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Mid Tudor Crisis - Rebellion and Unrest - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Discontent about Spanish marriage (Didn't want a foreign marriage, fears over Spanish 'takeover' of govt, English interests ?as secondary, Philip in control - gender - loss of power in court) Religion - Catholic restoration not wanted. (Kent - Protestant, Wyatt esp) Economic - Decline in the cloth industry Kent relies upon over a long period, cloth trade with Holland (anti-Hapsburg). Political Instability (Change in office holding, younger gentry feared Philip's presence may adversely affect career opportunities, and replacement with Spaniards)
    - - Plot began after rumours of the marriage, involving members of the political elite. Led by Sir James Croft, Sir Peter Carew and Sir Thomas Wyatt who all held office under Henry and Edward and feared they would lose their influence and be replaced by Spaniards (who would dominate court and govt). Initially planned a four-pronged rising, but only Kent rebelled. Rebels: Henry Grey, Suffolk (tried to raise forces, managed only 140 rebels, mostly his men, barred entry to Coventry and gave himself up) Sir Peter Carew (tried to raise forces in SW, failed to enlist any Protestant nobles - not a primarily religious rebellion - lacking support, fled to France, was captured) James Croft (wrote to Elizabeth who burnt the letter and did nothing) and Thomas Wyatt who was the only one to raise a force successfully. Planned to marry Elizabeth to Courtenay and said to wish the queen 'better advice' but Wriothesley's chronicle said 'to deprive her of her crown, and to ransack the city' and overthrow Mary
      - Events: In November 1553, a group of MPs tried to persuade Mary against foreign marriage and to marry Sir Edward Courtenay instead. Autumn 1553 – gentry at court discussing Protestant succession, plans for co-ordinated risings in Kent, Herefordshire, Devon, Leicestershire. Initially, Rebellion planned for 18th March 1554, with multiple areas, but only Kent uprose. Scheme disclosed to Gardiner, and poor planning by Carew, Croft and Suffolk. Forced Wyatt to raise force earlier than planned, in middle of winter. 14th January – terms of marriage announced by proclamation. Renard got wind of the plot, Courtenay made to confess and 3/4 failed to raise rebellions. Raised 2,500-3,000 men - Late January, Wyatt’s rebels, marched on London. Royal force sent under Duke of Norfolk to confront rebels. Force deserted and joined rebels – 29th January (Norfolk forced to return to court). Wyatt cautious in march towards London, giving government time to prepare. Rebels neared London and Privy council attempted to raise forces to defend the capital. Council advised Mary to leave the city - she refused, some see her resolution as a major factor in rebels’ defeat. 1st February spoke at the Guildhall. 3rd February appointed Lord William Howard as Captain General, with the Lord Mayor for defence of the City. Rebels halted at London Bridge and the Tower, so crossed the Thames at Kingston 3rd Feb. Stopped at Ludgate 12th Feb. Wyatt and supporters forced to surrender and ask for mercy
    - - Mary was relatively lenient - Croft and Carew imprisoned eventually released, Courtenay imprisoned, interrogated and exiled. 90 commoners and rebels executed. Elizabeth imprisoned and interrogated (no firm evidence of involvement under new Treason Act so escaped execution). Wyatt hung, drawn and quartered, becoming a martyr-like symbol with people dipping handkerchiefs in his blood post-execution, Lady Jane Grey and Guildford Dudley executed (no involvement in plot, but Lady Jane Grey's father involved). Suffolk was executed, Carew flew to France. Failed to end marriage, or dislike of Spaniards, failed generally. Act for Regal Power - Drafted by Lord Chancellor Gardiner, passed in 1554, explicitly stating Mary as Queen Regent carried the same power and authority as prev kings, explicitly establishing female rule, expression in support and passed by parliament but existence shows doubt existed over female rule
  - - - Public little desire for war, which was felt, would serve Spanish, rather than English interests. Economy suffering. Succession of terrible harvests. Bouts of influenza. British Involvement in Hapsburg Valois conflict. Loss of Calais
- - - - In Devon and Cornwall, Assembled in church and forced clergy to perform trad Catholic services in Latin, burnt Protestant works and texts. List of articles compiled. Began to take over Devon and Cornwall, waiting for govt to come to them. Laid siege to Exeter in July. Deemed the gentry their enemies 'Kill the Gentleman' Gentry lost their grip on counties (Hellier who attempted to calm the rebels was hacked up) Lord Russel led advance of Royal forces on 28th July after pressure from Somerset, being granted some, limited, forces. Attempted to reach a settlement and was send reinforcements. 6th August took Exeter. 16th August defeated rebels (with a ruthless army made of English soldiers and mercenaries from mainland Europe)
    - - Fierce govt reprisals, with 3,000 people killed in the rebellion. e.g. in one village in 10 mins 900 people killed. Robert Welsh (vicar) hanged. Govt forces acted illegally and confiscated and redistributed property
    - - Caused by predominantly religious and socio-economic causes (also known as 'The Prayer Book Rebellion') Wanted a reversal of religious policy: Reinstatement of Henry VIII's Act of Six Articles, use of Latin, Communion in One Kind, Prayers for the Dead, Mass every Sunday. Against the enforced introduction of the new English service, the new Prayer Book, the 1548 Sheep Tax and Localism
    - - Yes - Significant: Somerset underestimated severity so slow response. Context of Scotland, France and simultaneous nature of other rebellions. Took a number of battles to defeat the rebels. Aggressive demands. Edward's minority.
      - No - Not Significant: Didn't aim to remove Edward (Wanted religious change not systematic government change). Rebels didn't advance on London. Rebels failed to take regional capital (Exeter) completely. Lack of support from nobles or gentry. Failed to co-operate with other risings.
  - - - Socio-Economic Reasons, Enclosures and Land issues, The Commonwealth Men's Writing (they inspired and took part), Rents increasing and Rent Racking, Resentment at local officials, Somerset's policies encouraged belief he would support their cause as the 'Good Duke' but their proposals were rejected, Religion and clergy - calls for more competent clergy
    - - In East Anglia (Norfolk). 6-8th July a play and drunken feast resulted in the breaking down of enclosure fences and hedges of John Flowerdew (disliked as he bought and was pulling down a local abbey and the townspeople believed they had bought the abbey for the parish). Flowerdew encouraged the locals to attack hedges of local tanner and landowner Robert Kett who welcomed the action and assumed leadership of the movement. (Absence of clergy, gentry and nobility in leadership and movement). Reached Norwich (second largest city) 10th July and Mousehold Heath with the Oak of Reformation, where they held courts and tried landowners, with a crowd of 16,000. Court set up and searches for food with commissions in the King's name sent out. Waited for govt response after sending proposals (believed would be positive). First conciliatory offer, offering full pardon to those who disperse rejected. Rebels attacked Norwich and took the city 22nd July. Northampton sent to negotiate and cut off supply lines, but Kett attacked and retook Norwich. Earl of Warwick sent in to defeat the rebellion with 12,000 men. Refused Pardon again, army bolstered with 1,000 foreign missionaries and, after Kett abandoned the heath for a weaker position, the rebellion was defeated
    - - 3,000 deaths during rebellion, Warwick ensured rebels dealt with according to law and leniently, with only 49 evidenced executions. Kett tried and executed for high treason. Somerset looked weak as had to send in his rival
    - - Yes: Significant - Context meant government resources were stretched, Defeated Northumberland and took Norwich, Large number of rebels (16,000). Invasion from France (war declared by French on 8th August, invading Calais). Troops had to be bought back from Scotland
      - No, Not Significant - Did not aim to remove monarch, did not march on London, Rebels established camps ran in an orderly fashion, Lack of support from nobility and gentry, Kett moved from Mousehold Heath to Dussindale - easier defeat
  - - - The Chantry's Act, The Book of Common Prayer, The Act of Uniformity
    - - Somerset's power, autocratic, dictatorial, slow, inefficient responce, maladministration of areas, wanting localism, structure of power, soldiers in Scotland, Edward is a minor
    - - Population growth (pressures on resources and society)
        
        Rising at the rate of at least one percent a year (1522 – 2.3 million pop became approx. 3 mil in 1550 – fast increase)
        
        Agricultural productivity unable to keep pace, food price rose, esp grain – a staple
        
        Young population – structure changed, dependency ratio increased, with children eating food and not contributing
        
        o Hard to increase agricultural productivity as farm land was not fertile enough and no scientific measures, more incentive to give arable land to sheep farming as cloth production grew, which required fewer workers and encouraged enclosure. BUT THEN a depression in the cloth trade
      - Inflation and Rising Prices (rising prices not matching wages  hunger)
        
        o 1500 to 1550 200% inflation
        
        o Wages stagnant at around 4d a day for rural workers and 6d a day for building workers
      - Government policies:
        
        o e.g. Enclosures of land (hedges and fences to enclose land and create larger farms and fields at expense of peasants – common land being taken, peasants driven out of renting for livestock). Inquiry over land – investigation did nothing ☹
        
        o over the whole century less than 3% of arable land was enclosed but like LOADS of writing about it
        
        o Proclamations to force landowners to reverse policy lost Somerset their support. Legislation failed and peasants took down enclosures (belief in Somerset’s support)
      - Poor harvests
        
        o 6 of the harvests between 1500-1550 failed to provide sufficient food for a subsistence economy
        
        o Somerset decides to debase the coin – reissue coinage with less expensive metal, so can produce more money – further inflationary pressure)
      - War with Scotland (the rough wooing and invasion) has an economic cost and consequence of army, transport, garrisons, weaponry, supplies, food etc
      - Changes in agriculture – Enclosure
      - Decline in living standards
      - Poverty and Vagrancy
        
        o No police to deal with vagrancy, Vagrancy a local issue
        
        o 1547 Vagrants Act – condemned to slavery for 2 years for first offense and life the second
      - Rising Rents
      - Influenza and Epidemics
      - Dissolution of the Monasteries removed an institution helping the poor
      - The Rich/Poor Divide:
        
        o The richest 23% of the population owned 55% of the land
        
        o 1.2% of the wealthiest families accounted for 14% of all income
        
        o Half the families in England could be described as ‘labouring poor’
        
        o Food and drink accounted for 80% of income for the poor – people living at persistence level
        
        o 10% of people in the countryside and 20% of people in towns lived in absolute poverty, during times of food shortages this would increase significantly
    - - A group of writers who called for godly reformation of church and society. Believed the cause of suffering was the greed and self-interest of the gentry and the clergy. Appealed to Somerset to put the interests of 'the commons' first and to end the practise of enclosure. Inc Robert Crowley, Hugh Latimer, Thomas Beccon, Thomas Lever