The Pilgrimage of Grace (1536/7)
Henry's VIII strong criticism on the Catholic Church and the religious strength of Rome was given much bearing but it seems that everyone was neither satisfied nor happy by his strong dissembling of the Catholic followers and its practices in England. The first movement of malcontent groups took place in October 1536, when a great force of rebels from the north assembled as an army at the centre of the city of Lincoln. With the expression of disapproval from the King, the rebels were dispelled and sent off in various directions.
Following this minor protest, a much more sober revolt and public disturbance arose almost instantly in Yorkshire led by a lawyer named Robert Aske, his troops and rebel forces almost filled up and surrounded Doncaster and York. Together, he was supported by the Archbishop of York, no less than Henry Lee.
These warriors that were led by captains and provided with armour, artilleries and horses amounted to 40,000 in total. They had promised each other by a solemn appeal to be obedient and faithful to their captain. They also solemnly expressed that their rebellion and resistance would stretch out only to maintain the protection of their beliefs to Christ and the salvation of the holy church. In addition to their resentment and demands contrary to religious policies, their opposition also included the disfavour of high taxes and rents imposed on the poor. In other words, they played themselves as the protector of the church as well as the poor, not as resistors in contrast with the King.
They cautiously avoided any personal encounter towards Henry VIII considering it as a basis for their wise moves, but got involved in the wickedness of crime against Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief fortune teller. They called this their guilty involvement and treacherous passage, blessed and holy religious devotion carrying a flag showing pretentious character and disguised sanctity. This was a joint approach performed by the rebels and adherents during the whole Tudor history. Instead of risking an apprehension of attacking the monarch, they pretended themselves to be the faithful descendants whose purpose was to save the king from morally wrong advisors.
The information about the new insurrection had reached the king’s conscience, he then immediately arranged and commanded the dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk, Earl of Shrewsbury, Marquis of Exeter together with his royal and powerful armies to set upon the rebel troops. In shock of seeing the total number of rebels as well as their ascertainment to fight the battle, these counsellors and noble captains negotiated prudently to restore all without spilling any blood. The rebel troops first challenged the royal nobles as it seemed that the rise of the battle could not be avoided.
But before the battle begun, a heavy drenching rain deepened the stream that separated both parties, nobody could cross or pass through it. Possibly the rain tenderised and touched the rebels’ hearts and spirits that they decided to agree on the duke's proposal to free all the religious leaders, equivalent to an indefinite promise that King Henry VIII would listen to their demands and requests by deciding to hold a legislative assembly at York. Whenever the agreement and condition between two parties had been attained, Aske unaffectedly convinced his men to separate and scatter in different directions pretending that this demand would be made seriously in favour of them. The rebels were sent off everywhere, some went home directly as easily and quickly as it had just happened.
Aske was taken by the king to London and provided with everything he needed and was treated very well. But the pretentious acts of the king and the future of the pilgrimage did not stop there. Another revolt was uprising a few months later at Beverly under the Yorkshire courtier and landowner, Sir Francis Bigod. He was a well renowned Protestant, who had also been drawn into forced revolts, but with the help of John Hallam, the attempts to be hostile toward Hull and Scarborough were suppressed.
In 1537, most of the rebellious troops were dispelled and Henry took to a bloody vengeance against religious devotees. Aske tried to find out and discover as well as hold back his supporters and disciples, forcing them to trust King Henry's honesty and good beliefs but the fresh and renewed uprisings and activity led to ruin him.
Despite of the refusal of Aske, together with the original leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace towards Bigod revolts, they were still held accountable. He was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Despite of the freedom promised by Cromwell and King Henry, Aske was assassinated for treason at York in June 1537 while Lord Darcy who had given up the Castle Pontefract to the rebel troops was decapitated on Tower Hill. The whole northern part of the country was put under the law of military forces and almost 250 people were put to death by means of hanging for seditious acts.
The quality of being weak of royal domination, which the revolts had established, arguments led at once to the recognition of the Council of the North in October 1537 to strengthen royal power of determination. The process of dissolving the community of monks bounded by vows to their religious life continued at a great rate of movement and was more or less finished and established by 1540.
Henry and his claimant Tudors went on to bring the national royal power under one control, and continued to diminish the authority of the higher class family members, the once powerful class of persons. Meanwhile, Henry stayed away from the control of the newly owned property and permitted much of this to honour and merit families who were faithful to the King of England.
The strong and active revolution of the Pilgrimage of Grace and its outcome adequately accomplished a purpose and ended any common opposition to Henry's religious actions and procedures, and the demolition of the monasteries continued without advance and serious obstacles.
Original Authors: Phil Post
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 23/07/2008
