How close did England come to political and social collapse in 1549?
Many traditional historians have long forwarded the theory of a mid-Tudor crisis. The accession of a sickly minor to the turbulent throne of England and the rule of a female monarch afterwards were used as the main evidence to harden their case. Numerous historians have pointed to the two major rebellions of 1549, (Western and Kett’s) as being the single-most probable time of social and political collapse during the Tudor dynasty. Revisionist historians however have seen the case for social and political collapse somewhat differently, placating that although the rebellions were indeed serious, they were never quite capable of catalysing the collapse of English socio-political life.
Primarily religious grounds caused the Western rebellion. Protestors wanted the return of the Six Articles and were angered at the introduction of Church services in English. There were also economic grounds behind the rebellion and political issues directed at the Duke of Somerset. Kett’s rebellion was a more economically grounded rebellion, focusing on rents and enclosure laws. David Loades also suggests that this rebellion had an anti-Somerset feeling due to growing anger towards his policies. Although over 22,000 men took part in these protests, and there was significant government activity to quell them and take retribution, they were not as serious as has been suggested by some historians. The rebellions had no real co-ordination and remained isolated never really linking up. They were not aimed at Edward or his government, perhaps with the exception of Somerset, and there was no march on London. Government eventually managed to control and take retribution against the rebellions and there has been no proof of aristocracy involvement.