Western Rebellion - June 1549

Religious reasons:

- Introduction of the prayer book, 1549

- William Body's investigation into church goods was disliked by Cornwall

Economic reasons:

- Tax on sheep

Articles of the Western rebellion:

- Demanded that the 6 articles be reinstated

- Mass in Latin

- Holy bread and water every Sunday, images restored

- Demanded priests at mass pray for souls of purgatory

- Prayers for the dead

- Purgatory

Why may the articles not reflect the demands of all the rebels?

- Articles were written by Priests, therefore mainly focused on religion, rebels may have had other reasons that were not reflected

What were the main demands of the Western rebels?

Religious demands

- shown through Articles

Economic demands, rebels opposed Gentry:

- attacked and killed gentry at Bodmin

- killed William Hellyons at St Michael's Mount

- gentry gained from the dissolution, were now implementing their policy

- Nobility had raised rents excessively, were not caring for the less fortunate

Government response:

- Lord Russell given small army, reinforced by Lord Grey

- Confronted rebels 3 times, Fenny Bridges, Clyst st Marys, Clyst Heath

- Rebels were defeated at Stampford Courtenay

REBELS DIDN'T BACK DOWN BUT EVENTUALLY:

- 3000 were later killed

- Leader, Robert Walsh was hung from his own chuch gallows

How was the Western rebellion serious?

- 5000 rebels

- had articles that opposed Edward's religion

- took 3 battles to defeat

- rebels killed gentry who opposed them

- Somerset faced problems with enclosure and in Scotland and France which would have distracted him from the Western rebellion

How was the Western  rebellion not serious?

- rebels didn't oppose Edwrad VI or his government, just religion

- Exeter were able to overcome rebel forces by spoiling the poor immediately before rebels reached their land

- rebels were killed in their thousands and beaten by government forces