Council of the North

Question 1

Extent of involvement

Answer 1

• Re-established in 1537 after the Pilgrimage of Grace to extend Crown control into the North, a traditionally rebellious area.
• Granted judicial and administrative powers - heard felony and treason cases, enforced proclamations, regulated grain prices.
• Was the Crown’s voice in a volatile frontier zone.

Question 2

Effectiveness

Answer 2

• Effective in the short term — reduced unrest and created a Crown-led alternative to local magnates.
• But its influence declined under Elizabeth, especially as southern outsiders (e.g. Henry Hastings) led it.
• By the 1590s, it was marginalised and ineffective, no longer a key mechanism of control.

Question 3

Breadth of impact

Answer 3

• Geographically narrow — only applied to Yorkshire and surrounding areas.
• Had no influence in the South, Midlands, or Wales.
• Significant in the North, but not a national model of governance.