THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE - 1536-7
There were several major revolts in the North of England in the 16th Century, the most widespread was the 1536-7 'Pilgrimage of Grace'.
The Pilgrimage was a widespread northern rising
against Henry VIII's religious policies and the greatest challenge to his position during
his reign. It seems to have been triggered by the dissolution of the smaller
monasteries, and rumours of closure of churches, though also had economic and social
reasons. It began at Louth in Lincolnshire spreading to Yorkshire and then to
Cumberland and Westmoreland. The rebels, who took the badge of the five
wounds of Christ and called themselves pilgrims, were led by Robert Aske and for
some weeks commanded overwhelming numbers. Robert Aske was a Yorkshire attorney
from a well connected gentry family at Aughton. He had written publicly against the
dissolution of the Abbeys as they supported religious and charitable aims. It is
interesting to read the Dodds's history of the revolt in that they give an interesting
insight to the kinship links of many of the main leaders involved. Kinship links
might be further explored to give further insights as might the influence of the Guild of
Corpus Christi
King Henry's response to the
revolt was to successfully play for time, to offer pardons, and to attempt to split
gentry from commoners. Sir
Francis Bigod (Yorkshire landowner and Courtier), a well connected Protestant
reformer who had attacked the greed of the monasteries, was also dragged into the revolt,
but had with John Hallam helped suppress a rebel attack on Scarborough and Hull. By the
spring of 1537 most of the rebels had dispersed and Henry was able to take a bloody
revenge on the pilgrims. Aske was a moderate who sought to restrain his followers
and urged them to trust Henry's honour and good faith, but renewed activity in early 1537
led to his downfall. He was seized and sent to the Tower of London. Aske was
executed at York (despite a pardon promised by Henry and Cromwell) and Lord Darcy who had
surrendered Pontefract castle to the rebels, was beheaded on Tower Hill. Other rebel
leaders executed included Sir Robert Constable (the head of the Flamborough family - who's
descendant was to be a regicide and sign the execution warrant of King Charles I), Sir
Thomas Percy (a descendant of 'Harry Hotspur' Lord Percy the 15th Century rebel, like the
Aske family), and various Abbots and leaders of the abbeys at Fountains, Rievaulx,
Jervaulx, Guisborough, Bridlington and Doncaster. Poor Lady Bulmer, was executed
like her husband, but she suffered the ladies punishment of burning at the stake.
More than 200 rebels were betrayed by Henry.
The
weakness of royal control which the rising had demonstrated led at once to the
establishment of the Council of the North in October 1537 to reassert Royal
authority. The dissolution of the monasteries continued at a great pace and was more
or less completed by 1540. Henry and his successor Tudors continued to centralise
national Royal authority, continuing the reduction in power of the major families, the
once powerful aristocracy. At the same time Henry avoided the centralisation of the
newly acquired property and allowed much of this to reward families who were loyal to the
crown.
Reading
Michael Bush, The Pilgrimage of Grace, A study of the
Rebel Armies of October 1536, MUP, 1996
Michael Bush, The defeat of the Pilgrimage of Grace, OUP,
1999.
Madeleine Hope Dodds and Ruth Dodds, The Pilgrimage of Grace
1536-1537 & the Exeter Conspiracy 1538, F.Cass 1971.
John Fines, The Pilgrimage of Grace, West Sussex
Institute of Higher Education, 1986.
Richard W Hoyle, The Pilgrimage of Grace and Politics and Politics of
the 1530's, OUP, 2001.
Images of Kirkham Abbey ruins above are scanned copies of Kodak Instamatic photographs from the 1970's taken by TJO.
There may be another page about the Francis Bigod later.
This page is compiled by Timothy J. Owston of York, England. |
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