Western Rebellion - 1549
Duration 4 months May- August
Location Devon and Cornwall
● Significant religious element- concern at introduction of new more strict
Main aims / Protestant prayer book by Edward VI, bans on festivals and pilgrimage
causes ● Hatred of the government’s greedy and careerist main agent in the area,
William Body- protégé of Thomas Cromwell
● Long term economic problems- population, inflation, enclosure
Subsidiary ● Government introduction of a poll tax on sheep
causes
● 1548- first poor harvest for 16 years
● Commons rising, later led by Sir Humphrey Arundell
Leadership
● Articles of protest written by Robert Welsh (Cornish vicar)
● Cornwall and Devon are poorest areas of England and also mainly Catholic.
Made unhappy by poor harvest 1548 and rumours of sheep tax.
● William Body arrived in Cornwall in 1548 to ensure that gov orders that all
catholic images in churches were to be destroyed had been followed. In the
parish of St Keverne a mob led by a local priest attacked and killed him. A
second order from the government- Anglican new prayer book and English
Language Bible would be introduced to Whitsunday 1549- inspires major local
landowner Sir Humphrey Arundell to draw up a petition demanding
reinstatement of old forms of worship.
● Protesters gathered driven by: imposition of the new Book of Common Prayer,
introduction of new bible, fear that religious foundations would be shut down
and church goods seized by Protestants, threatened by Sheep Tax- fear of it
spreading to other animals, enclosure, economic discontent- good harvest but
Detail on population had increased 15% since 1520 and prices had more than doubled.
the ● Lord Protector Somerset was slow to respond, promised to redress grievances
rebellion but rebels failed to disperse and it was only after 7 weeks that he sent in
troops due to: power vacuum in west country- Cromwells (Henry and Thomas)
had purged main landowner 10 years earlier, distance from London, distracted
by protests elsewhere in the country, Somerset may have sympathised with
the rebels’ anger at the thoughtless way that the religious reforms were
implemented.
● Arundel and rebels set up camp on Bodmin Moor and 2000 men decided to
lay siege to the largest city in the area- Exeter. Turned protest to open
rebellion, slowed down any move against government forces- siege lasted 6
weeks- rebels had far from complete support.
● Lord Russell arrived with an army of 8000 well armed and ruthless German
mercenaries. Attacked rebels in August 1549 and killed more than 4000 in a
general massacre. Robert Welsh and Humphrey Arundell executed.
● Failed because: no clear aims, rebels leadership poor
● Siege of Exeter by rebels, battle which 4000 rebels are killed by a government
Outcomes force of German mercenaries
● Government doesn't make concessions to the rebels.
Moderate- widespread discontent, no rebel advance into southern England as in
Level of 1497. Somerset was distracted by Kett or things would have been over sooner.
threat
Duration 4 months May- August
Location Devon and Cornwall
● Significant religious element- concern at introduction of new more strict
Main aims / Protestant prayer book by Edward VI, bans on festivals and pilgrimage
causes ● Hatred of the government’s greedy and careerist main agent in the area,
William Body- protégé of Thomas Cromwell
● Long term economic problems- population, inflation, enclosure
Subsidiary ● Government introduction of a poll tax on sheep
causes
● 1548- first poor harvest for 16 years
● Commons rising, later led by Sir Humphrey Arundell
Leadership
● Articles of protest written by Robert Welsh (Cornish vicar)
● Cornwall and Devon are poorest areas of England and also mainly Catholic.
Made unhappy by poor harvest 1548 and rumours of sheep tax.
● William Body arrived in Cornwall in 1548 to ensure that gov orders that all
catholic images in churches were to be destroyed had been followed. In the
parish of St Keverne a mob led by a local priest attacked and killed him. A
second order from the government- Anglican new prayer book and English
Language Bible would be introduced to Whitsunday 1549- inspires major local
landowner Sir Humphrey Arundell to draw up a petition demanding
reinstatement of old forms of worship.
● Protesters gathered driven by: imposition of the new Book of Common Prayer,
introduction of new bible, fear that religious foundations would be shut down
and church goods seized by Protestants, threatened by Sheep Tax- fear of it
spreading to other animals, enclosure, economic discontent- good harvest but
Detail on population had increased 15% since 1520 and prices had more than doubled.
the ● Lord Protector Somerset was slow to respond, promised to redress grievances
rebellion but rebels failed to disperse and it was only after 7 weeks that he sent in
troops due to: power vacuum in west country- Cromwells (Henry and Thomas)
had purged main landowner 10 years earlier, distance from London, distracted
by protests elsewhere in the country, Somerset may have sympathised with
the rebels’ anger at the thoughtless way that the religious reforms were
implemented.
● Arundel and rebels set up camp on Bodmin Moor and 2000 men decided to
lay siege to the largest city in the area- Exeter. Turned protest to open
rebellion, slowed down any move against government forces- siege lasted 6
weeks- rebels had far from complete support.
● Lord Russell arrived with an army of 8000 well armed and ruthless German
mercenaries. Attacked rebels in August 1549 and killed more than 4000 in a
general massacre. Robert Welsh and Humphrey Arundell executed.
● Failed because: no clear aims, rebels leadership poor
● Siege of Exeter by rebels, battle which 4000 rebels are killed by a government
Outcomes force of German mercenaries
● Government doesn't make concessions to the rebels.
Moderate- widespread discontent, no rebel advance into southern England as in
Level of 1497. Somerset was distracted by Kett or things would have been over sooner.
threat
