To what extent was the Western Rebellion of 1549 caused by religious grievances? The Western Rebellion, concentrated in Cornwall and Devon, became one of the largest revolts in Tudor period,
Khrystyna Andronova
To what extent was the Western Rebellion of 1549 caused by religious grievances?
Many historians regard the motives of most of those who took part in Western Rebellion still unclear. Although to give a definite answer whether rebellion was caused by religion change or by other changes is really difficult as one of the rebel's sets of articles was lost and for a definite answer we should consider all rebel's demands, I will agree with Anthony Fletcher, who believes that 'to interpret the rebellion as solely religious would be a vast simplification'.
To begin with Western Rebellion, concentrated in Cornwall and Devon, became one of the largest revolts in Tudor period, mainly provoked by anger at the introduction of Protestantism, according to rebel's first set of demands, although there were some economic complains, according to the first set of articles . Edward's reign was certainly a time of economic difficulty as rising prices were made worse by the continued debasement of the coinage to pay for war. This was especially true of milk, butter and cheese. The boom in cloth exports heightened the tendency to sheep-farming. And so the common people were grieved by the impact of inflation, falling prices of wool and high rents. Moreover people in Devon and Cornwall were concerned and not satisfied with government response for trying to control the situation. The first response was the appointment of commissioners in 1548 to investigate enclosures and conversions , this was largely disliked by landlords who had bought the -monastic and ex-chantry land as according to CSL Davies 'landlords increased their pressure on tenants in the belief that a weak government would not be able to check them'. One set of commissioners was headed by John Hales ,who saw enclosure as a problem caused by landlords, although his attempts to control sheep-farming by legislation were not really successful , he manage to raise revenue and encourage arable farming by the Act of Relief, which levied a new tax on sheep and woolen cloth, however it was made for fiscal and social purposes of the Government, as the country in that time was ruled by Protector Somerset, who needed money for his intended war against the Scots, and who saw this tax as discouragement of enclosure which went with large-scale sheep farming.
To what extent was the Western Rebellion of 1549 caused by religious grievances?
Many historians regard the motives of most of those who took part in Western Rebellion still unclear. Although to give a definite answer whether rebellion was caused by religion change or by other changes is really difficult as one of the rebel's sets of articles was lost and for a definite answer we should consider all rebel's demands, I will agree with Anthony Fletcher, who believes that 'to interpret the rebellion as solely religious would be a vast simplification'.
To begin with Western Rebellion, concentrated in Cornwall and Devon, became one of the largest revolts in Tudor period, mainly provoked by anger at the introduction of Protestantism, according to rebel's first set of demands, although there were some economic complains, according to the first set of articles . Edward's reign was certainly a time of economic difficulty as rising prices were made worse by the continued debasement of the coinage to pay for war. This was especially true of milk, butter and cheese. The boom in cloth exports heightened the tendency to sheep-farming. And so the common people were grieved by the impact of inflation, falling prices of wool and high rents. Moreover people in Devon and Cornwall were concerned and not satisfied with government response for trying to control the situation. The first response was the appointment of commissioners in 1548 to investigate enclosures and conversions , this was largely disliked by landlords who had bought the -monastic and ex-chantry land as according to CSL Davies 'landlords increased their pressure on tenants in the belief that a weak government would not be able to check them'. One set of commissioners was headed by John Hales ,who saw enclosure as a problem caused by landlords, although his attempts to control sheep-farming by legislation were not really successful , he manage to raise revenue and encourage arable farming by the Act of Relief, which levied a new tax on sheep and woolen cloth, however it was made for fiscal and social purposes of the Government, as the country in that time was ruled by Protector Somerset, who needed money for his intended war against the Scots, and who saw this tax as discouragement of enclosure which went with large-scale sheep farming.
