Rebellions

Cause 1 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

• Fear of England becoming re-catholicised

• Proposed marriage to Phillip of Spain

Leaders of the rebellion

Sir Thomas Wyatt

Sir Peter Careew

Sir James Croft

Duke of Suffolk

Cause 2 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

• France feared a Habsburg king of England

• Increase Habsburg influence, surrounding France

Plan for Wyatt’s Rebellion

• 3 rebellions happening simultaneously

• Midlands, West Country and Kent

• Confuse English government

Foreign Support for Wyatt’s Rebellion

• French navy would blockade English Channel

• Eighty Ships - Habsburg's unable to help Mary

Event 1 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

• Wyatt raised 4,000 men in Kent

• Proximity to London worried Government

• Duke of Norfolk sent to confront Wyatt

• This collapsed - 500 government troops deserted to his cause

• Norfolk retreated to London

Event 2 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

• Wyatt delayed his advance + gave the city time to organise defences

• Attempted to cross Thames thwarted - bridged deliberately damaged to stop this

Event 3 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

• Wyatt crossed Thames

• Attempted to enter London via Ludgate

• Heavily fortified

• Narrow streets allowed government to encircle his forces

Consequence 1 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

Wyatt sent to Tower of London

Rebels who weren’t killed, arrested

Authorities had to use local churches - prisons filled

Consequence 2 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

480 convicted + 90 executed

600 pardoned

Wyatt + Duke of Suffolk executed

LJG + Guildford Dudley executed

Why was LJG executed?

Paranoia - removal of existing claimant

Rebellion exacerbated this

LJG not to become a figurehead

LJG’s father involved in rebellion - Duke of Suffolk

Consequence 3 of Wyatt’s Rebellion

Uprisings in Midlands and West Country - failure

Few people gave Carew support needed - Suffolk raised force of 140 men

Loyal to the Queen

Why did the rebellion fail?

Poor co-ordination - two uprisings failed due to spy networks

Poor planning during Rebellion - Wyatt delayed advance

Lack of widespread support

Strength of monarchy

How dangerous was Wyatt’s rebellion - Yes

Yes:

• Wyatt raised 4,000 men in Kent - an unusually substantial force for a Tudor rebellion

• His proximity to London caused considerable alarm within the government

• 500 government troops deserted to Wyatt - suggesting that the government's control was not completely secure

• Had he entered London with his army, the political situation could have become considerably more dangerous

How dangerous was Wyatt’s rebellion - No

• Simultaneous risings in the Midlands, West Country and Kent failed to materialise effectively

• Wyatt's army failed to attract the level of popular support necessary to overwhelm Mary's government.

• His delay outside London was particularly damaging because it gave the government time to strengthen the city's defences.

• Once the bridges were destroyed and Londoners remained loyal to Mary, Wyatt's route into the capital became extremely difficult.