The Year of the Many Headed Monster 1549

Sometimes known as the year of commotion, 1549 was a year of unprecedented unrest. Areas throughout the country witnesses pesant revolts oftens as a result of the increased level of enclosure. This occurred in more low lying areas where land was more valuable as sheep land. The pesantry despite promises from the Good Duke Somerset felt that they were increasingly unable to achieve justice lawfully and so resorted to more aggresive measures.

Of these rebellions the two largest were:

• The Western Rebellion
• The Kett's Rebellion

The Western Rebellion 1549

Otherwise known as The Prayer Book rebellion this was undoubtedly a religiously motivated revolt. The people of Cornwall and Devon reacted strongly against the Edwardian reformation. The majority of the rebels demands suggest that the rebels wished for restoration rather than reformation and they like those during the Pilgrimage of Garce marched under the banner of the 5 wounds of Christ. There was no demand for a return of Papal authority however, everything that was new was heavily criticised including the new prayer book.

It could also be argued that the introduction of a new sheep tax only two weeks after the new prayer book added to the rebels growing grievances. The new tax in practice hit the peasant farmers as the wealthy were able to raise their prices to cover their costs.

Causes:
Religious/Local issues: ‘The first insurrections of Cornishmen against Edwardian Reformation, in 1547 and 1548, sprang from fear of the loss of church goods and intense unpopularity of the government’s agent William Body’ [Fletcher] The Edwardian Reformation was introduced by protector Somerset and was a more extreme Protestant for than that of Henry VIII. Changes included the destruction of religious images, the closing of all chantries [places where prayers were said for dead men’s souls]. The people thought that the church and chantry goods were going to be confiscated. They suspected that Body ‘ an unscrupulous and avaricious careerist’ was trying to make himself risch by confiscating Cornish church property. Cornish men such as John Ressigh said that only a King could introduce new religious laws. ‘It was the announcement of the new liturgy in the prayer book to be uniformly used on Whitsunday 1547 that turned the opposition into a full scale rebellion’ [ Fletcher]. Demands in the rebels manifesto include: wanting to keep the Latin [or their own Cornish language and wafers instead of communion bread in services, wanting their children to be confirmed younger, complaints against inadequate clergy who withheld burials and baptisms to get higher fees.
Economic issues: Devon JPs had asked for a delay on the new poll tax on sheep – sheep counting had stated in May 1549, and there were rumours that geese and pigs would be taxed too. There were grievances about inflation.
Individual issues: Arundell was a known troublemaker and letters write of ‘riff-raff’ in the rebel ranks. The Samford Courtenay gentry families had a specific feud. Joyce Youings wrote ‘The motives of most of those that took part are still very unclear’.

In 1547 there was hostile demonstration against Body and the commissioners, dealt with mildly by the government. In 1548, Body was murdered by a mob in Helston. 10 of the ringleaders were hanged. In 1549, the commons persuaded a gentleman, Humphrey Arundell to lead them. They set up camp at Bodmin, drew up articles of grievance, and marched into Devon, where another rising started spontaneously in Samford Courtenay and joined the Cornish at Crediton. The leading JPs were powerless, but the opposition to the rebels was led by Sir Peter Carew, who started negotiations, but only provoked the rebels to block the roads to Exeter. Carew escaped to London to get help. Protector Somerset, faced with other disturbances and not having accurate information, sent Lord Russell with an inadequate force – he could not advance. The rebels set siege to Exeter- it was six weeks before Somerset took the situation seriously and gave Russell the men to relive it, while Russell could get no support from local people. The citizens of Exeter were divided, but those loyal to the crown won. Russell relived Exeter on 6 August, after skirmishes with 6,000 rebels but he did not dare follow them into the west. On 16th August Russell, now with 8,000 mercenaries, defeated the rebels at Stamford Courtenay, killing over 4,000 of them.

‘ The rebellion never had any real chance of forcing the government to make concessions in its religious policy’ The rebels got so far because Somerset was busy with other problems – rebellions in the midlands and east, and war declared by France on 8th August. Somerset may have made concessions, but he was losing his grip on the council, and other members would never have allowed them.

Very little – it distracted Somerset when he was dealing with Kett’s rebellion. Religious policies were not changed and Somerset’s others policies went when he lost power. Catholicism was restored only as a result of Mary’s accession [1553].

Kett's rebellion 1549

Kett's rebellion was motivated by both religious and economic issues. In contrast with the Western rebellion, the Kett's rebellion, was in part a reaction to the slow rate of progress Protestantism was making in eastern England. There was a strong feeling that the ministers were not good enough to advance the reformation. The rebels demanded better educated and resident clergy.

However, while religion became increasingly important to the rebels it was economic issues which first sparked the rebellion. Enclosures were becoming increasingly common particualrly in the East of England during this period. The rebellion was triggered between two local rivals, Robert Kett and John Flowerdew. Both had enclosed their land and while rioting broke out on Flowerdew's estates Kett had the foresight to dismantle his before offering himself as the spokesman of the rebels. What had agitated the rebels were accusations that these men were obstructing a government commission that was investigating illegal enclosure in the area. The rebels believed they would have government backing (The Good Duke) if they took the law into their own hands.

Causes:
1. Enclosures: Protector Somerset and his civil servant John Hales believed that the economic and agrarian problems of the time were caused by greedy landlords trying to enclose land. They tried to stop this but the commons blocked three bills in 1548, so they set up commissions to look into enclosure abuses. The only one that got anywhere was near the area affected by the rebellion. The rebels thought that they were supported by the central government when they began tearing down enclosures. Resentments against the landlords was made worse by rack renting, and overstocking [grazing more than their fair share of animals] of commons by landlords.
2. Bad Local Gov: The rebellion began in Norfolk, which was particularly ill-administrated by its traditional magistrates’ (Elton). Kett’s article 57 says his purpose was to ensure that the ‘good laws, statues, proclamations’ made for the good people were no longer disregarded by the JPs. The rebels at Mousehold were careful to govern the area around very fairly. Many of the rural ruling classes had been corruptly abusing their privileges, and in Norwich city there Was a ‘breakdown of trust between the governing class and the people who normally sustained local government which has no parallel in the Tudor period’ (Fletcher)
3. Religion: 7 articles in Kett’s manifesto contain more protestant demands – that priests should preach and teach more, that priests live with aristocrats rather than with their flocks, and that they are grasping over tithes. They demanded that parishioners should choose new priests if their existing priest was not good enough. Norfolk had a tradition of Protestant radicalism- including Lollardy.

There had been many anti-enclosure riots across England, and one such riot at Attleborough in Norfolk gained a leader in Robert Kett, who led rioters to Norwich. He was joined by citizens and other s from the country, and soon had 16,000 in his camp at Mousehold outside Norwich. Mass uprisings swept through East Anglia and the South East, with several rebel camps set up. On July 22, they took Norwich by storm. The Suffolk rebel camp was suppressed, but Kett’s organization was excellent and popular, and the marquis of Northampton, sent by Somerset to put Kett down, mishandled events: he wasted time, allowed his Italian mercenaries to rest on cushions and was defeated by the rebels in a battle in the streets of Norwich. Northampton fled Norwich, and panic spread through the gentry. The Earl of Warwick was then sent with 12,000 men, and eventually defeated Kett outside Norwich, killing 3,000 men. Kett and between 50,300 men were hanged. Other riots and minor risings continued.

Indirectly fatal to Somerset. He was blamed by many for provoking the rebellion and for being too weak and slow to suppress it. Warwick’s success made him the obvious leader to challenge Somerset, and his army could be used to topple Somerset. This happened, bloodlessly, on 5th October. But the rising was not aimed at bringing Somerset down- more at supporting him against local gentry.

1. A counter reaction by MPs in November 1549 re-enacted the 13th century statue of Merton, enabling lords of the manor to enclose common land at their own discretion, leaving ‘sufficient’ for tenants use [landlords judged what was ‘sufficient’], with the death penalty for those who broke down fences. MPs also passed laws making it a felony to combine to lower rents and lower the price of corn.
2. Warwick brought in a more extreme Protestantism [but not due to Kett]

Northumberland's Coup 1553

In 1553 as Edward was dying he issued a 'Devise' which aimed to exclude Mary from the succession in order to avoid passing the throne to a Catholic. It was also largely responsible for the Duke of Northumberland's rebellion. He saw an opportunity to hold on to power and led an armed rebellion in favour of his daughter in law Lady Jane Grey.

Causes:
Factional/Religious/Dynastic: John Dudley, the Earl of Northumberland had grown in power at the end of Edward’s reign and was reluctant to lose this power or see England under the leadership of a Catholic Queen. Edward’s ‘devise’ aimed to exclude Mary from the succession and was largely responsible for the Duke of Northumberland’s rebellion.

In 1553 the Duke of Northumberland had the support of aristocrats like the earls of Oxford and Huntingdon, and Lords Grey and Clinton in his attempt to overthrow Mary, but significantly more nobles rallied to her defence and most of Northumberland’s army 2000 deserted when confrontation seemed likely. The critical moment came on 18th July when Earl of Oxford defected. Next day, the Privy council declared for Mary, and the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London followed suit. Though Northumberland could still count on some loyal nobles he knew the game was up.

Mary’s response was to show leniency towards the rebels. Only a handful were punished: Northumberland and his two close associates, Sir John Gates and Sir Thomas Palmer were executed. Lady Jane Grey, her father and Northumberland’s sons were imprisoned. Jane was later executed as a result of Wyatt’s rebellion. Showed that the Protestant reformation was not as complete as it was assumed as many welcomed the return of a Catholic Queen. It also shows how important the rightful heir was to the people of England- they would rather a legitimised Tudor on the throne.

Wyatt's Rebellion 1554

Unusually Mary was not targeted by rebellion as a result of her counter-reformation. She had reversed much of Edward's policy before the Wyatt’s revolt. Originating from Kent it was fuelled by political factors rather than religious issues. However it cannot been ignored that Kent was a Protestant stronghold and all the leaders of the rebellion can be linked to the Protestant church. Instead Wyatt's agenda was linked to the emergence of a Spanish faction at court following the proposal of Philip II to Mary. This xenophobia Wyatt believed would prompt more support from the nation.

Causes:
1. Political: D.M Loades ‘The real reasons which lay behind the conspiracy were secular and political’. The plot was led by prominent members of the Edwardian regime who had done their best to keep Jane on the throne, and who would have been happy to see her back. The rebels were objecting to the proposed marriage of Mary I to the King of Spain, her cousin Philip II. There were no effective constitutional ways of opposing such a marriage – Mary rejected a Commons petition against the marriage in Nov. 1553. The marriage was linked to a restoration of lands to the Church that had been sold off in the previous two reigns. The conspiracy aimed to depose Mary and marry her Protestant sister to Edward Courtney, grandson of Edward IV., and put her on the throne. Wyatt appealed to patriotism when raising rebellion, saying he meant no harm to Mary- only to keep her from bad advisers, and to keep the Spaniards out of England.
2. Religious; ‘The religious agenda of the rebellion deserves more attention that Loades gives it‘ (Fletcher). John Ponet, recently deprived Bishop Winchester, was one of Wyatt’s advisers. The only real violence in London was against the property of the catholic Bishop Gardiner. Not a single rebel had Catholic sympathies. Thomas Wyatt was an enthusiastic evangelical, Carew was notorious as a promoter of Protestantism in the West, and Croft had been entrusted to introducing the Protestant liturgy in Ireland. There is evidence of Protestant religious radicalism in Kent, the seat of the rebellion.

The rising was planned to take place in March 1554 with a series of rising around the country led by prominent gentry, and the French giving naval support. But the secrecy of the plot was lost, and various uncoordinated small rising took place in January, led by the Duke of Suffolk [Leics.], Carew [Devon] , while Croft never tried to raise Herefordshire. Only in Kent did Wyatt get a rebellion going, raising his standard at Maidstone and his HQ in Rochester. Many neutral gentry were quietly sympathetic, and did nothing to stop Wyatt. The royalist commander, Norfolk, had to retreat to London when the Whitecoats Londoner at his back deserted to the rebels. The whitecoats urged a rapid attack on London, which could have succeeded, but Wyatt hesitated and then Mary played for time. Mary promised to follow parliament’s advice over her marriage, gaining her crucial support in London. When Wyatt finally marched on London on Feb 6th he put the government forces to flight, causing panic in London, But Mary stayed firm, Ludgate gate stayed closed, and the populace did not rise for Wyatt. Wyatt surrendered after about 40 men were killed.

Dangerous; If the Londoners had backed Wyatt, Mary may have been deposed, and Elizabeth enthroned. The presence of a royal alternative and credible, popular noble leadership together with the seat of rebellion near London, and the xenophobic feelings against Philip combined to give it a real chance. But the crucial movement against a ruling Tudor, had proved difficult to make again, suggesting that the mystique of the Tudors made them almost impossible to dethrone.

The leading conspirators, together with nearly 100 men, were executed. Jane and her husband Guilford Dudley, were executed, but Elizabeth was not, due to lack of evidence against her. Wyatt, after his execution, attained martyr status, especially in Elizabeth’s reign, when there was a reaction against Spain and against Catholics. There were no mass reprisals as in 1536, as Kent was a sensitive and vulnerable area. Mary duly married Philip and got England in a disastrous war against France.

Shane O'Neill 1559

Causes:
He resented losing his Earldom of Tyrone in Ulster to his brother. He was willing his brother to get it but this only stirred up resentment against him. When he begged forgiveness from Elizabeth I, she agreed to recognise him as Captain of Tyrone and the ‘O’Neill’ head of clan, but he was soon plotting with Charles IX and Mary Queen of Scots, and claiming to be the true defender of the faith.

Despite Elizabeth’s appointments when Shane returned to Ireland he continued to disregard the law, raid lands of rival clansmen, kidnapped hostages and dabbled in high treason. In 1566 Elizabeth finally abandoned her attempts to reconcile him and turned to a military solution. Elizabeth sent 700 troops to establish a garrison in Ulster but the defeat of Shane was dependant on the support of the other clans. Shane O’Neill was finally defeated in 1567.

Dangerous: See Kildare; also from reaction of Elizabeth it clearly concerned her particular due to the link with MQS.

Following the suppression of the rebellion, junior members of the clan were made to surrender their land in Ulster and have them regranted according to English law, the Scots in Atrim were expelled, three garrisons set up and two English colonies were established.

Geraldine Rebellion 1565-83

Fitzgerald returned from abroad and raised Irish rebels in protest at Elizabeth’s religious and political policies.
The rebellion lasted for five years even though Fitzgerald was killed within weeks of its start. On his death Desmond continued the rebellion. He received aid from Italian and Spanish troops at Smerwick. He was eventually rounded up by an English army led by Lord Wilton. His army was more than capable to solving the Geraldine rebellion and shows that the government had put their mind to solving the Irish problem. Desmond was executed.
From time to time rebellions in Ireland could be a security risk but they never presented a serious challenge to English rule and domestic troubles and foreign wars were always given priority. The Tudors however, increasingly struggled to suppress disturbances in Ireland.
Cost Elizabeth £ 254,000