For the first twenty years of Henry 8th's reign he was the handsome youthful monarch who charmed his subjects. Though undoubtedly a cultured man, he ebulliently overindulged his extravagant tastes. His desire to divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boylen entailed a split with Rome. His ambitions in France led to expensive wars which got him no where. The state of royal finances plummeted, and the country began to look on him less favourably. What turned all these factors into a people's rebellion was the dissolution of the monasteries.
It's hard for us, in our more secular times, to realise quite what an upheaval to the social fabric of 16th century England the dissolution was. Though the people had there issues with the way the monasteries behaved in relation to the local economy, these were institutions deeply embedded in their spiritual and economic lives. Monasteries provided social support through distributing alms, it's infirmary dispensed medicines and cared for the sick, besides generally ministering to the spiritual needs of the local area. The economy of a village or town undoubtedly thrived through supplying monasteries with goods, and bought bread and ale from them in return. Monasteries often became the site for a local weekly market, usually in its outer courtyard. The dissolution happened incredibly swiftly, within the space of roughly five years all of the monasteries were brought into the state of being ruins. Some buildings were converted into barns, parish churches or cathedrals. It was as though a wrecking ball had been swung through the heart of English society and it's religious culture smashed.
The rebellion,The Pilgrimage of Grace, had hence a multiplicity of economic causes, aggravated by the removal of monasteries from the local economy, without a thought for what the knock on consequences of that would be. The Pilgrimage of Grace became widespread with a rag bag alliance of grievances riding under one spiritual banner. It tapped into a huge amount of suppressed discontent in the country. Thomas Cromwell, as the designer of the dissolution, was the focus of it's ire. But let's be clear here, Henry was no longer that popular, nor held in high esteem by his people. His divorce was widely disapproved of, as was the split with Rome. He was becoming increasingly tyrannical, so it maybe not be deference, but more likely fear that made the rebels resist not openly criticising him.
What had started as a little local difficulty in Lincolnshire, easily suppressed in the October, then broke out in Yorkshire, Cumberland, Northumberland and Durham. Robert Aske a London lawyer from North Yorkshire was chosen to bring leadership to the incipient rebellion. Under his guidance 9,000 rebels marched south and occupied York with relative ease. By the time they'd reached Doncaster the number of rebels was approximately 40,000. This was by far the largest rebellion of the Tudor era. The Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Shrewsbury were despatched to negotiate at Pontefract Castle. Aske helped the rebels compose their requests to the King. A document called 'The Commons Petition'. This contained twenty four demands, and was given to the Duke of Norfolk in December 1536.
It's estimated Norfolk and Shrewsbury's forces together totaled 12,000 men, so with a growing rebel force three times that, they faced being massacred if they were to try suppressing the rebellion. Norfolk attempted to placate the rebels by disingenuously stating the petition would be presented to the King, that there would be a general pardon, and the monastery closures would be halted til Parliament had met to discuss them. With these promises Aske was persuaded to disband the rebellion. Sir Francis Bigod, rightly as it turned out, was not convinced the King would honour Norfolk's promises. Without taking Aske's advice, he led his own minor rebellion in February 1537. This was the opportunity that Norfolk was looking for, brutally suppressing Bigod's rebellion, arresting both him and Robert Aske. Aske was hanged in chains in York. Bigod was hanged at Tyburn in London. A total of 216 rebel activists were executed, many if them nobility. Martial law was imposed across all the regions that had partaken in the Pilgrimage of Grace.
Historians argue about to what degree this was a popular revolt arising out of a genuine disquiet, and how much the involvement of significant nobility gave it more credence and hence popular backing from the common people. I would say choosing Robert Aske, a lawyer, to lead them had significance in this regard. That he was able to help in the formulating of 'The Commons Petition' a properly drawn up document from the people to their King, presenting their demands. It was more likely that Catholic minded nobility were piggy backing on the people's revolt. The more they were seen as instigating the people to rebel, the worse it would be for them. The rebels saw themselves as The Commons, the common people, with a common land, and a common faith, as a remnant of the medieval Catholic society that they saw the dissolution as casually defenestrating A petition from common people to their King, was the only way to present their views.
Sure, this was not the first time rebels had proffered a petition to a King, but there was something distinctly intentional and formal about how this one was being presented as coming from 'the Commons'. What we see in the Pilgrimage of Grace, is that this was not primarily a revolt over unfair taxes, but the beginnings of common people demanding their views be heard and taken into account in how society developed. After all, their lives and belief system had been completely upended, with no thought given to their feelings, wishes or the effect upon their lives.The disquiet here in 1536 amongst ordinary common people, only becomes more frustrated, intemperate and demanding over the next century.
Next episode - 1549 The Kett's Rebellion
No comments:
Post a Comment