little edward (n' mary for like 2 seconds maybe)

Question 1

Reasons for rebellion!!

Answer 1

• Steadily rising population
• But also a rise in inflation, declining living standards
• Migration into towns to find work
• Decline of Antwerp cloth market, widespread unemployment for cloth workers
• Grain prices spiked
• Somerset was asked to fix it by ending debasement of the coinage, turned to illegal enclosure instead

Question 2

1547 Vagrancy Act

Answer 2

+ Sheep Tax of 1548
- Harsh attack on the poor, esp. vagrants looking for work, contributed to unrest
- Anyone out of work for three days was to be branded with a V and be sold into slavery for two years
- Further offences = permanent slavery
- Children of vagrants were taken away to work too

• Hugely unpopular, areas refused to enforce it
• Damaged Somerset’s reputation of humanitarianism in spite of proposing housing and collections for the disabled too
• wtf somerset

Question 3

Enclosure + Somerset’s commission

Answer 3

• Gov blamed all economic problems on enclosure (fencing of common land off for sheep pasture, eviction of people from their homes)
• 1548 - Six-member commission made to investigate enclosure in the midlands. Gentry landowners often blocked them, and locals rioted in their favour, causing conflict.
• Frustrated gentry and the common people, and achieved very little
• Tried to put measures in place like taxing wool. The wealthy (who it was aimed at) were able to evade the tax, while the poor weren’t. Yet another messup

Question 4

Kett’s rebellion

Answer 4

• East Anglia was left in turmoil after the decline of the textile industry
• Issues with unemployment, enclosure, high rent, unsympathetic landlords (and strangely that protestant reform wasn’t fast enough)
• Landlord tried to turn rioters against Robert Kett, but he turned it around by helping them tear down his enclosures and becoming their spokesman

Question 5

Kett’s challenge

Answer 5

• Gathered an army of 16,000, displayed effective leadership
• Initially set up on Mousehold Heath, was able to capture Norwich in July
• Notable for its discipline - set up a governing council and maintained law and order
• Encouraged protestant ministers to preach to the revels on the Heath using the new 1549 Book of Common Prayer
• 29 demands covering many topics: end of enclosure, rents to be reduced to how they were under Henry VII, rivers to be open to all fishing, incompetent priests to be removed from their churches

Question 6

Somerset’s handling of the rebellion

Answer 6

• Kinda useless
• He publicly expressed sympathy for the rebels, offered pardons, offered a session in parliament and set up a new enclosure commission
• But this only encouraged the rebels, who believed they had Somerset on their side
• meow

Question 7

Marquis of Northampton

Answer 7

• Was sent by Somerset to handle the rebellion
• Got absolutely squashed by Kett, led to Somerset calling in the big guns - Warwick

Question 8

Warwick’s handling of the rebellion

Answer 8

• Member of Edward’s Privy Council
• Was a gifted politician and a good military commander, appointed by Somerset to deal with the rebels after the Marquis failed
• Planned his campaign carefully. Took Norwich, then moved on to the rebels camped outside of the city
• Helped by Kett’s error in moving his army from the high ground of Mousehold Heath down to the less defensible Dussindale
• 27th August 1549, Kett was defeated, captured, executed
• After Somerset’s failure, kicked him out of government and replaced him as Head, Edward’s advisor. Until Edward got tuberculosis and died or whatever

Question 9

Impact of Kett’s rebellion

Answer 9

• Somerset was overthrown, replaced by Warwick who became Duke of Northumberland
• Enclosure commissions were promptly shut down, due to resentment and opposition from many landowners
• 2,000 rebels were killed at Dussindale - huge impact on local communities, families who had lost their chief means of income
• Initial repressive measures, swift execution of Kett and his ringleaders
• But Northumberland took a more measured response after, not wishing to antagonise the populace. Just instructed local law officers to enforce the law + suppress any attempt to riot
• Norwich authorities were unnerved and expelled non-residents from the city