Plots and Rebellions
Revolt of Northern Earls, 1569
Key Dates
Date Event
Aug-Sep Rumours of rising
6 Oct Date fixed by Earls for rising but abandoned after Norfolk sought mercy
9 Oct Earls denied knowledge of rising to Council of North
13 Oct Earl of Sussex reported ‘all is very quiet here and time of year will shortly cool hot
humours’
24 Oct Earls summoned to Court by Elizabeth
9 Nov Church bells called people out to rising
Earl of Northumberland joins Earl of Westmorland and his forces at
Westmorland’s castle at Brancepeth
13 Nov Sussex sends out commissions to raise 1500 foot soldiers. Many men are torn
between local loyalty to earls and national loyalty to Queen. Few join Sussex.
14 Nov Earls march to Durham Cathedral, tear down any Protestant images and celebrate
mass.
15 Nov Rebels march south and enlist support from Richmondshire and Neville’s tenant at
Kirby Moorside.
16 Nov Sussex writes to Privy Council to tell them of difficulties he’s having raising an
army
22 Nov Earls reach Bramham Moor. 3800 foot soldiers and 1600 horsemen in army. All
territory east of Pennines is under their control.
24 Nov Rebels turn back at Knaresborough
30 Nov Rebels retreat to Richmond. One contingent captures Hartlepool, hoping a
Spanish army might land there to support them, while main body besieges
Barnard Castle.
14 Dec Barnard Castle surrenders to Earls.
16 Dec Royal army, moving south, reaches River Tees. Earls flee to Hexham.
19 Dec Skirmish between scouts of royal army and scouts of rebel army. Earls flee across
Scottish border.
Dec - - Elizabeth orders execution of 700 rebels, but because of bad weather and
Jan 1570 her officials’ reluctance, and actual figure executed is probs approx 450
, - Earl of Westmorland escapes abroad
Feb 1570 Lord Hunsdon’s royal army defeated Lord Dacre’s rebels. 500 rebels
killed/captured.
1572 Northumberland is betrayed by Scottish clan after imprisonment and interrogation,
is beheaded
Background
Thomas Howard, - Leading english noble
Duke of Norfolk - Supported by some english courtiers, including Leicester who
wanted to discredit Cecil
De Spes - Spanish ambassador
- Wrote to Philip II and told him he was optimistic about the
successful outcome of a Catholic uprising against Elizabeth
Thomas Percy, - Willing to rise in support of the restoration of catholicism
Earl of - BUT did not want MQS Norfolk marriage
Northumberland - Roll in initial planning of revolt meant he was committed even
though Norfolk urged him and westmorland to not carry out
rebellion
Earl of Sussex - President of Council of the North and a friend of Norfolk
- Anxious to prove his loyalty to the Crown, he questioned
Northumberland and Westmorland in Oct and was reassured of
their loyalty
Charles Neville, - Norfolk’s brother-in-law
Earl of
Westmorland
Elizabeth - Not convinced by Sussex’s early reports about Earls
- She summoned both Earls to courts, probably believing she could
make them show their true colours and in so doing, pushed them
to rebellion
Causes
- Arrival of Mary Queen of Scots from Scotland in 1568 - prompted issue of succession
and Norfolk marriage plot
- Northern Earls had been removed from trad roles →use of noblemen on Council of the
North who were from other areas to try and prevent rebellion actually incited hatred for
Elizabeth
- Seizure of Spanish treasure in December 1568 caused a breakdown in Anglo-Spanish
relations which the plotters aimed to exploit by undermining Cecil at court (who ordered
seizure of treasure) and persuade Elizabeth he harmed interests. The plotters hoped to
, re-establish good relations with Spain and pave the way for a return to Catholicism.
They had been in touch with Spain and Rome in hope of gaining military backing.
- Mary’s arrival revealed many unresolved issues facing Elizabeth →Reopened
succession issue that Elizabeth had refused to discuss at 1566-7 parliament
- Marriage of most powerful nobleman, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk was attractive to
one court faction → might push Elizabeth to make Mary her heir and further catholic
cause (few were unaware of Howard’s catholic sympathies)
- Marriage would be useful lever to force out protestant Cecil, secretary of state
Events
- Earl of Northumberland had reconverted to Rome in 1567 and, with Earl of
Westmorland, had moved beyond factional intrigue to treason.
- Also linked to Earls of Atundel and Pembroke
- Required support of eminent Protestants: Earl of Leicester and Sir Nicholas
Throckmorton who believed that Mary would become a protestant once married to
Norfolk and create an Anglo-Scottish Protestant alliance
- Plan discussed for much of 1569 but hesitated about broaching it with the queen,
especially after she slapped down Leicester’s criticism of Cecil in Parliament
- By late Summer the queen had discovered the details and in September Leicester
confessed everything
- Norfolk fled from court
- At this stage, no plan for rebellion and no one intended to depose Elizabeth
- Norfolk returned to Court to beg for mercy, having sent a message to his northern allies
not to attempt a rising
- Norfolk got away with a brief spell in the Tower while the other two came out in rebellion
when Elizabeth called them to court.
- Leaders of rising were Northumberland and Westmorland
- For few days in mid-November the well-armed and mounted rebel force brought normal
life to standstill around York while Earl of Sussex struggled to raise more than a handful
of trustworthy troops
- Earls marched on Durham, ejected protestant communion table from cathedral and held
a catholic mass. It may have been intention to release Mary from her custody at Tutbury
but support from staunch catholic gentry was not forthcoming.
- Strongholds of old faith - Lancashire and Cheshire - failed to join in.
- Rebels’ power was limited to north riding of yorkshire - to venture towards centre of gov
without hope of support would be foolhardy.
- With royal army approaching, Northumberland and Westmorland initially fled across
scottish border
- After rebellion failed, Northumberland was arrested and stated that main reason for the
rebellion was to reform religion and to establish and safeguard position of MQS as heir
to throne
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