Tudor Rebellions

Henry VIII was on the throne.

Key individuals: Robert Aske led the rebellion of 35,000 men

Location: York 

Cause: Bad harvest, inflation, dislike of Cromwell, dissolution of the monasteries 

Consequences: 216 were put to death, no change in laws.

Level of Threat: 6/10, no other Tudor rebellion had near as many supporters, it had support from all different sectors of society, however they were not rebelling against Henry. Furthermore the amount of people involved had little impact, suggesting it was a weak movement. 

Historiography: Elton- 'the effort of a defeated court faction to create a power base in the country for the purpose of achieving a political victory at court'.

Bush- was primarily a 'movement of the commons' 

Edward VI was on the throne.

Key individuals:6,000 people were led by Humphrey Arundell, Robert Welsh

Location: Cornwall, Devon

Cause: Priests used a new prayer book, disliked Somerset

Consequences:3,000 people were killed, confiscated property

Level of Threat: 6/10, England was fighting wars against Scotland and France so difficult to stop the rebellions. Lost grip on Cornwall

Historiography: Loach- 'Religion was clearly, the main driving force of the risings in the South-west and the Thames Valley'

Fletcher- 'to interpret the rebellion as solely religious would be a vast simplification' 

Edward VI was on the throne.

Key individuals:Robert Kett led 16,000

Location: Norwich

Cause: Flowerdew bought land and was destroying local abbey, enclosures

Consequences: 49 executions

Level of Threat: 7/10 a few nobility were killed, Norwich was the second largest city, needed to send a large army to stop rebellion, they did not get close to London

Historiography: Fletcher- ‘breakdown of trust between the governing class and the people who normally sustained local government which has no parallel in the Tudor period’

Elton- ill-administrated by its traditional magistrates

Mary I was on the throne.

Key individuals:Sir Thomas Wyatt led 2,000 rebels

Location: Rochester 

Cause: Marriage to Philip of Spain, Decline in cloth Trade since 1551

Consequences: Elizabeth imprisoned, Lady Jane Grey and her husband were executed, Wyatt was beheaded. 

Level of Threat: 8/10, only Tudor rebellion to reach London, much sympathy towards the rebellion,  London was ready for his attack, little resistance. 

Historiography: Fletcher- ‘The religious agenda of the rebellion deserves more attention that Loades gives it'

D.M Loades- ‘The real reasons which lay behind the conspiracy were secular and political’.

Elizabeth I was on the throne. 

Key individuals:5,000 men were led by the northern earls

Location: Durham 

Cause: Wanting Mary Queen of Scots Queen of England. Defence of Catholic faith, factions.

Consequences: Strengthened Elizabeth's authority. 

Level of Threat: 5/10 Limited support Geographically, no courage or determination to act. However, Mary still alive caused an ongoing threat

Historiography: Fletcher- 'local insecurities caused by the new bishop of Durham' and ‘incoherence and aimlessness’