Kett's rebellion

Question 1

what was enclosure?

Answer 1

the surrounding of land acting as a barrier, it was done amongst the rich tenants too stop the commonwealth and poor people from using their land so they could become more profitable.

Question 2

why was enclosure a key factor in sparking Kett’s rebellion ?

Answer 2

people believed it was the main cause for poverty and social and economic hardship, especially in the north.

Question 3

what was rack renting?

Answer 3

a term used to describe how landlords increased their rent to such extortionate rates that tenants were unable to afford their land and therefore it could be enclosed.

Question 4

what was the role of the “common wealth” ?

Answer 4

the commonwealth were a group of “thinkers” such as politicians, intellectuals and clergymen. they had strong beliefs on social reform and promoted equality - not in the sense of complete equality but they wanted a godly commonwealth.

Question 5

what was a godly commonwealth?

Answer 5

represented the “common good” in England, they believed that wealthy Christians had a duty to look after the poor.

Question 6

why were the common wealth incorrect about the source of poverty?

Answer 6

because enclosure was not the reason for increased economic hardship, in fact it was due to the growing population and lack of resources such as jobs. q

Question 7

who was the Duke of Somerset?

Answer 7

committed protestant and was attracted vto the idea of creating a godly commonwealth.

Question 8

what did somerset do regarding enclosure?

Answer 8

he protected copyholders of his own land from enclosure.

appointed John hales to oversee social reform

and tried to enforce a series of bills and reforms.

Question 9

why did the reforms fail to go through?

Answer 9

because the majority of parliament reflected the landed elites who benefited greatly from enclosures.

Question 10

what successful policy did go through?

Answer 10

a new sheep tax in 1549.

Question 11

what did hales and somerset do with the appointing of commissioners?

Answer 11

they were appointed to investigate into illegal enclosures however couldn’t do anything about them.

Question 12

what direct action did somerset take?

Answer 12

he ploughed down illegal enclosures and in April 1549, issued a commission saying that illegal enclosures would be destroyed. - this wasn’t a legal bill.

Question 13

what unexpected and unwanted consequences did Somerset’s bills cause?

Answer 13

1. he was alienated from the landed elite.

2. the rebels saw him as the “good duke” and therefore believed he would condone any of their actions.

Question 14

when did the rebellion break out?

Answer 14

1st July 1549 in East Anglia riots against illegal enclosure broke out.

Question 15

where did the first incident of Kett’s rebellion begin?

Answer 15

at the market town of Wymondham (Norfolk) where the local community had met together for a traditional feasting and celebrations.

Question 16

what happened at the feast in the town of Wymondham?

Answer 16

the festivities got out of hand and drunken crowds began destroying the enclosures of an unpopular local landowner Sir John Flowerdew.

Question 17

who was Flowerdew?

Answer 17

he was a lawyer who has been in a dispute with the people of Wymondham over the fate of the local abbey. - he started to demolish the Abbey even though the local people had purchased it.

Question 18

how did Flowerdew react to the rebels attacking his land?

Answer 18

he tried to turn them against another landowner who also used the practice of enclosure, Robert Kett.

Question 19

how did Kett react to the rioters at Wymondham?

Answer 19

he sided with them and he agreed that he had illegally enclosed his land and ordered for his own hedges to be torn down.

Question 20

what did Kett’s actions towards his own enclosures and the rioters at Wymondham cause?

Answer 20

him to become the leader/figurehead of a widespread anti-enclosure movement.

Question 21

Kett decided to March on Norwich, what had happend by the 12th of July?

Answer 21

the rebels and Kett had set up a camp on Mousehold Heath a hill which looked over Norwich.

Question 22

why was Norwich an obvious choice for Kett and his rebels

Answer 22

• it was the 2nd largest city in England after London.
• although it was a rich town, about 6% of the population owned 60% of land and goods.
• this meant there was a sharp divide between the rich and the poor which Kett though could be exploited in gaining support from the townspeople.
• key administrative centre and was a good place to gain the governments attention.

Question 23

what did News of Kett’s arrival in Norwich cause?

Answer 23

it sparked the townspeople to tare down some local enclosures .

Question 24

what other camps were set up that where inspired by Kett’s own at Mousehold Heath?

Answer 24

• Downham Market

- Bury st. Edmund’s

Question 25

what was different about Kett’s rebellion in comparison to POG?

Answer 25

they did not wish to seek support from the gentry as they believed it would contradict their aims.
as they were rebelling against the landed elites.

Question 26

how did the Mayor and the city council try to cooperate with the Rebels?

Answer 26

• they helped Kett provide for the rebel camp by organising a collection of food and supplies.

Question 27

how long to the arrangement of the mayor and the city council supplying the rebellion with supplies last until?

Answer 27

July 21st when a government message reached Norwich.

Question 28

what happened as a consequence of the rebels not receiving the pardon in time?

Answer 28

they began to bomb Norwich, but the cannons were too far away to do any damage

Question 29

what did the rebels offer on July 22nd?

Answer 29

a truce with the Mayor, but the town council refused.

Question 30

what did the rejection of the rebels truce from the mayor and city council cause?

Answer 30

it provoked them to launch a full-scale successful attack of Norwich were the Mayor himself was captured - the rebels did not wish to stay in the city however and preferred to return to the safety of their camp.

Question 31

why was the Duke of Somerset in a weak position after the rebels attack and capture of the Mayor?

Answer 31

the rebels were in control of Norwich and had refused a pardon - in fact the pardon inflamed the rebels who saw themselves as loyal subjects to the crown.

Question 32

what more forceful methods did Somerset turn to to deal with the rebels?

Answer 32

• send an army under William Parr the Marquess of Northampton; whose army contained Italian mercenaries, which provoked the rebels more due to them being foreigners used against their own people.

Question 33

what did the Marquess of Northampton offer to the rebels?

Answer 33

31st July he offered a pardon to any rebels who would step down and 20 took the offer.
- and the rest, instead of surrendering launched another attack on Norwich.

Question 34

what did the second attack on Norwich leave Northampton to do?

Answer 34

• flee, along with many members of the nobility.

Question 35

what happened following the humiliation of Northampton’s failure to stop the rebels?

Answer 35

Somerset was forced to send a 2nd army led by Earl of Warwick of 12,000 men. and on the 23rd of August the negotiations with the rebels began.

Question 36

what was said in the negotiations on the 23rd of August?

Answer 36

all rebels were offered a pardon apart from Kett.

- the offer was angrily turned down even though Kett had been prepared to meet with Warwick.

Question 37

how did the rebels show their organisation on the night of the 23rd of August?

Answer 37

they raided the carts that contained the earl of Warwick’s weaponry. and used their guns against his own army.

Question 38

how did Warwick’s approach become more hardline?

Answer 38

24th August he marched into Norwich and made some arrests and hanged some of the rebels.

Question 39

what examples of guerrilla warfare did the rebels use?

Answer 39

• used the narrow streets of Norwich to ambush Warwick’s men.
• arson.
  this made Warwick hard to defend himself as his troops were used to fighting in battles,

Question 40

what proved to be a turning point in the rebellion?

Answer 40

• Warwick received 1000 mercenaries on the 26th August to provide back-up - this enabled him to successfully cut of their supplies and force them to retreat back to their camp.

Question 41

what final negotiation took place between Warwick and rebels?

Answer 41

27th August - they were asked to give themselves up but they refused and fired warning shots

Question 42

how many rebels were killed and what happened to Kett

Answer 42

Kett was captured and executed for treason in December 1549 and over 3000 rebels were killed.

Question 43

apart from anger towards his illegal enclosures what else did Flowerdew represent to the rebels that was displayed in their petition

Answer 43

• he represented the corruption within landowners
• he used bribes and intimidation to get what he wanted
• the rebels particularly disliked the abuse of power and privileges of the local gentry.

Question 44

why were Rabbit warrens and Deer parks also targeted by the rebels?

Answer 44

because these animals were considered delicacies in Tudor England and were supposed to be eaten by gentlemen only.

Question 45

who is an example of a member of the local gentry who was captured and brutally beaten by the rebels?

Answer 45

Lord Sheffield in Norwich 31st July was beaten to death.

Question 46

what indicates that the rebels were trying to demand for a better local government?

Answer 46

• they saw themselves of creating a new model for the government of their locality.
• they wanted to show that they could administer law and order effectively, memebers of the gentry who were captured were put on trial
• they were put under the “oak of reformation”
• these were all way to show how local government could be run effectively and peacefully without the local gentry.