Rebellions in 1549

When did the Western Rebellion occur?

June - August 1549

What nickname was the Western Rebellion given?

‘Prayer Book Rebellion’

What were the causes of the Western Rebellion in Cornwall?

• resentment sprang from the activities of the much-hated figure of William Body (commissioner investigating church property in the county)

• 1547 - investigation into chantries created a swirl of rumours and fears about the confiscation of Church goods

• final straw was the introduction of the new prayer book - 10th June 1549

What were the causes of the Western Rebellion in Devon?

people were also provoked into rebellion by their priest’s use of the new Prayer Book on Whitsunday 1549

Who were the leaders of the Western Rebellion?

• Humphrey Arundell

• Robert Welsh

How did the Western Rebellion in 1459 begin?

• Cornwall protesters assembled in Bodmin - under leadership of Humphrey Arndell

• produced list of articles (complaints)

• marched onto Devon

In Samford Courtenay, what did the rebels persuade the priest to deliver?

traditional Catholic Mass

When did the forces from the Western Rebellion join together?

joined forces from Cornwall at Crediton on 20th June

What was the local reaction to the Western Rebellion?

very quickly gentry lost their grip on the countries

• gentlemen unsuccessfully attempted to conciliate the rebels (Hellier & Carew)

What happened to the gentlemen Hellier who attempted to calm the rebels in Devon during the Western Rebellions?

hacked to pieces

What happened to the gentlemen Sir Peter Carew who attempted to calm the rebels in Devon during the Western Rebellions?

leading gentleman in Devon - rode to meet the combined force at Crediton on 21st June

• only succeeded in aggravating the situation

• nearly erupted into violence when one of his servants inadvertently set fire to a barn

What was the First Government response to the Western Rebellion?

Somerset was acting on inadequate information and had only limited resources at his disposal

On 29th June, what did Somerset urge Lord Russell to do as a response to the Western Rebellion?

urged Russell to find a peaceful settlement and wrote a conciliatory response to the rebel demands

Why could Somerset only provide Russel with a small army to respond to the Western Rebels with?

Somerset was struggling to suppress enclosure riots in the Midlands, maintain adequate forces on the Scottish borders and watch for any French aggression

During the Western Rebellion, what did Russell avoid?

knowing the weakness of his position - avoided confronting the enemy

When did Russell finally defeat the rebel forces during the Western Rebellion?

16th August at Sampford Courtenay

What is the estimate of the people killed during the Western Rebellion?

3000

Who was hung for their involvement in the Western Rebellion?

Robert Welsh

• hanged on gallows erected on his church tower, in his vestments and with a ‘holy-water bucket, a sprinkle, a sacring bell, a pair of beeds and such other like popish trash hanged around him’

How did the aftermath of the Western Rebellion deepen hostility towards Government forces?

Government operation further depended hostility as Government forces had acted illegally, executing without trails and confiscating and redistributing propety

When did the Kett Rebellion occur?

July - August 1549

Where did the Kett Rebellion begin?

East Anglia (Textile Centre - Cloth)

• collapse in textile industry - thrown large numbers of cloth workers out of work, independent & small farmers were badly affected by enclosure

What were the causes of the Kett Rebellion?

• anger over enclosure - crowd broke down fences

• possible anger over a local abbey being destroyed

(unclear motives)

Who was the leader of the Kett Rebellion?

Robert Kett (local landowner)

• yeoman farmers also joined in - no nobility/clergy

By 12th July what had the Kett Rebels done?

• crowd of 16,000

• Kett produced their list of articles (demands) - wait for the favourable Government response that he fully expected

What was the local reaction to the Kett Rebellion?

size and speed of the movement paralysed the authorities

When was the first Governmental response to the Kett Rebellion?

21st July - York Herald arrived to offer a full pardon to those who dispersed: suggest of stopping landowners from being farmers and reduce the price of wool

• many of the crowd wanted to accept

• Kett rejected - they had done nothing wrong

• Kett arrest ordered - mood grew ugly - herald forced to retreat

What did the Kett Rebels do after their disagreement with the government?

rebels got cannons - attacked Norwitch and took control

What was the Government’s first attempt at suppression of the Kett Rebellion?

small army of 1800 sent under William Parr to negotiate - a full pardon offered - only 20 took

What did Kett do to deal with the threat caused by the senior nobility?

left with no option but to attack - army succeeded in recapturing Noriwch

• turned into a popular demonstration into a full-scale rebellion

What occurred as a response to the full-scale Kett Rebellion?

Parr retreats to raise an military army - troops taken from Scotland; John Dudley arrives with 12,000 men

Upon the arrival of the royal heard at the Kett Rebellion what was offered again?

pardon - refused

Was Dudley successful in stopping the Kett Rebellion?

Yes - 3000 killed & Kett arrested

Who was hanged for the Kett Rebellion?

Kett - tried for treason and hanged on 26th November

What does Dudley ensure to consider when dealing with the Kett rebels?

ensured the law is followed to deal with them - unlike aftermath of Western Rebellion (Somerset)

How many rebels were executed for their involvement in the Kett Rebellion?

only 49 executed!