Prayer Book Rebellion (1549)
A popular revolt which happened in both Devon as well as Cornwall back in 1549, was known by 3 separate names; the Western Rising, the Western Rebellion as well as the Prayer Book Rebellion. The revolt was established over the reformation of the church in which the Book of Common Prayer was published and expected to be used by all. Unfortunately, this prayer book was not received well by many traditional Roman Catholics of the time.
As a result of this reformation, the masses became angered and began a revolt upon the church. In the City of Cornwall, the rebels had gathered and as a rebuttal, the Lord Protector the Duke of Somerset, called for a large and powerful force of German and Italian mercenaries in order to quell the rebel forces.
King Edward VI was only 9 years old at the time he took the throne and through his entourage, created a referendum of change in both England as well as Wales as a means of changing the theological aspects of the Church of England.
The 1549 release of the new Book of Common Prayer was the result of this reformation of the church’s theology in which the Sarum Rite was abolished. This was an accepted change by many conservatives and due to their loyalty to the Catholic Church, began an uprising.
There are a number of possible causes for the Prayer Book Rebellion which can actually be dated back far before the time of this particular reformation of the Church. Past reformations and the destruction of various Monasteries, especially those destroyed during the Cornish Rebellion. Furthermore, throughout the entire time period before the Prayer Book Rebellion, there were a number of issues which forced people of the time to change the way they were allowed to believe in their religion. Many assumptions have been made that the Prayer Book Rebellion was actually the ending of a millennia of religious inquisitions that the commoners had to endure.
But it was this last reformation of the church, which sent out commissioners who were in charge of removing and destroying religious items belonging not only to the church, but to the masses as well. Many saw this as a desecration and became so angered by it that the revolt soon began as a means of protecting what was believed to be most valuable to the people. Those that attempted to stand in the way of the commissioners were arrested, tried as traitors and hung which only infuriated the people more.
With decades of oppression against those in Devon as well as Cornwall, and coupled with recent inflation and the closure of various common lands, the attack on the church was none the less an eminent one.
It was the mayor of Bodmin, Henry Bray that would gather an army with the help of John Winslade and Sir Humphrey Arundell who were both wealthy land owners in the area. The army gathered in Cornwall where the Prayer Book Rebellion was to begin its campaign. The goal of the rebellion was a simple one, “Kill all the gentleman and we will have the Six Articles up again and ceremonies as they were in King Henry's time”. And with that, the Prayer Book Rebellion began its onslaught on various gentry including Sir Richard Grenville who became imprisoned once the rebellions took the ruins of Trematon.
Heading in an Easterly direction from Cornwall, the Prayer Book army of Rebellions made their way to Devon where they caught up with the rebels out of Devon near Crediton just across the Tamar border.
The ending of the Prayer Book Rebellion was on August 5th in which the rebels had become surrounded by an army led by Lord Grey and captured. Another branch of the rebellion which had headed north was captured by Sir Gawen Carew and the remainder attempted to take a stronghold in Sampford Courtenay until August 17th.
In the end, over 1,300 had perished in Sampford Courtenay, another 1,000 were burned to death at Clyst St. Mary, 900 were gagged and killed by having their throats slit open and many more died in the battles as well as in unknown locations as many of them had been hung in trees or burned when caught. All together, the Prayer Book rebellion took a toll of well over 5,500 lives. Furthermore, it was the Prayer Book rebellion that ultimately led to the demise of the Cornish Language and still today, many leaders of the church refuse to make amends for the thousand who were killed over the right to speak Cornish in church rather than English.
Original Authors: Globel Team (Nick)
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 23/07/2008
