Tudor Rebellions

Henry VIII's Strategy

Negotiated false truce; justified punitive actions.

Geographical Limits

Rebellions confined to Northern England.

Poor Leadership

Weak leadership contributed to rebellion failures.

Lincolnshire Rising

Started in Louth; 10,000 rebels gathered.

Royal Army Response

Rebels dispersed upon news of royal army.

Obedience to the King

Rebels respected Tudor hierarchy, fearing treason.

Cumberland Rising

Part of the larger rebellion against Henry VIII.

Sir Francis Bigod's Revolt

Led by Bigod; suspected King's insincerity.

Pilgrimage of Grace

Largest Tudor rebellion; 178 executed.

Council of the North

Strengthened royal control post-rebellion.

Internal Divisions

Disparate motives reduced rebel cohesion.

York Articles

Grievances presented by mobilized rebels.

Dissolution of the Monasteries

Central cause of rebellion; economic hardship.

Food Shortages

Poor harvests led to widespread discontent.

Taxation Issues

Opposition to Cromwell's 1534 Subsidy Act.

Defence of the Faith

Religious motivations highlighted by rebels.

Aristocratic Feuds

Nobles opposed Cromwell's influence at court.

Elton's Theory

Disaffected nobles orchestrated rebellion due to grievances.

Limited Coordination

No cross-regional cooperation among rebels.

Overthrow Aims

Rebels sought policy reform, not removal of Henry.

Key Events of the Rebellion

Included Lincolnshire Rising, Pilgrimage of Grace.

Government Preparedness

Caught unprepared; rebels vastly outnumbered troops.

Princess Mary's Bastardization

Caused discontent after Henry's annulment.

Local Gentry Weakness

Nobility failed to control uprisings effectively.

Clergy Protests

Calls for clergy to prioritize the poor.

Religious Grievances

Opposition to the 1549 Prayer Book and reforms.

1st Book of Common Prayer

Introduced in 1549, angered traditional Catholics.

Act of Uniformity

Legislation enforcing uniformity in church services.

Removal of Religious Images

Seen as a final provocation by traditionalists.

Rebel Demands

Included reinstatement of the Act of Six Articles.

John Flowerdew

His greed triggered local rebellion in Norfolk.

Robert Kett

Leader of rebels, united them despite lack of nobility.

Socio-Economic Factors

Economic strain from taxes on sheep and cloth.

Local Government Failures

Criticism of local governance led to direct appeals.

Mousehold Heath

Location where rebels camped and set up courts.

Rack-Renting

Exploitation of tenants through excessive rent increases.

Engrossing

Consolidation of land, worsening small farmers' plight.

Enclosure

Land conversion for sheep farming caused farmer resentment.

Western Rebellion

A rebellion in Devon and Cornwall against reforms.

Kett's Rebellion

Norfolk rebellion driven by socio-economic issues.

Somerset's Policies

Commission on enclosures inadvertently encouraged rebellion.

Poor Leadership

Lack of effective noble leadership contributed to unrest.

Key Events

Began with William Body's murder in Cornwall.

Rebel Assembly at Bodmin

Led by Humphrey Arundell, created grievances.

Lord Russell

Struggled to suppress rebels due to limited resources.

Government Force

Mercenaries and troops suppressed rebellions harshly.

Marquis of Northampton

Failed to suppress Kett's rebellion in Norwich.

Earl of Warwick

Led 12,000 professional forces against rebels.

Dussindale

Location where rebels were defeated by Warwick.

Mousehold Heath

Kett's strategic error site before defeat.

Prolonged siege of Exeter

Weakened rebellion due to strategic mistakes.

Rebels' limited aims

Sought intervention, not overthrow of the Crown.

Religious factors

Mixed motivations; some opposed Catholic restoration.

Mary, Queen of Scots (MQS)

Considered legitimate Catholic heir by strict Catholics.

Economic hardship

Decline in cloth industry increased social unrest.

Northern nobles' grievances

Resented Elizabeth's centralization and loss of power.

Wyatt's Rebellion

Attempt to replace Elizabeth with MQS in 1554.

Key events of Wyatt's Rebellion

Wyatt raised 2,500 men; surrendered on February 12.

Poor leadership in rebellions

Delayed coordination and planning hindered rebel efforts.

Northern Rebellion

Started in 1569; aimed to restore Catholicism.

5,000 rebels

Number of men gathered during Northern Rebellion.

Lack of foreign aid

Spanish support never materialized for the rebels.

Elizabeth's response

Moved MQS to Protestant stronghold, deployed troops.

Royal actions

Key towns remained loyal due to effective governance.

Threat assessment of rebellions

Close proximity to London caused temporary panic.

Rebel weaknesses

Poorly equipped and outnumbered by government forces.

Economic struggles

Poor harvests and inflation affected nobles and commoners.

Religious grievances

Opposition to Elizabethan Settlement fueled discontent.

Succession concerns

Elizabeth's lack of an heir created uncertainty.