Pilgrimage of Grace

Question 1

Which historian proposed the court conspiracy thesis?

Answer 1

Elton - argued that the Pilgrimage of Grace was predominantly caused by the efforts of a court faction (not convincing when we look at how many common people were involved)

Question 2

Which historian proposed the popular rebellion thesis?

Answer 2

Dodds - it was ‘a truly popular movement’, started by the common people and joined by the elite

Question 3

What did historian M.E. James say about the Pilgrimage of Grace?

Answer 3

The unrest was the result of popular grievances, but it was a movement which united all members of society, with the common people being religiously motivated and the elite being politically motivated.

Question 4

M.E. James quote on Pilgrimage of Grace?

Answer 4

‘All sectors of Lincolnshire society rose together.’

Question 5

Examples of religious houses restored by the rebels?

Answer 5

Cartmel, Conishead and Sawley - as many as 16 of the 55 that had been dissolved by this point.

Question 6

Which circulated rumour may have motivated the rebellion?

Answer 6

Cromwell was going to remove all churches and leave one every 5 miles.

Question 7

Which late 20th century historians argued that the PoG was a religious uprising?

Answer 7

Haigh, C.S.L. Davies and Scarisbrick

Question 8

What does the banner of the PoG reveal about the nature of the rebellion?

Answer 8

Religious imagery (e.g. 5 wounds of Christ) reveal the religious motivations behind the uprising.

Question 9

What leader Robert Aske consider to be the ‘mainstay’ of the rebellion?

Answer 9

Religion

Question 10

Quote from the oath that suggests that the rebels did not intend to overthrow the king (making it less serious)?

Answer 10

Talk of the ‘preservation of the King’s person’

Question 11

Quote from the oath that suggests highly religious motivations?

Answer 11

‘Take afore you the Cross of Christ and in your hearts His faith’

Question 12

Social motivations behind the PoG?

Answer 12

The dissolution of the monasteries had destroyed the main source of healthcare, education and welfare support in many communities.

Poor harvests in 1535/6 had hit peasants hard.

Commoners were upset at the destruction of their traditional holidays e.g. Feast of Corpus Christi

Question 13

Evidence that the dissolution affected local communities?

Answer 13

Over 100 small religious houses in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire had been shut, getting rid of the communities’ main source of education and healthcare.

Question 14

Examples of socio-economic grievances in the 24 Articles?

Answer 14

Social - e.g. Article 13 called for all enclosures put up since 1489 to be pulled down

Economic - e.g. Article 9 complaining about high rates of rent

Question 15

Examples of political grievances in the 24 Articles?

Answer 15

Called for Cromwell, Layton and Legh to have ‘condign punishment’.

Question 16

What new economic legislation did the gentry resent?

Answer 16

1536 Statute of Uses - highlighted the King’s feudal right to claim property on the death of a tenant

Question 17

How did taxes motivate the PoG?

Answer 17

Peasants were expected to pay a tax on how many cattle and sheep they owned as well as a tenancy fee.

A rumour was spread that a tax was going to be placed on rites of passage, like baptism and marriage.

Question 18

How did rent motivate the PoG?

Answer 18

Rent increases seem to have stirred the peasants to rebellion (however, some historians don’t see this as a valid factor as it would mean that far more of the country would have rebelled).

Question 19

Which historians have stated that socio-economic grievances motivated the PoG?

Answer 19

R.R. Reid, A.G. Dickens

Question 20

Why does G.E Elton propose the court conspiracy thesis?

Answer 20

Argued that there was discontent among gentry who had hoped, and failed, to gain traction at court after the fall of the Boleyn faction.

Said that they ASSISTED in the rebellion, did not conjure it up.

Question 21

Who did the rebels criticise the casting aside of?

Answer 21

Catherine of Aragon and Lady Mary

Question 22

What political motivation was cited in the 24 Articles?

Answer 22

Wanted to ‘purify’ the nobility, Privy Council and gentry.

Question 23

Who did the rebels criticise?

Answer 23

Henry’s ‘evil councillors’.

Question 24

How many rebels rose in Lincolnshire?

Answer 24

30,000

Question 25

How many rebels rose in Yorkshire?

Answer 25

40,000

Question 26

How many rebels rose in Cumberland?

Answer 26

15,000

Question 27

How many people were executed for involvement in the rebellion?

Answer 27

Approximately 100 in London and 74 in Carlisle - small given the size of the rebellion.

Question 28

Examples of policies stopped because of the seriousness of the rebellion?

Answer 28

Stopped collecting the 1534 subsidy

Rack renting and entry fines stopped for a while

Dissolution of smaller monasteries suspended for a time (but continued again in 1539)

Question 29

How did the rebellion impact the Bishop’s Book 1537?

Answer 29

Forced a compromise - 4 lost sacraments were reasserted

Question 30

Examples of gentry involved in the rebellion?

Answer 30

Sir Christopher Danby, Lord Latimer, Lord Hussey - this was bad because it meant that nobody was putting down the rebellion locally.

Question 31

Example of noble involved in the rebellion?

Answer 31

Lord Darcy - handed over Pontefract Castle to the rebels

Question 32

What religious policies did the rebellion fail to influence?

Answer 32

Cromwell’s Injunctions and the English Bible

Question 33

Evidence of lack of foreign involvement

Answer 33

Letter from Chapuys suggested that the Pope should get involved but he didn’t

Charles V never involved himself

Question 34

How big was Norfolk’s royal army?

Answer 34

Only 8,000 - could have easily been beaten by the rebels