Post by Mr Modica on Sept 25, 2013 12:13:11 GMT
The causes
14 June 1549 Edward VI pardoned a great number of people who had pulled down hedges and disparked parkland. The pardon was necessary, as Fletcher argues, because of Somerset’s unrealistic domestic policy.
Somerset was certainly keen to be seen to be acting on behalf on the common man. He had for instance, introduced a private Act of Parliament to give security to copyholders on his estate and he had sponsored John Hales who had introduced three bills on enclosure in the Parliament of 1548. It is probable that news of Hales’s midlands commissions in to enclosure were to provide the spark for the revolt in Attleborough.
However this was not the only cause: complaints about bad local government, agricultural conditions and religion also played their part.
Kett and his like were just outside the realms of county government and it is clear from his demands that they were dissatisfied with the way Norfolk and Suffolk were being run. Kett also believed that the central government was on their side. He wanted to ensure that JPs didn’t just ignore the laws they didn’t like. This desire was demonstrated in the way in which the rebels ran their encampment on Mousehold Heath.
The rebels it is suggested by MacCulloch, wanted to reform abuses of the traditional social order and a return to a previous age where, for instance lords of manors were not bailiffs for other lords.
The rebels also complained of the links between lawyers and the gentry. For example John Flowerdew of Hethersett had been the ‘feodary’ (county representative of the Court of Wards responsible for all matters relating to land held of the King by knight service) was also an advisor to a local lord – giving him an opportunity to manipulate things to his own advantage (poor tenants often couldn’t afford the costs of an enquiry in to the lands they held, thus a landlord could gain their lands by default). The rivalry between Flowerdew and Kett was the spark for the rebellion.
The rebels received support from within Norwich from the poorer sections of the city. Just 6% of the citizens of the city owned 60% of the land and goods. This was exacerbated by a decline in the worsted industry with many craftsmen emigrating.
Norfolk essentially divided in to two agricultural areas: two lighter soil areas where sheep-corn was practised and a clay soil area that was largely woodland and pastoral. In the sheep-corn area abuse by the landlords of their rights to pasture caused resentment, whilst enclosure on the clay soil deprived many of the rights to pasture.
Many rebels were also protesting about price and rent rises. Using Phelps Brown’s index (where 1450-75 represents 100) 1548-9 sees the index at 193 and 1550 at 262.
On religion the rebels were more inclined to reform than their western counterparts. Thomas Coniers, a Norwich priest, daily used the new Prayer Book in the rebels’ camp they were even preached to by a future Archbishop, Matthew Parker. Kett complained that the clergy would rather serve the lords than the common people; that they were grasping of tithes; that the clergy should teach poor men’s children about religion; that preaching was important and that ministers who would preach should be sought out; the involvement of the clergy in local land markets and the use of the church by the gentry for economic gain.
The rebellion also gave space for the pursuit of some purely local complaints over fishing and seigneurial rights in Parham.
The course of events
20 June 1549 villagers of Attleborough threw down the hedges of a local land owner. Two weeks later, near Wymondham, crowds threw down more hedges, including those of the lawyer John Flowerdew (who was unpopular in the town for his role in the dissolution). Flowerdew tried to divert the rioters attention towards land recently enclose by Robert Kett, his local rival. However Kett agreed the land he had enclosed should be un-enclosed and he became the leader of the revolt.
By 10 July Kett had reached Norwich, where inspired by his approach some poor men had pulled down hedges in the town close. On 12 July Kett set up his camp on Mousehold Heath over-looking the city. There were reputed to be 16,000 rebels.
Little effort had been made to disperse the rebels before they reached the city. An attempt was made to set up a similar camp at Castle Rising, though this soon moved to Downham Market. In Suffolk there were camps at Ipswich (later moved to Melton) and at Bury by 14 July. Attempts to establish camps at Great Yarmouth and Cambridge however were nipped in the bud.
In Norwich the Mayor, Sit Thomas Codd and other leading burghers could do little (or thought they could do little!). They co-operated with Kett’s need for supplies Codd also signed, along with Kett and Thomas Aldrich the 29 demands of his petition to Somerset. It may have been that Codd felt he could do little with so many rebels on his doorstep and given the support for them within the city.
On 21 July a royal herald arrived and promised pardons to the rebels if they dispersed. This galvanised the Mayor, burghers and gentry in to action. Codd was prepared to starve Kett out; watch was kept on the gates and artillery hauled in to place.
The rebels responded by acquiring their own ordinance from Paston Hall, although it was used too little effect. On 23 July the rebels asked for a truce, which was refused so the rebels swarmed across the river and easily took the city. Codd and Aldrich were placed under house arrest in Surrey Place, a mansion on the Heath.
Sir Anthony Wingfield persuaded the camp at Melton to disperse, and probably did the same at Bury, with the promise of pardons
On 30 July the Marquis of Northampton reached Norwich with a force of Italian mercenaries. One of the mercenaries was captured and hung by the rebels (from the walls of Surry Place). During the night Northampton’s artillery bombarded the rebels, and the next day a pardon was declared from the city walls if the rebels would give themselves up (about 20 did). The rebels then made a determined attack, resulting in a large skirmish on the edge of the city.
Northampton then left the city, which precipitated panic amongst the gentry, leaving the rebels once again in control of the city.
The government issued commissions for the levying of forces from the counties around Norfolk. On 23 August the Earl of Warwick arrived at Norwich with some 12,000 troops. His herald offered pardons to all except Kett, who was prepared to meet Warwick, but claims that the whole thing was a trick and a rumour that the soldiers had killed a boy put paid to any hopes of peace.
24 August Warwick entered the city and hanged some of the rebels he found there. The rebels counter-attacked and tried to capture some of Warwick’s artillery. By night the rebels tried to burn out the royal troops, by day skirmishing in the back streets was the order of the day. 100 rebels were killed on the 24th.
On 27 August the rebels set fire to their camp and retreated on to a plain nearby – this may have been in response to Warwick cutting some of their supply lines. The rebels moved their artillery and dug defensive ditches. Sir Edmund Knyvet asked the rebels to yield, when they refused they were cut down by Warwick’s cavalry and as many as 3,000 of them were killed.
Kett escaped the slaughter, but was soon caught. He was condemned for treason on 26 November and was hanged at Norwich Castle on 7 December. Altogether 49 rebels were executed, including Kett’s brother, William, who was hung from Wymondham church tower
14 June 1549 Edward VI pardoned a great number of people who had pulled down hedges and disparked parkland. The pardon was necessary, as Fletcher argues, because of Somerset’s unrealistic domestic policy.
Somerset was certainly keen to be seen to be acting on behalf on the common man. He had for instance, introduced a private Act of Parliament to give security to copyholders on his estate and he had sponsored John Hales who had introduced three bills on enclosure in the Parliament of 1548. It is probable that news of Hales’s midlands commissions in to enclosure were to provide the spark for the revolt in Attleborough.
However this was not the only cause: complaints about bad local government, agricultural conditions and religion also played their part.
Kett and his like were just outside the realms of county government and it is clear from his demands that they were dissatisfied with the way Norfolk and Suffolk were being run. Kett also believed that the central government was on their side. He wanted to ensure that JPs didn’t just ignore the laws they didn’t like. This desire was demonstrated in the way in which the rebels ran their encampment on Mousehold Heath.
The rebels it is suggested by MacCulloch, wanted to reform abuses of the traditional social order and a return to a previous age where, for instance lords of manors were not bailiffs for other lords.
The rebels also complained of the links between lawyers and the gentry. For example John Flowerdew of Hethersett had been the ‘feodary’ (county representative of the Court of Wards responsible for all matters relating to land held of the King by knight service) was also an advisor to a local lord – giving him an opportunity to manipulate things to his own advantage (poor tenants often couldn’t afford the costs of an enquiry in to the lands they held, thus a landlord could gain their lands by default). The rivalry between Flowerdew and Kett was the spark for the rebellion.
The rebels received support from within Norwich from the poorer sections of the city. Just 6% of the citizens of the city owned 60% of the land and goods. This was exacerbated by a decline in the worsted industry with many craftsmen emigrating.
Norfolk essentially divided in to two agricultural areas: two lighter soil areas where sheep-corn was practised and a clay soil area that was largely woodland and pastoral. In the sheep-corn area abuse by the landlords of their rights to pasture caused resentment, whilst enclosure on the clay soil deprived many of the rights to pasture.
Many rebels were also protesting about price and rent rises. Using Phelps Brown’s index (where 1450-75 represents 100) 1548-9 sees the index at 193 and 1550 at 262.
On religion the rebels were more inclined to reform than their western counterparts. Thomas Coniers, a Norwich priest, daily used the new Prayer Book in the rebels’ camp they were even preached to by a future Archbishop, Matthew Parker. Kett complained that the clergy would rather serve the lords than the common people; that they were grasping of tithes; that the clergy should teach poor men’s children about religion; that preaching was important and that ministers who would preach should be sought out; the involvement of the clergy in local land markets and the use of the church by the gentry for economic gain.
The rebellion also gave space for the pursuit of some purely local complaints over fishing and seigneurial rights in Parham.
The course of events
20 June 1549 villagers of Attleborough threw down the hedges of a local land owner. Two weeks later, near Wymondham, crowds threw down more hedges, including those of the lawyer John Flowerdew (who was unpopular in the town for his role in the dissolution). Flowerdew tried to divert the rioters attention towards land recently enclose by Robert Kett, his local rival. However Kett agreed the land he had enclosed should be un-enclosed and he became the leader of the revolt.
By 10 July Kett had reached Norwich, where inspired by his approach some poor men had pulled down hedges in the town close. On 12 July Kett set up his camp on Mousehold Heath over-looking the city. There were reputed to be 16,000 rebels.
Little effort had been made to disperse the rebels before they reached the city. An attempt was made to set up a similar camp at Castle Rising, though this soon moved to Downham Market. In Suffolk there were camps at Ipswich (later moved to Melton) and at Bury by 14 July. Attempts to establish camps at Great Yarmouth and Cambridge however were nipped in the bud.
In Norwich the Mayor, Sit Thomas Codd and other leading burghers could do little (or thought they could do little!). They co-operated with Kett’s need for supplies Codd also signed, along with Kett and Thomas Aldrich the 29 demands of his petition to Somerset. It may have been that Codd felt he could do little with so many rebels on his doorstep and given the support for them within the city.
On 21 July a royal herald arrived and promised pardons to the rebels if they dispersed. This galvanised the Mayor, burghers and gentry in to action. Codd was prepared to starve Kett out; watch was kept on the gates and artillery hauled in to place.
The rebels responded by acquiring their own ordinance from Paston Hall, although it was used too little effect. On 23 July the rebels asked for a truce, which was refused so the rebels swarmed across the river and easily took the city. Codd and Aldrich were placed under house arrest in Surrey Place, a mansion on the Heath.
Sir Anthony Wingfield persuaded the camp at Melton to disperse, and probably did the same at Bury, with the promise of pardons
On 30 July the Marquis of Northampton reached Norwich with a force of Italian mercenaries. One of the mercenaries was captured and hung by the rebels (from the walls of Surry Place). During the night Northampton’s artillery bombarded the rebels, and the next day a pardon was declared from the city walls if the rebels would give themselves up (about 20 did). The rebels then made a determined attack, resulting in a large skirmish on the edge of the city.
Northampton then left the city, which precipitated panic amongst the gentry, leaving the rebels once again in control of the city.
The government issued commissions for the levying of forces from the counties around Norfolk. On 23 August the Earl of Warwick arrived at Norwich with some 12,000 troops. His herald offered pardons to all except Kett, who was prepared to meet Warwick, but claims that the whole thing was a trick and a rumour that the soldiers had killed a boy put paid to any hopes of peace.
24 August Warwick entered the city and hanged some of the rebels he found there. The rebels counter-attacked and tried to capture some of Warwick’s artillery. By night the rebels tried to burn out the royal troops, by day skirmishing in the back streets was the order of the day. 100 rebels were killed on the 24th.
On 27 August the rebels set fire to their camp and retreated on to a plain nearby – this may have been in response to Warwick cutting some of their supply lines. The rebels moved their artillery and dug defensive ditches. Sir Edmund Knyvet asked the rebels to yield, when they refused they were cut down by Warwick’s cavalry and as many as 3,000 of them were killed.
Kett escaped the slaughter, but was soon caught. He was condemned for treason on 26 November and was hanged at Norwich Castle on 7 December. Altogether 49 rebels were executed, including Kett’s brother, William, who was hung from Wymondham church tower