Rebellions and Opposition
The ‘Amicable Grant’
- this was additional tax Wolsey demanded in 1525 to fund expedition to France, avoiding
parliament
- He asked his commissioners to collect a non-parliamentary tax hoping to appeal to
patriotic nature of nobility*
- called a benevolence by Wolsey, to give impression it was a gift but was essentially a tax
not approved by parliament, thus with weak legal basis for collection
- After Charles V success over France at battle of Pavia 1525,with the capture of Francis
I, Henry wished to invade France, but there was no money to do so
- it was levied on ⅓ of income of laity and clergy
- both laity and clergy expected to pay tax (so-called ‘Amicable Grant’), but ‘loan’ collected
1522-3 hadn’t been repaid and subsidy in 1523 was still being collected
- Caused rebellion in East Anglia and wide-spread non-payment
- widespread dissent and the commissioners trying to collect money were met with
resistance
- People in Kent said that if was not as if the King had gained any land in France
- Full-scale revolt erupted in Lavenham, Suffolk and spread to borders of Essex and
Cambridgeshire
- Henry was obliged to step in and cancel levy
- Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, having mustered the East Anglican gentry, negotiated a
surrender of 10,000 rebels at Lavenham
- this was first time Wolsey failed HVIII
- no immediate repercussions but would be first nail in coffin; his enemies would make
sure H did not forget Wolsey had stopped him becoming King of France as he could not
take advantage of Francis’ defeat
- taking blame demonstrated loyalty to King
Opposition to the Reformation
Fundamental Religious The reformation posed a threat to the country’s traditional faith
Opposition and many saw in it the onset of protestantism
Opposition to Royal - Few openly questioned it
Supremacy - 50 martyrs died (including Moore, Fisher and monks from
the 8 religious houses of strict observance)
Opposition to the - Social: played major role in everyday life
Dissolution of the - Religious: represented one of the strongest bastions of
Monasteries Catholicism
Defence of Traditional - There was strong feeling in many local communities that
Practices the Church was under attack
- 10 articles and Injunctions enforcing them, the visitations
and dissolution provoked a popular reaction against the
, perceived attack
- Loss of Saints’ Days appears to have caused particular
anger, as in Kirkby Stephen in 1536, when the priest’s
failure to announce St Luke’s Day sparked the first unrest
of the PoG in Westmorland
Purgatory under Threat -
Northern Rebellions
Opposition to the Reformation was nationwide. But there was variation in regional reactions to
the changes imposed. The North erupted into major rebellion.
Lincolnshire Rising
1-11 Oct 1536
Beginnings - Tensions had been raised by the work of 3 gov
commissions operating in the county.
- They were working on dissolving small monasteries,
collecting the subsidy, inspecting the quality of the clergy
and enforcing new religious laws
- Widespread rumours said they were after gold, jewels, plate
and extra taxes
Progress of the rising - Began at Louth on 1st Oct
- Moved across county before gathering with the parallel
Horncastle rising at Lincoln
- Anger and violence erupted as the people of Horncastle set
upon the chancellor of the Bishop of Lincoln and murdered
him in a frenzy
- Initially led by a local shoe maker Nicholas Melton (called
himself Captain Cobbler)
- Leadership soon devolved on to the gentry, priests and
even armed monks who joined the rebels
- At least 10,000 people assembled at Lincoln and several
lists of articles, combining grievances of the gentry and the
commons, were drawn up.
The end of the rebellion - Collaboration between commons and gentry disappeared
as Duke of Suffolk’s army drew near
- Gentry ran for cover and sought forgiveness and the
commons collapsed into confusion
- The few remaining rebels were sent home when gov’s
herald arrived on 11th Oct
The ‘Amicable Grant’
- this was additional tax Wolsey demanded in 1525 to fund expedition to France, avoiding
parliament
- He asked his commissioners to collect a non-parliamentary tax hoping to appeal to
patriotic nature of nobility*
- called a benevolence by Wolsey, to give impression it was a gift but was essentially a tax
not approved by parliament, thus with weak legal basis for collection
- After Charles V success over France at battle of Pavia 1525,with the capture of Francis
I, Henry wished to invade France, but there was no money to do so
- it was levied on ⅓ of income of laity and clergy
- both laity and clergy expected to pay tax (so-called ‘Amicable Grant’), but ‘loan’ collected
1522-3 hadn’t been repaid and subsidy in 1523 was still being collected
- Caused rebellion in East Anglia and wide-spread non-payment
- widespread dissent and the commissioners trying to collect money were met with
resistance
- People in Kent said that if was not as if the King had gained any land in France
- Full-scale revolt erupted in Lavenham, Suffolk and spread to borders of Essex and
Cambridgeshire
- Henry was obliged to step in and cancel levy
- Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, having mustered the East Anglican gentry, negotiated a
surrender of 10,000 rebels at Lavenham
- this was first time Wolsey failed HVIII
- no immediate repercussions but would be first nail in coffin; his enemies would make
sure H did not forget Wolsey had stopped him becoming King of France as he could not
take advantage of Francis’ defeat
- taking blame demonstrated loyalty to King
Opposition to the Reformation
Fundamental Religious The reformation posed a threat to the country’s traditional faith
Opposition and many saw in it the onset of protestantism
Opposition to Royal - Few openly questioned it
Supremacy - 50 martyrs died (including Moore, Fisher and monks from
the 8 religious houses of strict observance)
Opposition to the - Social: played major role in everyday life
Dissolution of the - Religious: represented one of the strongest bastions of
Monasteries Catholicism
Defence of Traditional - There was strong feeling in many local communities that
Practices the Church was under attack
- 10 articles and Injunctions enforcing them, the visitations
and dissolution provoked a popular reaction against the
, perceived attack
- Loss of Saints’ Days appears to have caused particular
anger, as in Kirkby Stephen in 1536, when the priest’s
failure to announce St Luke’s Day sparked the first unrest
of the PoG in Westmorland
Purgatory under Threat -
Northern Rebellions
Opposition to the Reformation was nationwide. But there was variation in regional reactions to
the changes imposed. The North erupted into major rebellion.
Lincolnshire Rising
1-11 Oct 1536
Beginnings - Tensions had been raised by the work of 3 gov
commissions operating in the county.
- They were working on dissolving small monasteries,
collecting the subsidy, inspecting the quality of the clergy
and enforcing new religious laws
- Widespread rumours said they were after gold, jewels, plate
and extra taxes
Progress of the rising - Began at Louth on 1st Oct
- Moved across county before gathering with the parallel
Horncastle rising at Lincoln
- Anger and violence erupted as the people of Horncastle set
upon the chancellor of the Bishop of Lincoln and murdered
him in a frenzy
- Initially led by a local shoe maker Nicholas Melton (called
himself Captain Cobbler)
- Leadership soon devolved on to the gentry, priests and
even armed monks who joined the rebels
- At least 10,000 people assembled at Lincoln and several
lists of articles, combining grievances of the gentry and the
commons, were drawn up.
The end of the rebellion - Collaboration between commons and gentry disappeared
as Duke of Suffolk’s army drew near
- Gentry ran for cover and sought forgiveness and the
commons collapsed into confusion
- The few remaining rebels were sent home when gov’s
herald arrived on 11th Oct
