Charlie Fenton’s Reviews > Tudor Rebellions > Status Update

‘House of Commons petitioned Queen Mary to marry within the realm. In her reply she made it clear that she was determined to stand by her decision to marry Philip of Spain. A conspiracy was then formed by a group of gentry who aimed to persuade Elizabeth to marry Edward Courtenay, a weak and unstable man who was a great-grandson of Edward IV. The intention was to put her on the throne in Mary’s place.’

‘The division of west-country society in 1549 undoubtedly ran deep. It seems very likely that family alliances and political memories played a part in sustaining this curiously perplexing rebellion. But there seems little doubt also that it drew its popular strength from people’s fears that the government was deliberately destroying traditional spiritual ways and from rumours about new taxes‘

‘The swift discovery and crushing of the Wakefield plot demonstrated the utility of the new Council of the North. Yet, coinciding with new Scottish border raids, it caused Henry serious concern. He started to adopt a new friendly attitude to France. He took measures to strengthen the border towns against the Scots.‘

‘His policy throughout had been marked by vacillation and inconsistency but now he could await the excuse to exact revenge and vindicate the honour of his house in bloodshed. The terms had never been written down and Henry no more intended to keep his own promise of a general pardon than Norfolk’s that the suppression should be reversed.’

‘The commons of Tudor England, that vast mass of the people who had no formal political role and could only bring their grievances to the attention of the government by riot or rebellion, were conventionally regarded in gentry discourse as fickle, irrational and stupid, and feared as a many-headed monster.’