TO WHAT EXTENT DID THE KETT'S REBELLION POSE A CHALLENGE TO THE GOVERNMENT

Origins of rebellion

Socio-economic crisis of late 1540s - riots against illeal enclosure in Essex, West and East Anglia
1st July - local nobility and gentry summonded by Somerset to Windsor Castle
Began in Wymondham (Norfolk) - locals destroyed enclosures of Sir John Flowerdew = lawyer, dispute with locas over local abbey
Kett, another landowner, sided with rebels - marched to Norwich - 12th July, camp on Mousehold Heath, looking over Norwich
Divide between rich and poor in Norwich (6% owned 60%)
Other camps set up at Downham Market and Bury St Edmunds
City Council and major tried to cooperate - failed
Messenger sent to pardon, began to bombard Norwich - no damage
22nd July - rebels offered truce but refused, full-scale attack, major captured

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Somerset sent William Parr, Marquess Of Northampton with an army containing Italian mercenaries
Arrived on 30th July
31st July - declared pardon for anyone who would surrender, only 20 rebels did
Rebels launched another attacks
Parr forced to withdraw

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2nd army led by John Dudley, Earl of Warwick = 12,000 men on 23rd August, negotiations
Govt. offred pardon to all but Kett - turned down
23rd (night) - rebels raided carts carrying Warwick's weaponry, captured guns to use against them
24th August - entered Norwich, arrested and hanged some rebels, continued resistance, used arson and ambshes to attack Warwick army.
26th - arrival of 1000 mercenaries, cut of rebel's supply
Kett moved rebel camp from Mousehold to Dussindale
27th - final negotiation attempt, rebels refused, Kett captured, up to 3000 rebels killed
Kett executed for treason in December 1549

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Trigger - resentment over enclosure and encouragment from Somerset's enclosure commissions, socio-economic difficulties and corruption of East Anglican gentry
Attacks on Flowerdew's enclosed land - resentment in EA
Flowerdew = Escheator for Norfolk, oversaw Crown's rights over land, opportunity to use bribes and imitation
Rabbit warrens and deer parks targeted by rebels - only eaten by gentlemen
Resented abuse of power and privileges by local gentry
Captured Lord Sheffield in Norwich on 31st July - beaten to death
Wanted better local governance - Kett careful to keep order within rebels ranks
Kett set up govt. system - writs and commission on food and drink
Oak of Reformation = gentry members captured, put on trial under a tree.

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Articles 3, 21, 23 = resentment of landords' power and lack of respect for rights of villages to common land in pursuit of profit from sheep farming
Articles 2, 14, 21 = increase of rent, local gentry blamed for exploiting poor tenants and increasing their own profit
Article 12 = end of corrupt govt. by local gentry
Article 29 = each officer who had upset them had to pay 4 pence per day for duration of rebellion, local officials chosen by local people
Article 18 = stop royal officials from inquiring into lands of less wealthy landowners
Article 16 - look after poorest society members
Conerned over clergy education, any clergy unable to preach properly = removed
Articles 10, 24 = preservation of rights and privileges due to men of rank

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Weakness of Somerset's government

Mousehold camp (rebels) = 16,000 men
Govt. resources stretched - Western Rising
Somerset forced to divide forces to deal with extensive rebellions
Govt. took a long time to respond to rebellion
Norfolk' absence from rebellion, Duke arreseted for treason in 1546, gentry lacked leadership from nobelmen, rebellion able to gether momentum quickly
8th August = France declared war on England = strain

Organisation of the rebels

Local authorities cooperated with rebels e.g. churchmen of Carlton Castle collected money and sent it to the camp at Mousehold
Sustained and supplied a large camp for 6 weeks
Gentry captured = rough treatment
Didn't resent hierarchy in society - rebellion put down and order restored
Wanted rulers attention to greed and corruption of local gentry

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