bowes only punished a small proportion of those accused, with the excuse that many escaped (e.g Richmondshire - 57/215 executed).
• Earl of Sussex also helped decrease the punishments’ severity = under pressure to prove his loyalty, he tried to keep Liz happy by telling her Bowes completed the executions earlier than he actually did.
• 450/700 actually carried out - more than in the aftermath of POG, but the impact was not as severe as intended.

Question 7

Government repression following the revolt

Politically regarding the rebels

Answer 7

• 1572 = reorganised the Council of the North.
• Appointed the Puritan Henry Hastings, the Earl of Huntingdon, as the President (role given extended powers over the N. Eng).
• Huntingdon remained in charge of the Council until his death in 1595 - his presence helped stabilise the region and was assisted by the confiscation of the rebels’ land (e.g Earl of Westmoreland).
• These policies heled to decrease the power and influence of the traditional nobility and strengthen the power of the Crown in the North.

Question 8

Government repression following the revolt

Politically regarding Scotland

Answer 8

• Helped establish Protestant rule of Scotland.
• In 1570, the Scottish regent, the Earl of Moray, was assassinated by a supporter of Mary QOS - a potential blow for English security of the North.
• However, it enabled the English govt to launch raids across the Scottish Border, claiming that they were pursuing the rebels that escaped there in 1569 but, rather, using the invasion to undermine M’s Scottish supporters.
• Therefore = unable to take advantage of Moray’s assassination, and the Protestant leadership of Scotland could reestablish itself.

Question 9

Impact of the Rebellion

The Threat of Catholicism

Answer 9

• 1570 papal bull Regnans in Excelsis, arrival of Catholic priests from 1574 trained in Catholic seminary in Netherlands by William Allen, sent 800 Catholics.
• Jesuit priests such as Edmund Campion, all threat to political stability, alongside plots to assassinate Elizabeth. 1571 calls parliament (first in five years),
• 1571 publishing of papal bull becomes punishable by death,
• 1571 Treason Act death for claiming E had no right to be Queen.
• 1572 ban Mary from succession.
• 1585 Act for Queen’s safety – Catholic priests had to leave country within 40 days or executed for treason.
• 1585 war with Spain meant there was a strong possibility of a foreign Catholic invasion force combining with Catholic recusants and Mary, QOS to remove Liz.
• 1587 Mary executed.
• 1603 = 50,000 out of 5 million Catholics remained!

Question 10

Rising Protestantism

Answer 10

• New councillors in 1570s, Sir Francis Walsingham, Ambrose Dudley.
• Elizabeth attempts to support moderate Anglicanism but other more radical councillors, such as the Earl of Leicester support radical Puritan preachers such as Thomas Cartwright.
• Growth of printing allowed for publish of Protestant ballads etc. by 1580s Puritanism had become more of a threat – 1593 Act against Seditious Secretaries.