Kett rebellion - August 1549

Causes of the Kett rebellion:

Economic reasons:

- People in Norwich were out of work due to decline in textile industry

- 6% of the population in Norwich owned 60% of the goods

Enclosure:

- July, unrest began as a local lawyer bought abbey and enclosed land

- Kett and Flowerdue both enclosed land

Demands:

- agricultural, opposed enclosure, all rivers to be for open use

- economic, concerned about rising rent, high as landowners looked to combat inflation

- religion, wanted a more competant and involved clergy

- social, against JP's and gentry of their own county, opposed financial gains that they made

How did the rebels rebel?

- rebels took Mousehold Heath, they met and beat local resistance

- Rebels seized Norwich, second largest city in England, gained more men

- commissioners forced local militia to oppose rebels

- Northumberland led 12,000 men to oppose rebels, offered pardon, refused

- battle began, Northumberland won, 3000 rebels died

Results:

- Northumberland was leniant with punishment, only 49 were executed

- the rebellions made the coup to remove Somerset possible, failed to quickly crush the rebellions

- Northumberland used his victory to assume power after Somerset fell

- Foreign policy changed, garrisoning stopped, French declared war on Boulogne, 1549

- 10,000 rebels die, they nearly broke the government

How was the Kett rebellion serious?

- began in Norwich, second most populated city

- opposed all areas of government

- militias around Norfolk had to be raised, troops brought back from the Scottish border

- government resources were stretched

How was the Kett rebellion not serious?

- did not aim to remove the monarch

- was put down after 1 month

- Kett was arrested, executed along with only 49 others --> not much of a threat

- Rebels had not clergy, gentry or nobility