EDWARD VI
KETTS REBELLION 1549
CAUSES/ AIMS
ECONOMIC + SOCIAL:
- Rebellion against the power + influence of the landed elites.
- Rack-renting = landlords rapidly increase rent on property to evict tenants when they didn’t
pay = increased profits for landlords.
- Engrossing = bringing 2 or more farms together forced occupants off land.
- Foldcourse = landlords used their tenants land to graze sheep = sheep owners also used this
land for grazing + so began to enclose their lands to protect the crops from sheep feeding.
- Enclosure = land separated by hedges/ walls = each field has an occupant who uses the land
for growing arable crops etc.
European wool + cloth trade increased = increased demand for sheep = increased rents as
landlords needed to increase their profits = angry landowners in South East + Midlands.
Simultaneously increased poverty + unemployment as it required less labour than arable
farming.
- Result of long term socio-economic difficulties + resentment of corruption of East Anglian
gentry.
- Debasement = increased poverty due to the coinage to meet the costs of the war with
France = huge price rises affected lower class.
- Increased population growth applied pressure on job market = wages fell = prices rose =
inflation rose = poverty.
1525 – 1551 = 2.3 million to 3 million.
- 1547 Vagrancy Act disadvantaged the unemployed = punished vagrants + added to
resentment towards the gov.
Exacerbated = poor harvests in 1545 + 1549 = worsened food shortages + prices rose.
- Increased population growth = increased prices = decreased wages = inflation.
RELIGIOUS:
- Sympathetic to Somerset’s move to Protestantism.
1549 new Book of Common Prayer = daily services at camp = focused on state of clergy
education + those unable to preach properly removed positions.
- Demands suggest = rebels were concerned with how the clergy didn’t serve local
communities well/ were poorly educated/ greedy/ corrupt.
POLITICAL:
- Revolt was against the power + influence of the landed elites.
- Rebels wanted a better local gov. = Kett was careful to keep order.
- They wanted local officials for gov. to be chosen by the local people to ensure honest people
were being chosen.
- To create a new model for a gov. of their locality camp at Mousehold set up = Kett adopted a
system of writs + commissions to issue supply orders for food + drink.
- To show they could administer law + order = gentry captured + put on trial under Oak of
Reformation = shows they could run a gov. peacefully + effectively without gentry.
KETTS REBELLION 1549
CAUSES/ AIMS
ECONOMIC + SOCIAL:
- Rebellion against the power + influence of the landed elites.
- Rack-renting = landlords rapidly increase rent on property to evict tenants when they didn’t
pay = increased profits for landlords.
- Engrossing = bringing 2 or more farms together forced occupants off land.
- Foldcourse = landlords used their tenants land to graze sheep = sheep owners also used this
land for grazing + so began to enclose their lands to protect the crops from sheep feeding.
- Enclosure = land separated by hedges/ walls = each field has an occupant who uses the land
for growing arable crops etc.
European wool + cloth trade increased = increased demand for sheep = increased rents as
landlords needed to increase their profits = angry landowners in South East + Midlands.
Simultaneously increased poverty + unemployment as it required less labour than arable
farming.
- Result of long term socio-economic difficulties + resentment of corruption of East Anglian
gentry.
- Debasement = increased poverty due to the coinage to meet the costs of the war with
France = huge price rises affected lower class.
- Increased population growth applied pressure on job market = wages fell = prices rose =
inflation rose = poverty.
1525 – 1551 = 2.3 million to 3 million.
- 1547 Vagrancy Act disadvantaged the unemployed = punished vagrants + added to
resentment towards the gov.
Exacerbated = poor harvests in 1545 + 1549 = worsened food shortages + prices rose.
- Increased population growth = increased prices = decreased wages = inflation.
RELIGIOUS:
- Sympathetic to Somerset’s move to Protestantism.
1549 new Book of Common Prayer = daily services at camp = focused on state of clergy
education + those unable to preach properly removed positions.
- Demands suggest = rebels were concerned with how the clergy didn’t serve local
communities well/ were poorly educated/ greedy/ corrupt.
POLITICAL:
- Revolt was against the power + influence of the landed elites.
- Rebels wanted a better local gov. = Kett was careful to keep order.
- They wanted local officials for gov. to be chosen by the local people to ensure honest people
were being chosen.
- To create a new model for a gov. of their locality camp at Mousehold set up = Kett adopted a
system of writs + commissions to issue supply orders for food + drink.
- To show they could administer law + order = gentry captured + put on trial under Oak of
Reformation = shows they could run a gov. peacefully + effectively without gentry.
