Opposition To The Royal Supremacy

Loyalty to the King 
Passing of Treason Acts and several executions enough to make people be obeident. 

Oaths of Loyalty
Important and clerical figures required to take oaths to the succession and the supremacy.

Role of Cromwell
Cromwell's injunctions attempted to place English copy of Bible in every parish church. 

No mercy
Henry showed no mercy to opponents of the regime and made an example of them to send a message to others that might be contemplating opposition.

The Holy Maid of Kent 
Denounced Anne Boleyn and claimed the King would die quickly if he married her. Cromwell had the nun and her friends arrested. Hung at Tyburn on 21st April 1534.

John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester
Fisher refused to take Oath of Succession- condemning first marriage and papal supremacy. Imprisoned in Tower, Pope made Fisher a Cardinal. Fisher found guilty of treason and executed.

Thomas More
More could not be found guilty of treason as had never denounced King's title as Supreme Head of the Church. 

More convicted by evidence of Sir Richard Rich, jury rigged to find More guilty.

Opposition of Carthusian Monks
Three priors denied the Supremacy, saying King could not be Head of the Church, executed as did not change their minds.

Catherine of Aragon
Demanded she was Princess Dowager, her daughter, Mary was illegitimate.

Largely more Conservative in its religious and political outlook. Rebellions seen as direct response to dissolution of the monasteries but other socio-economic causes. 

The Lincolnshire rising, October 1536
Tensions exacerbated by a series of bad harvests in 1535 and 1536. 

Rising involved ordinary people rather than nobility, clear resentment of central government interference in local affairs. Rebellion ended quickly- dispersed when an army was sent.

The Pilgrimage of Grace, October-December 1536
Led by Robert Aske. Led 30,000 men to York- declared rebellion a pilgrimage (religious). 

Rebels swore oath that contradicted the Supremacy.

List of demands drawn up:

• Removal of evil councilors from government 
• Restoration of old faith
• Protection of monasteries 

Rebllion failed as leaders wanted to negogiate with Henry. 

The Cumbrian Uprising 1537

Henry could not back down for long and uprising in Cumbria gave him the opportunity to seek reprisals. 

Rebellion easily crushed, Norfolk declared martial law.

Leaders of Pilgrimage of Grace sent to London- Aske, Sir Thomas Percy, Lord Darcy executed.