The revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569-70

Mary posed a double threat to Elizabeth. Mary had a legitimate claim to be Queen of England. She was also Catholic and was a potential figurehead for those Catholics in England & and abroad who wanted to see the end of the protestant rule in England.

Mary was born in 1542 and was the only surviving child of James V of Scotland. Mary's claim to the English throne came from her grandmother, Margaret Tudor. Margaret was the daughter of Henry VII, and she had been married to James IV of Scotland. Mary's children would have a claim to both the English and Scottish thrones. Mary's claim to be Queen of England was strengthened because there was no doubt about her legitmacy. Mary had been born in wedlock, while Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VII and his second wife Anne Boleyn. Some people considered Elizabeth to be illegitimate because they believed Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn was not valid. This was also a view that was held by Elizabeth's potential foreign enemies. France and Spain were both Catholic countries who might be persuaded to support a challenge to remove the Protestant Elizabeth from the throne.  One of the biggest concerns for Elizabeth was the possibility of a Catholic crusade, led by a coalition of powerful foreign rulers and backed by the pope. Although the political situation in Europe was favourable to Elizabeth's position for much of the early 1560s, this began to change later in the decade.

Mary began to pose a real threat to Elizabeth's position as queen from the mid-1560s. Mary had spent her youth in France. This was because there had been repeated attempts by the English to capture her and she was removed to France for safety. Mary was brought up at the French court and eventually married the heir. Mary's connection with France actually enhanced Elizabeth's security. This was because France's great rival, Spain, would not support a France candidate to be queen of England. If Mary, supported by France, became queen of England, the French would be able to control the English channel, which would prevent the Spainish King Phillip reaching the lands he controlled in the Netherlands. As long as Mary was associated with France, Phillip would continue to support Elizabeth, even though she was Protestant & he was Catholic. For Phillip, this was a better option than allowing French power to increase. 

After Mary's French husband died in 1560, she returned to Scotland and began to rule as queen. Even though she was no longer in France, Mary's links with that country were still strong because she was related to the most powerful nobles in France. This meant that Phillip would continue to back Elizabeth to counterbalance the Franco-Scottish alliance. By 1565-66, she was faced with a Protestant noble revolt in Scotland. By 1567, Mary was imprisoned in one of her own castles. She was then forced to abdicate in favour of her young son, James. In 1568, Mary managed to escape from Scotland. She arrived in England in May 1568. 

The Northern Rising in 1569 had its roots in the development of tensions at Court between 2 groups of Elizabeth's nobility. Elizabeth herself was reliant on the advice of her most trusted councillor, William Cecil. Cecil and Elizabeth had worked to create a moderate religious settlement which aimed to keep both Protestants and Catholics happy. However, some members of the nobility at Court resented Cecil's influence with the queen. This was because of Elizabeth, advised by Cecil, seemed to be leading the country into a war with Catholic Spain. By 1568, Anglo-Spanish relations were starting to deteriorate. A Protestant-led rebellion had broken out against the Spainish rule in Netherlands, but this had been put down by the Spanish in 1567-68. This put Phillip II of Spain in a stronger position, and the presence of Spanish forces in the Netherlands, just across the Channel from England, created fears in England of a possible invasion. By the end of 1568, it looked like England was about to be dragged into a war with Spain, a much larger & more powerful country. Cecil's policy was blamed for this, & a Court plot emerged to try to remove from power. 

The Court Plot against William Cecil: The court nobles who became involved in the plan to remove Cecil didn't intend to remove Elizabeth from power. They saw themselves as loyal subjects of the queen who were concerned by the influence that Cecil had over her. The men involved in the attempt to get rid of Cecil included Norfolk, Westmorland, and Northumberland.  The aim of the plot which emerged in 1568-69 was that Norfolk would marry Mary. Elizabeth's consistent refusal to marry worried her advisers, who feared the political instability that would occur if she were to die suddenly without an heir. One solution to the problems of the succession and what to do with Marry was for her to marry Norfolk. Supporters of this idea at Court thought that this alliance would control Mary through marriage to someone who was at least nominally Protestant. Norfolk was considered the most suitable person to marry Mary because he was the most powerful member of the English nobility. It was also thought better for Mary to marry an Englishman where her actions could be easily controlled. Once Norfolk was married to Mary, the plan was that he would use his enhanced political position to ensure that Mary was recognised as Elizabeth's heir. this would protect Mary's own claim to the throne and settle the question of the royal succession. Philip would also be able to use his power to topple Cecil from his position as Elizabeth's chief minister and to end the potential slide into war with Spain. 

Unfortunately for the plotters, by 1569 Elizabeth had heard about the plan. She was furious and forbade any further discussion of the marriage. The marriage of her most powerful nobleman to a rival claimant to the throne would have been politically dangerous for Elizabeth. Norfolk's power and wealth, coupled with Mary's claim to be queen, could have led to a challenge to Elizabeth's right to be queen. MAry's Catholicism and the suspicion that Norfolk was sympathetic to the Catholic faith were also dangerous. a marriage between them might have encouraged discontented English Catholics to try to overthrow Elizabeth. Most of the men who had been involved in the plot, including Norfolk, eventually submitted to the queen and admitted their part in the plot. However, Norfolk's actions had aroused suspicions among the queen's advisers that there was more to the plan a marriage to Mary.

Norfolk was brought up in the Protestant faith but had sympathised with Catholicism. In the early 1560s, Norfolk served Elizabeth loyally. In 1560, he even led the English army against French Catholic intervention in Scotland. The Duke of Norfolk's role in the events of 1568-69 was ambiguous. In 1568, he was the leading member and the chief beneficiary of the plot to marry Mary and remove Cecil. Norfolk's actions and links with disgruntled members of the nobility, such as Northumberland and Westmorland, was enough to put him under suspicion at Court. On 1569, he decided to leave the Court at London. Fortunately for Elizabeth, Norfolk decided not to go to the North to raise rebellion with Westmorland and Northumberland. Instead, he went to his estates at Norfolk, while he decided what to do. On 1 October, he had made up his mind that his best option was to remain loyal to Elizabeth. Norfolk wrote to Westmorland telling him not to rebel. Norfolk then returned to Court at the queen's summons and was imprisoned in the Tower. 

Norfolk's actions in 1568-69 were an indirect cause of the rebellion of 1569. HIs leadership in the Court plot stirred up the resentment of men such as Northumberland and Westmorland. In 1569, Norfolk does not seem to have been plotting to take the throne, but he may well have been thinking about it during his time in the north. Norfolk may also have been motivated by a more general concern about the declining role of the traditional nobility. In the eyes of men like Norfolk, Northumberland and Westmorland, upstarts like William Cecil, who didn't  have a title or a great landed inheritance, were taking over Tudor government. However, in 1569, Norfolk decision to remain loyal to Elizabeth undermined the potential threat of the Northern Rising and left Westmorland and Northumberland feeling increasingly isolated.

Norfolk was brought up in the Protestant faith but had sympathised with Catholicism. In the early 1560s, Norfolk served Elizabeth loyally. In 1560, he even led the English army against French Catholic intervention in Scotland. The Duke of Norfolk's role in the events of 1568-69 was ambiguous. In 1568, he was the leading member and the chief beneficiary of the plot to marry Mary and remove Cecil. Norfolk's actions and links with disgruntled members of the nobility, such as Northumberland and Westmorland, was enough to put him under suspicion at Court. On 1569, he decided to leave the Court at London. Fortunately for Elizabeth, Norfolk decided not to go to the North to raise rebellion with Westmorland and Northumberland. Instead, he went to his estates at Norfolk, while he decided what to do. On 1 October, he had made up his mind that his best option was to remain loyal to Elizabeth. Norfolk wrote to Westmorland telling him not to rebel. Norfolk then returned to Court at the queen's summons and was imprisoned in the Tower. 

Norfolk's actions in 1568-69 were an indirect cause of the rebellion of 1569. HIs leadership in the Court plot stirred up the resentment of men such as Northumberland and Westmorland. In 1569, Norfolk does not seem to have been plotting to take the throne, but he may well have been thinking about it during his time in the north. Norfolk may also have been motivated by a more general concern about the declining role of the traditional nobility. In the eyes of men like Norfolk, Northumberland and Westmorland, upstarts like William Cecil, who didn't  have a title or a great landed inheritance, were taking over Tudor government. However, in 1569, Norfolk decision to remain loyal to Elizabeth undermined the potential threat of the Northern Rising and left Westmorland and Northumberland feeling increasingly isolated.

Norfolk was brought up in the Protestant faith but had sympathised with Catholicism. In the early 1560s, Norfolk served Elizabeth loyally. In 1560, he even led the English army against French Catholic intervention in Scotland. The Duke of Norfolk's role in the events of 1568-69 was ambiguous. In 1568, he was the leading member and the chief beneficiary of the plot to marry Mary and remove Cecil. Norfolk's actions and links with disgruntled members of the nobility, such as Northumberland and Westmorland, was enough to put him under suspicion at Court. On 1569, he decided to leave the Court at London. Fortunately for Elizabeth, Norfolk decided not to go to the North to raise rebellion with Westmorland and Northumberland. Instead, he went to his estates at Norfolk, while he decided what to do. On 1 October, he had made up his mind that his best option was to remain loyal to Elizabeth. Norfolk wrote to Westmorland telling him not to rebel. Norfolk then returned to Court at the queen's summons and was imprisoned in the Tower. 

Norfolk's actions in 1568-69 were an indirect cause of the rebellion of 1569. HIs leadership in the Court plot stirred up the resentment of men such as Northumberland and Westmorland. In 1569, Norfolk does not seem to have been plotting to take the throne, but he may well have been thinking about it during his time in the north. Norfolk may also have been motivated by a more general concern about the declining role of the traditional nobility. In the eyes of men like Norfolk, Northumberland and Westmorland, upstarts like William Cecil, who didn't  have a title or a great landed inheritance, were taking over Tudor government. However, in 1569, Norfolk decision to remain loyal to Elizabeth undermined the potential threat of the Northern Rising and left Westmorland and Northumberland feeling increasingly isolated.

Both Northumberland and Westmorland were Catholic and lived in the North. Despite the break with Rome and the move to Protestantism under Edward, many living in the North preserved traditional Catholic practices. In the 1560s, about 75% of the leading families of Yorkshire were Catholic, and there were bare Durham too. The survival of Catholic traditions was made possible partly by Elizabeth's own policies in the early 1560s. The 1559 Settlement kept the doctrine of the Church of England as moderate as possible. In particular, the liturgy of the Communion was made deliberately ambiguous so that both Moderate, Protestants and Catholics would be more likely to accept it. This policy led to the development of a group known as church papists. In addition, until the threat of a Catholic rebellion became serious from 1568, recusancy continued to flourish. This allowed the Catholic faith to persist in the North.   

However, as relations with Spain detoriated from 1566, Catholics started to come under suspicion. The government feared that Catholics would have divided loyalties - to the queen and to the pope - and so could not be trusted. The increasing threat of a Catholic-led rising was exacerbated by the remoteness of the North, which made it harder for the central government to react quickly to potential threats. The government responded to this threat by introducing a hard line approach to religious conformity. 

As government fears of Catholic, rising increased, the authorities started to enforce the religious settlement more strictly. Elizabeth's government appointed a series of men with strong Protestant convictions to positions in the northern Church and government with the aim to spread Protestant ideas. The most important Church appointment was James Pilkington as Bishop of Durham. Pilkington had radical Protestant views and preached against both Catholicism and the power of the traditional nobility. Pilkington and his followers among the clergy began a campaign to eradicate traditional practices in the diocese of Durham. In particular, they attempted to remove church furniture and religious imagery which they thought represented a Catholic approach to worship and belief. These policies made Pilkington unpopular locally. 

Both Northumberland and Westmorland were Catholic and lived in the North. Despite the break with Rome and the move to Protestantism under Edward, many living in the North preserved traditional Catholic practices. In the 1560s, about 75% of the leading families of Yorkshire were Catholic, and there were bare Durham too. The survival of Catholic traditions was made possible partly by Elizabeth's own policies in the early 1560s. The 1559 Settlement kept the doctrine of the Church of England as moderate as possible. In particular, the liturgy of the Communion was made deliberately ambiguous so that both Moderate, Protestants and Catholics would be more likely to accept it. This policy led to the development of a group known as church papists. In addition, until the threat of a Catholic rebellion became serious from 1568, recusancy continued to flourish. This allowed the Catholic faith to persist in the North.   

However, as relations with Spain detoriated from 1566, Catholics started to come under suspicion. The government feared that Catholics would have divided loyalties - to the queen and to the pope - and so could not be trusted. The increasing threat of a Catholic-led rising was exacerbated by the remoteness of the North, which made it harder for the central government to react quickly to potential threats. The government responded to this threat by introducing a hard line approach to religious conformity. 

As government fears of Catholic, rising increased, the authorities started to enforce the religious settlement more strictly. Elizabeth's government appointed a series of men with strong Protestant convictions to positions in the northern Church and government with the aim to spread Protestant ideas. The most important Church appointment was James Pilkington as Bishop of Durham. Pilkington had radical Protestant views and preached against both Catholicism and the power of the traditional nobility. Pilkington and his followers among the clergy began a campaign to eradicate traditional practices in the diocese of Durham. In particular, they attempted to remove church furniture and religious imagery which they thought represented a Catholic approach to worship and belief. These policies made Pilkington unpopular locally. 

Government intervention in the north 

Another cause of the growing resentment among Catholic nobles and gentry in the North was the appointment of Protestant outsiders to key posts in the North. This led to both religious and political tensions, as the incomes attempted to enforce Elizabeth's rule. The change was also felt more acutely because Mary I had appointed members of the traditional northern nobility to important strategic and political posts in the region between 1553 and 1558. Nobles who had benefited from these policies now found themselves deprived of their positions or overlooked, in favour of Protestant outsiders e.g her cousin Lord Hudson was made Wardern of the East March and Sir John Forster was appointed Wardern of the middle march a position held by Northumberland. The council of the North was run by an outsider, Thomas Radcliffe, Sussex who was also a cousin.

The economic concerns of the Northern Earls  

The lack of opportunities in government also had economic consequences for Northumberland and Westmorland. The appointment of their rivals to key positions which had once been theirs meant they lost the incomes these posts had bought. Both earls were suffering financially in the 1560s and government policy was making their situation worse. In 1562, Northumberland wrote to the Earl of Pembroke, asking him to ask the queen for a grant of £1,000 and Westmorland borrowed £80 from Bowes. These financial worries added to the ealrs grievances though they were not enough on their own to provoke them to rebel. Their rebellion in 1569 was caused by a combination of increasing government intrusion into the North, both religiously and politically, and Elizabeth's own actions, which convinced the earls that they had nothing to lose by rebelling.

The arrival of Mary in England in May 1568 was particularly awkward for Elizabeth. Mary was expecting refuge and help in regaining the Scottish throne. She was treated well, but her potential claim to the English throne made her a serious threat. Her presence in the country made her a potential figurehead around whom discontented Catholics might rally. With the deteriorating relationship with Spain at this time, there was also the threat of foreign intervention, though Phillip II was still reluctant to help someone with links to France. Mary was placed in comfortable imprisonment; in 1569 she was moved to Tutbury Castle. This was because the political and religious situation at this time was so tense that she could not be allowed to stay anywhere near London or the Scottish border. 

Elizabeth was now in a very difficult position.  Elizabeth had very strong views about the importance of the royal preogrative and the need for all subjects to obey their monarch. If Elizabeth were to execute another anoited monarch, it would set a dangerous precedent for her own English subjects. However, it wasn't particularly practical to help Mary regain her Scottish throne.Having a minor on the Scottish throne would weaken the potential threat of an invasion from the border because the Scots would lack the necessary leadership of a strong adult monarch. FUthermore, the Earl of Moray, the regent who now controlled Scotland and its baby king, was Protestant. England's security in the North would be enhanced if it had a neighbour with the same religious outlook. Even though Elizabeth viewed the actions of the Scottish nobility with considerable distaste, she was not prepared to overturn the political situation in Scotland. 

The result of Elizabeth's dilemma was that Mary remained in captivity in England.  Mary's presence in England rapidly became a focus for those members of the nobility who were discontented with ELizabeth's rule and who sought a return to Catholicism . Elizabeth's position was weakened still further by the fact that she herself was not married and had no children. Mary already had a son, James V, whose existence meant that there was a ready-made dynasty waiting to suceed Elizabeth. Mary's physical presence in England put additional pressure on Elizabeth to make the succession to the throne clear. This was why nobles with a range of religious sympathies, from the Catholic-leaning Norfolk and an acknowledgement of Mary's right to be Elizabeth's heir. The plot to arrange a marriage between Mary and Norfolk also coincided with growing resentment at Court against Cecil and the fears of the northern Catholic nobility about their features. The result was, first, the failed attempt to remove Cecil and then the rebellion by the two earls who were the most alienated from Elizabeths government, Westmorland and Northumberland 

After Norfolk's initial withdrawal from Court, Westmorland and Northumberland were confident that he was planning to rebel; this led them to plan a rising of their own. By the time that news of Norfolk's surrender reached them, their plans for a rebellion that was to begin on 6 October were already well advanced and had to be hastily abandoned. Without Norfolk's support, the earls wavered. But rumours of a rising aroused the suspicions of Sussex - the president of the CON. Sussex called both of them into questioning to prove his loyalty to QE, & they claimed that they were innocent of any plotting. Sussex accepted their claims & allowed them to go free, but he was still cautious about the rumours circulating. 

However, Elizabeth remained suspicious of W&N and called ordered them to come to Court in London on 24th October. This was against the advice of Sussex who claimed that this would prove them to rebel. On 9th November, the fearful earls finally rebelled as they thought they had not other alternatives. They attracted support, as supporters of Westmorland were beginning to mass at his castle in Durham. The Northern Rising had attracted support from the commons who also resented Elizabeth's religious policies. Northumberland was actually persuaded to join the rebellion by his followers who convinced him that he was about to be captured by Sussex. The gentry's that were loyal to Elizabeth began to gather in Barnard Castle, Durham who were under the leadership of George Bowes. 

The rebellion was based in Durham. The rebels marched to Durham Cathedral where they celebrated Catholic Mass and destroyed all signs of Protestantism. They then returned to Brancepeth, where they were able to defend themselves. On 15th November they marched South. 

The rebel's aim was to raise the county of Yorkshire in rebellion. As they moved South they issued proclamations claiming that they were Elizabeth's loyal subjects who were defending her from advisers such as William Cecil who had persuaded her to enforce Protestantism and attack Catholicism. BY claiming that they were loyal to Elizabeth, the earls were presenting themselves not as rebels, but as concerned subjects who wished to free her from bad advice. Like the POG, the earls made reference to the idea of the commonwealth, reinforcing the idea that they were acting for the good for the country. 

By 22 Nov, the rebels marched to Braham Moor. This was a particularly important strategic junction. Gaining control of this junction meant that the rebels were able to threaten York itself, an important centre of northern government, as well as blocking any government troops marching North from London or South from Newcastle. Even more worryingly for the government, the rebels could have marched South to rescue Mary from Tutbury Castle just 40 miles away. By late November, the rebels had attracted around 3,800-foot soldiers and 1,600 horsemen. The horsemen were also a particular threat to the government since this meant that the rebels were well equipped. 

Meanwhile, officials who remained loyal to the queen found it difficult to act because of the scale of the rebellion they now faced. Sussex was in charge of maintaining order but was trapped in York with only 400 horsemen. Sussex had tried to raise a larger army of 1,500 horsemen, but he had not been able to attract the support he needed from the local gentry. The rebels controlled so much of the North that Sussex stopped sending letters to London because he feared that they would fall into the wrong hands. But on 24 November, the rebels made the decision to retreat to Brancepeth. The rebels decision seems to have been due to a combination of reasons. They had heard rumours of a large army that was being organised further south under Warwick and that Mary and moved to Coventry so she was out reach. The rebels also realised that if they marched further south they would not receive much support as they were only well known in the North. The result of these circumstances was enough to convince the rebels to turn back to Durham. This didn't signify the end, as the rebel army was still large, 3,200 footmen and 1,500 horsemen were able to besiege Barnard Castle in Early December.  

The failure of the Northern Rising and Dacre's revolt 1570

It was not until 16th December when the royal army final reached the river Tees that the rebel earls disbanded their army and fled. The earl's got as far as Hexham before they were challenged by Sir John Forster. On 19 December, the remaining supporters of the rebels and Forster's army fought a brief skirmish, the only real conflict of the rebellion, but the earl escaped further North. Northumberland fled over the border into Scotland, where he hoped to find more supporters. Instead, he was handed over to the prop-English regent of Scotland, the Earl of Moray. Eventually, Northumberland was returned to England in 1572 and he was beheaded in York. Westmorland managed to escape to the continent and remained in exile for the rest of his life.

Although the rebellion of 1569 was put down, there was still further threats to Elizabeth's government. Lord Dacre had travelled to London during the rebellion and professed his loyalty to Elizabeth.  Dacre had come under suspicion because he was in correspondence with Mary. Dacre managed to convince the authorities in London that he was loyal and he was allowed to return to his estates around Naworth castle, where he began to fortify its defences. He also gathered an armed force of about 3,000 men. By early 1570, Dacre's actions had made the government suspicious and an order was issued for his arrest on 15 February. Lord Hudson was sent to take Dacre into custody but was attacked by Dacre and his troops. In the battle that followed, about 500 rebels were killed or captured. Hunsdon and his troops were victorious, but Dacre managed to escape across the border to Scotland. Eventually, Dacre made his way to the continent, where Westmorland, he remained in exile. Westmorland and Dacre lands were confiscated and given to Elizabeth's loyal supporters. With the execution of Northumberland in 1572, the destruction of the power of the traditional northern nobility was complete.  

Although the rising ultimately failed, the rebels did have some notable successes. In November 1569, they were able to march into Durham. At this time, Durham was an important administrative centre in the North, but it was not heavily fortified, which is why the rebels were able to capture the city so easily. Durham was also the focus of the rebellion because of the religious/political tensions that existed there. The actions of the Bishop of Durham had upset many of the local Catholic Gentry. Of the recorded participants in the Northern Rising, 794 came from Durham 

One act that had caused particular resentment among Catholics was the destruction of the banner representing the local saint, St Cuthbert, which had been kept at the cathedral. When the rebels entered the city, it is significant they went to the cathedral to hold a Catholic mass and to destroy the Protestant symbols they found there. For the rebels, what the cathedral looked like and how its services were conducted symbolised what they saw as an attack on their tradition beliefs and practices. The importance of Durham was such that when the CON was reorganised in 1562, the city and its region were brought under the council's direct control . 

The siege of Barnard castle in December 1569 was alarming to Elizabeth's government. Barnard Castle was a fortress in Durham which guarded the river Tees. It had been Crown property which had entrusted to George Bowes as its steward. Barnard Castle was one of the keys to controlling the surrounding region. Whoever held the castle would be able to use it as a refuge and as a place from which attacks could be launched. At the start of the rising in Durham, Barnard Castle rapidly became a rallying point for those loyal to Elizabeth. As the rebellion progressed and the rebels seized control of the county of Durham, the castle became a refuge for government supporters.  

In early December, the castle came under siege from 5,000 rebels. By 14 December, Bowes reported that the supplies were so low within the fortress that its defenders were reaching the point of starvation, 226 leapt over the walls to join the rebels and 150 turned on Bowes and opened the gates of the castle. Bowes was forced to surrender to the rebels and was allowed to leave with his 400 men. The temporary capture of Barnard Castle showed just how weak/isolated Elizabeth's supporters had become. However, the capture of Barnard Castle did not represent anything more than a temporary success for the rebels, as they were forced to flee two days later. In addition, the rebels do not seem to have wanted to cause physical harm to Bowes or his men. The rebels were more concerned about attacking the places that symbolised aspects of Elizabeth's government. The rebels do not seem to have wanted to cause physical harm to the men who represented Elizabeth as the rebellion was almost entirely peaceful. Most of the violence that did occur happened in the government repression following the failure of the rebellion.  

Northumberland and Westmorland initial attitudes to the plot to marry Norfolk to Mary were rather different. Westmorland was one of the main supporters of the planned marriage as he was Norfolks's brother in law and expected patronage, power and influence if the marriage went through. However, Northumberland was never in favour of the marriage as Norfolk was Protestant and Northumberland was determined to restore the Catholic faith and he did not think that the marriage of Mary to someone who was not fully committed to faith was the way to achieve this. Northumberland suggested that a better marriage would be with Phillip II, but it wasn't well received as he had no desire to get involved in English affairs. In November 1569, Northumberland was slow to commit to open rebellion. When rebel troops began to mass, it was at Westmorland's stronghold at Brancepeth. Northumberland did not join the rebellion until 9 November where he was eventually persuaded. 

Northumberland/ Westmorland both wanted to see the restoration of Catholicism. They thought that the best way of achieving this was to ensure that Mary was next in line in the royal succession. However, the earls' plan were not well thought through. Their initial attempt at a rising in early October had been abandoned following the news of Norfolk's arrest. The pattern of the rebel movements also suggests that the earls were uncertain about how to proceed. The rebels went first to Durham before moving South to Bramham Moor, and then North again. These movements suggest that the earls didn't have a clear strategy, particularly once they realised they had no chance of releasing Mary. 

The earls posed a real danger to Elizabeth's government. They had been in contact with Elizabeth's potential enemies such as Mary and the Spanish ambassador. Their letters reveal their determination to restore Catholicism. The earls' involvement was also dangerous because of the leadership they provided among the local communities, where they were well known and where traditional loyalities remained strong. The earls were not alone in resenting Elizabeth's religious settlement. When the ealrs rose, they were able to rely on the support of many other Catholic gentry, many of whom had long-standing connections with the earls. The strength and support meant that they were able to control Durham/Yorkshire for nearly a month, while Elizabeth's officials struggled to contain the rising and found themselves surrounded. 

In some ways, the Northern Rising posed a direct threat not only to the stability of the North but to Elizabeth's position on the throne. There was a threat that the northern rebels might get support from Phillip II of Spain or the pope. The presence of Mary led to increasing pressure on Elizabeth to settle the royal succession. Mary herself was in contact with English members of the Catholic nobility and her remaining supporters in Scotland. The Northern rising could have led to an attempt not just to restore Catholicism, but to depose Elizabeth altogether. 

The rising was also dangerous for Elizabeth because it showed the extent to which her religious settlement had failed to take root in the more religious conservative North of England. The settlement had been in place for 10 years, yet in the North, Catholicism remained the dominant belief among many members of the nobility/ gentry, who were prepared to rise up in support of their faith. The rising also exposed the weaknesses in the monarchy's ability to control the more remote regions of England effectively. Even though the CON had been reorganised in 1537, its members were not able to prevent the rebellion from breaking out. The Northern Rising exposed the weaknesses in Elizabeth's policies towards the North, and the dangerous resentment she had created with the imposition of Protestant outsiders. It took over a month for a large royal army to reach the county of Durham. Even the mustering and movement of this army showed the weaknesses in Tudor government. The army was so large and expensive to move that it took a long time to reach Durham. Although Sussex and Hudson repeatedly asked Cecil for a small mobile force of 800 men, including 500 cavalries, they were ignored. 

However, Elizabeth did survive the rebellion and it was to be the last of the reign in mainland England. The rebellion did not spread further west, even tough these were areas with strong Catholic sympathies. This was mostly because the dominant noble in these areas remained loyal (Derby). In addition, once the Norfolk had decided to throw himself on Elizabeth's mercy, the rebels were deprived of support from his estates further south. The rebels were also not prepared to use their strength in numbers to force a battle when they had the advantage in November. When the royal army eventually arrived in December, the news of its approach was enough to make the rebel army disperse. 

Failures in the leadership in the leadership of the Northern Rising 

The leadership of the Northern Rising lacked the co-ordination and objectives of earlier risings. The leadership of the earls of were less focused. Although Westmorland was committed to the Norfolk-Mary marriage, he still had to be convinced to rebel by his uncle. Northumberland needed even more persuading to join the rebellion. This suggests that there were disagreements among the leaders about their aims & method which may have weakened their leadership of the rebellion. 

The government response to the Northern Rising 

Although local government officials struggled to cope initially, ultimately, the government had the strength to reinstate order. Elizabeth's policy of giving local office to loyal Protestant outsiders and local men such as John foster who were reliant on royal favour for their position, helped to bring about the rebellion but it also helped end it. Men such as Foster, Hundson and Bowes remained entirely loyal to Elizabeth. These men were in constant contact with the government in London and were responsible for relaying the situation on the ground to the men. organising the response to the rising. Their information led to the organisation of a counter-attack and the removal of Mary from the rebel's reach. Finally, the news of the arrival of the enormous army from the South was enough to deter the rebels from advancing further South. The government response may have been slow initially, but when it did materialise in early December, the threat posed by the size of the royal army was enough to scare the rebels who did not wish to fight. 

The rising failed to attract support from other members of the nobility. Nobles with Catholic sympathies decided that rebellion too risky (Henry Clifford and Derby). There were even members of the local gentry in Yorkshire/Durham that remained neutral (John Sayer). Gentry member Sayer supported Northumberland. However, Sayer chose not to follow the earl into rebellion, but to help George Bowes in the defence of Barnard Castel instead. This suggests that the rebellion did not attract the support of everyone. This was because of the fear many people had if the rebellion failed. 

Another problem the rebel leaders faced was attracting the wider support of ordinary people. Although the rebel earls were able to attract 5,000 supporters for the rebellion from their own estates, the rebellion never gained the level of popular support seen in the POG. The reasons for this seem to have been the earl's lack of influence beyond the regions where they were dominant landlords. Without the support of other members of the nobility, the earls were not able to raise support outside Yorkshire/Durham. Popular attitudes to religion had also changed & people were less reluctant to support a full-scale rebellion.  Popular dislike & suspicion of foreigners meant that a return to a Church controlled by the pope wasn't widely supported. The result was that when the earls tried to rally support for a return to the papacy, they were met with indifferences

The lack of international support for the Northern Rising: The rebellion also failed because there was no support from foreign Catholic powers. The rebels believed that Phillip II of Spain was going to send troops to help the rebels, but when relations between England & Spain deteriorated by 1568, Phillip remained reluctant to help Mary because she had too many connections with France. Phillip preferred an England that was Protestant and free of French control than one that was Catholic and dominated by France. The rebels also hoped that Scottish Catholic supporters of Mary might invade from the North, but this was prevented by the pro-English regent of Scotland, the Earl of Moray. Finally, the rebellion lacked legitimacy in the eyes of some Catholics because Elizabeth had not yet been excommunicated by the pope ( only in 1570 when it was too late), which meant people weren't encouraged to try to remove her. 

During the rebellion of 1569 itself, there was little bloodshed, mainly because there was no pitched battle between the rebel army and the government forces. The 1570 clash between Dacre and Hunsdon resulted in the deaths of about 500 rebels. But despite the relatively non-violent approach of the rebels Elizabeth was determined to exact revenge. Her determination suggests that she wanted to prevent further attempts at opposition by making an example of those who had supported the Northern Rising. Although both earls escaped, eight other ringleaders were executed in the aftermath of the revolt. Northumberland suffered the same fate when he was handed over to the English authorities in 1572.

However, Elizabeth wanted to send out an even stronger message. She ordered that 700 ordinary rebels should be executed as well. Compared to the punishments meted out after the POG, which had been an even more threatening rising, Elizabeth's demands were more severe. However, there is evidence that Elizabeth's orders were not fully carried out. Bowes appears to have soften the impact of Elizabeth's orders and his papers show that he punished a small proportion of those accused. Bowes claimed that he was unable to carry out executions because many of the victims escaped, but he most likely did not try to search for those who disappeared. Sussex also helped to decrease the severity of punishment by telling Elizabeth that Bowes had completed the executions before he actually finished his work. As a result, it is estimated that 450 out of the 700 executions were actually carried out, which is more than the aftermath of the POG. 

The government response to the rebellion also took a political. In 1572, the CON was reorganised. Puritan Henry Hastings was appointed as president and was given extended power. He remained in charge until his death in 1595 and his continued presence in the North helped stabilise the region ( he confiscated Westmorland's estates). These policies helped to decrease the power of the northern nobility and strengthen the power of the crown in the north. Finally, the Northern Rising helped to establish Protestant rule in Scotland. When Moray was assassinated in 1570, this gave the government an excuse to a launch a series of raids over the Scottish border. TheEnglish claimed they were pursuing the rebels who had escaped there in 1569, but in fact were using the invasion to undermine Mary's supporters which meant they werent able to take advantage of Morays assassination.