The Lincolnshire Rising and the Pilgrimage of Grace

Beginnings/causes of the Rebellion

What caused the 2 rebellions?

What sparked off rebellion was the huge resentment felt about a government which was pushing too quickly for fundamental religious change that most ordinary people could neither sympathise with nor even understand

What were the 5 main reasons for the rebellion?

Tensions heightened in the region due to:

• Dissolving smaller monasteries

• Collecting subsidies

• Inspecting clergy quality

• Enforcing new religious laws

• Rumours spread that these commissions aimed to seize gold, jewels, plate, and impose extra taxes

Religious motives

When did the smaller monasteries begin being dissolved?

By autumn 1536, the dissolution of smaller monasteries was well under way.

What concerns came witht he dissolutions of the smaller monasteries? (4)

Concerns and undesirable effects included:

• Loss of charitable and educational functions provided by some monasteries.

• Potential loss of parish churches that were part of monastic property.

• Fear in the North that local land would be taken over by southern landowners, leading to regional impoverishment.

• Loss of useful facilities and services that monasteries had offered

How did people rebel against the dissilutions?

Rebels attempted to restore some suppressed monastic houses

Who was the rebel leader?

Rebel leader Robert Aske was a strong supporter of the monasteries

What injunctions caused a strong reaction and why?

1536 Injunctions by Cromwell were seen as an attack on traditional religious practices

• Celebration of local saints (e.g., St Wilfrid in Yorkshire) was discouraged

• This was linked to the discouragement of pilgrimage

What rmours began to spread after the 1536 injunction?

Rumours spread that:

• Church plate and jewels (donated by parishioners) would be confiscated

• Parishes might be amalgamated (merged together)

Secular motives

What was the main secular reason for the rebellion?

Economic grievances were a key motive, especially among ordinary rebels, who resented taxation

What secular reason may have sparked the rebellion specifically in Linconshire?

In Lincolnshire, the rebellion may have been sparked by the Crown's attempting to impose the Duke of Suffolk as a leading magnate in the region

What main secular reason for the rebellion do historians argue?

Historian Geoffrey Elton argued:

• The rebellion was driven by a courtly conspiracy involving supporters of Catherine of Aragon (died Jan 1536).

• Their goal was to restore Princess Mary as heir

• They exploited religious and financial grievances in the North to pressure the king as part of factional court politics

How do some historians argue the secular spread of rebelion?

The spread of the rebellion west of the Pennines (into Cumberland and Westmorland) is linked to tenant grievances (likely over land, rent, or treatment by landlords)

Why is it difficult to fully separate rebel motives?

It is difficult to fully separate rebel motives due to:

• The large geographical scale of the rebellion

• The variety of people involved with different backgrounds and concerns.