The Prayer Book Rebellion or Western Rising was a popular revolt in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
and
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
in 1549. In that year, the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'', presenting the theology of the
English Reformation
The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...
, was introduced. The change was widely unpopular, particularly in areas where firm Catholic religious loyalty (even after the
Act of Supremacy in 1534) still existed, such as
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
. Along with poor economic conditions, the enforcement of the English language literature (as opposed to the traditional Latin) led to an explosion of anger in Cornwall and Devon, initiating an uprising. In response,
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (150022 January 1552) (also 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp), also known as Edward Semel, was the eldest surviving brother of Queen Jane Seymour (d. 1537), the third wife of King Henry VI ...
sent
John Russell to suppress the revolt, with the rebels being defeated and its leaders executed two months after the beginning of hostilities.
Background
![Book of common prayer 1549](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Book_of_common_prayer_1549.jpg)
One probable cause of the Prayer Book Rebellion was the religious changes recently implemented by the government of the new king,
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
. In the late 1540s,
Lord Protector Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (150022 January 1552) (also 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp), also known as Edward Semel, was the eldest surviving brother of Queen Jane Seymour (d. 1537), the third wife of King Henry VI ...
, on behalf of the young king, introduced a range of legislative measures as an extension of the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
in England and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, with the primary aim of changing theology and practices, particularly in areas of traditionally Roman Catholic religious loyalty – for example, in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
and
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
.
Philip Payton
Philip John Payton is a Cornish-Australian historian and Emeritus Professor of Cornish and Australian Studies at the University of Exeter and formerly Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies based at Tremough, just outside Penryn, Corn ...
, ''Cornwall'', Fowey: Alexander Associates, 1996
When traditional religious
procession
A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner.
History
Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...
s and
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
s were banned, commissioners were sent out to remove all symbols of Catholicism, in line with
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry' ...
's religious policies favouring Protestantism ever more. In Cornwall, this task was given to William Body, whose perceived desecration of religious
shrine
A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...
s led to his murder on 5 April 1548 by William Kylter and Pascoe Trevian at
Helston
Helston ( kw, Hellys) is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map shee ...
.
This pressure on the lower classes was compounded by the recent
poll tax
A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources.
Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments fr ...
on sheep. This would have affected the region significantly, with the West Country being an area of sheep farming. Rumours circulating that the tax would be extended to other livestock might have increased the discontent.
A damaged social structure then meant this local uprising was not sufficiently dealt with by nearby landowners. The
Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1525 for Henry Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon. For more ...
, a large landowner in Sampford Courtenay, had recently been
attainted
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary ...
. His successor, Lord Russell, was based in London and rarely came out to his land. It is possible this created a lack of local power that would have normally been expected to quell the revolt.
It is possible that the roots of the rebellion can be traced back to Cornwall's own ancient wish for independence from England, meaning they were loath to accept new laws from a central government geographically distant from them. More recently, the
Cornish Rebellion of 1497 and the subsequent destruction of
monasteries
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
from 1536 through to 1545 under King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
had brought an end to the formal scholarship, supported by the
monastic orders
Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role ...
, that had sustained the Celtic Cornish and the Catholic Devonian cultural identities. The dissolution of
Glasney College
Glasney College ( kw, Kolji Glasneth) was founded in 1265 at Penryn, Cornwall, by Bishop Bronescombe and was a centre of ecclesiastical power in medieval Cornwall and probably the best known and most important of Cornwall's religious institut ...
and
Crantock
Crantock ( kw, Lanngorrow) is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is approximately two miles (3 km) southwest of Newquay.
Crantock dates back to 460 AD when a group of Irish hermits founded an o ...
College as well as
Tavistock Abbey
Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. Nothing remains of the abbey except the refectory, two gateways and a porch. The abbey church, dedicated to Our Lady and S ...
in Devon played a significant part in fomenting opposition to future cultural reforms. It has been argued that the Catholic Church had "proved itself extremely accommodating of Cornish language and culture" and that government attacks on the traditional religion had reawakened the spirit of defiance in Cornwall, and in particular the majority Cornish-speaking far west.
[Mark Stoyle, "The dissidence of despair: rebellion and identity in early modern Cornwall." ''Journal of British Studies'', vol. 38, 1999, pp. 423–444]
Immediate retribution followed with the execution of twenty-eight Cornishmen at
Launceston Castle
Launceston Castle is located in the town of Launceston, Cornwall, England. It was probably built by Robert the Count of Mortain after 1068, and initially comprised an earthwork and timber castle with a large motte in one corner. Launceston Castl ...
. One execution of a "traitor of Cornwall" occurred on
Plymouth Hoe
Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south-facing open public space in the English coastal city of Plymouth. The Hoe is adjacent to and above the low limestone cliffs that form the seafront and it commands views of Plymouth ...
– town accounts gave details of the cost of timber for both gallows and poles. Martin Geoffrey, the pro-Catholic priest of
St Keverne
St Keverne ( kw, Pluw Aghevran (parish), Lannaghevran (village)) is a civil parish and village on The Lizard in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
In addition to the parish, an electoral ward exists called ''St Keverne and Meneage''. This stre ...
, near Helston, was taken to London. After Geoffrey's execution, his head was impaled on a staff erected upon London Bridge as was customary.
Sampford Courtenay and the immediate beginnings of the uprising
The new prayer book was not uniformly adopted and in 1549, the
Act of Uniformity made it unlawful to use the
Latin liturgical rites
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
from
Whitsun
Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Ho ...
day 1549 onwards.
Magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
s were given the task of enforcing the change. Following the enforced change on Whitsunday, on
Whitmonday the
parishioners
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
of
Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in West Devon in England, most famous for being the place where the Western Rebellion, otherwise known as the Prayerbook rebellion, first started, and where the rebels m ...
in Devon compelled their priest to revert to the old service. The rebels argued that the new English liturgy was "but lyke a Christmas game." This claim was probably related to the book's provision for men and women to file into the quire on different sides to receive the
sacrament
A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...
, which seemed to remind the Devon men of country dancing. Justices arrived at the next service to enforce the change. An altercation at the service led to a proponent of the change (William Hellyons) killed by being run through with a
pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
on the steps of the church house.
Following this confrontation, a group of parishioners from Sampford Courtenay decided to march to
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
to protest at the introduction of the new prayer book. As the group of rebels moved through Devon, they gained large numbers of Catholic supporters and became a significant force. Marching east to
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about north west of Exeter and around from the M5 motorway ...
, the Devon rebels laid siege to
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, demanding the withdrawal of all English liturgies. Although a number of the inhabitants in Exeter sent a message of support to the rebels, the city refused to open its gates. The gates were to stay closed because of the siege for over a month.
"Kill all the gentlemen"
![Edward Seymour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Edward_Seymour.jpg)
In Cornwall and Devon, the issue of the Book of Common Prayer proved to be the final indignity that the people could peaceably bear. Two decades of oppression were followed by two years of rampant inflation, in which wheat prices had quadrupled. Along with the rapid
enclosure
Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...
of common lands, the attack on the Church, which was felt to be central to the rural community, led to an explosion of anger. In Cornwall, an army gathered at the town of
Bodmin
Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor.
The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...
under the leadership of its mayor, Henry Bray, and two staunch Catholic landowners,
Sir Humphrey Arundell of
Helland
Helland ( kw, Hellann) is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated north of Bodmin. The meaning of the name Helland is unclear: it is possible that the origin is in Cornish ''hen'' & ''lan'' (i.e. old churc ...
and John Winslade of Tregarrick.
Many of the
gentry
Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past.
Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies
''Gentry'', in its widest ...
sought protection in old castles. Some shut themselves in
St Michael's Mount
St Michael's Mount ( kw, Karrek Loos yn Koos, meaning " hoar rock in woodland") is a tidal island in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The island is a civil parish and is linked to the town of Marazion by a causeway of granite se ...
where they were besieged by the rebels who started a bewildering smoke-screen by burning
trusses of hay. This, combined with a shortage of food and the distress of women, forced them to surrender. Sir
Richard Grenville
Sir Richard Grenville (15 June 1542 – 10 September 1591), also spelt Greynvile, Greeneville, and Greenfield, was an English privateer and explorer. Grenville was lord of the manors of Stowe, Cornwall and Bideford, Devon. He subsequently ...
found refuge in the ruins of
Trematon Castle
Trematon Castle ( kw, Kastel Tremen) is situated near Saltash in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It was the ''caput'' of the feudal barony of Trematon. It is similar in style to the later Restormel Castle, with a 12th-century keep. Trematon C ...
. Deserted by many of his followers, the old man was enticed outside to
parley
A parley (from french: link=no, parler – "to speak") refers to a discussion or conference, especially one designed to end an argument or hostilities between two groups of people. The term can be used in both past and present tense; in prese ...
. He was seized and the castle ransacked. Sir Richard and his companions were imprisoned in Launceston gaol. The Cornish army then proceeded to march east across the
Tamar border into Devon to join with the Devon rebels near Crediton.
The religious aims of the rebellion were highlighted in the slogan "Kill all the gentlemen and we will have the
Six Articles up again, and ceremonies as they were in
King Henry
There have been many monarchs adopting the name "Henry". Years shown below are the regnal years.
{{tocright
Byzantine Empire
* Henry of Flanders (1205–1216) (Latin Empire)
Castile
* Henry I of Castile
* Henry II of Castile
* Henry III of Cas ...
's time." However, it also implies a social cause (a view supported by historians such as Guy and Fletcher). That later demands included limiting the size of households belonging to the gentry – theoretically beneficial in a time of population growth and unemployment – possibly suggests an attack on the prestige of the gentry. Certainly such contemporaries as
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry' ...
took this view, condemning the rebels for deliberately inciting a class conflict by their demands: "to diminish their strength and to take away their friends, that you might command gentlemen at your pleasures". Protector Somerset himself saw dislike of the gentry as a common factor in all of the 1549 rebellions: "indeed all hath conceived a wonderful hate against the gentlemen and taketh them all as their enemies."
The Cornish rebels were also concerned with the use of the English language in the new prayer book. The language-map of Cornwall at this time is quite complicated, but philological studies have suggested that the Cornish language had been in territorial retreat throughout the Middle Ages. Summarising the research,
Mark Stoyle
Mark J. Stoyle is a Tudor and Stuart British historian who specializes in the English Civil War, the nature of magic and witchcraft and the identity of key areas such as Cornwall and Wales during the early modern period. He is Professor at the ...
says that by 1450, the county was divided into three main linguistic blocs: "West Cornwall was inhabited by a population of Celtic descent, which was mostly Cornish speaking; the western part of East Cornwall was inhabited by a population of Celtic descent, which had largely abandoned the Cornish tongue in favor of English; and the eastern part of East Cornwall was inhabited by a population of Anglo-Saxon descent, which was entirely English speaking.".
This tripartite model is however not borne out by modern genetic evidence which shows distinctly Cornish and Devonian genetic identities separate from, but closely related to, both each other and the 'Anglo-Saxon' English.
The West Cornish, outraged by the introduction of English in their 1549 services, wrote the ''Demands of the Western Rebels'' the eighth Article of which states: "...and so we the Cornyshe men (whereof certen of us understande no Englysh) utterly refuse thys newe Englysh". Responding to this, however, Archbishop Cranmer asked why the Cornishmen should be offended by holding the service in English rather than
Cornish when they had before held it in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and not understood that.
Confrontations
In London, King
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
and his
Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
became alarmed by this news from the West Country. On instructions from the
Lord Protector
Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') was a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometimes ...
the
Duke of Somerset
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
, one of the Privy Councillors, Sir Gawen Carew, was ordered to ''pacify'' the rebels. At the same time, Lord John Russell was ordered to take an army to impose a military solution.
The rebels were of many different backgrounds, some farmers, some tin miners, and some fishermen. Cornwall appears to have had a significantly larger militia than other areas of a similar size.
Crediton confrontation
After the rebels passed
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
, Devonian knights Sir Gawen and Sir
Peter Carew
Sir Peter Carew (1514? – 27 November 1575) of Mohuns Ottery, Luppitt, Devon, was an English adventurer, who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England and took part in the Tudor conquest of Ireland. His biography was written by h ...
were sent to negotiate with the Devon rebels at
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about north west of Exeter and around from the M5 motorway ...
. They found their approaches blocked and they were attacked by
longbow
A longbow (known as warbow in its time, in contrast to a hunting bow) is a type of tall bow that makes a fairly long draw possible. A longbow is not significantly recurved. Its limbs are relatively narrow and are circular or D-shaped in cross ...
men. Shortly before, the Cornish rebels arrived and Arundell had to divide his combined force, sending one force to
Clyst St Mary
Clyst St Mary is a small village and civil parish east of Exeter on the main roads to Exmouth and Sidmouth in East Devon. The name comes from the Celtic word clyst meaning 'clear stream'. The village is a major part of the electoral ward of ...
to assist the villagers and the other with the main army to advance upon Exeter, where it besieged the city for 5 weeks.
The siege of Exeter
The rebel commanders unsuccessfully tried to persuade
John Blackaller
John Blackaller (around 1494–January 1563) of Exeter, Devon, was an English politician.
He may have been born in Totnes in 1494 and he was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Exeter in 1529. He was Mayor of Exeter
This is a ...
,
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
's pro-Catholic mayor, to surrender the town. The city gates were closed as the initial force of some 2,000 men gathered outside.
Battle of Fenny Bridges
On July 2, Lord
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford
John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (c. 1485 – 14 March 1555) was an English royal minister in the Tudor dynasty, Tudor era. He served variously as Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, Lord High Admiral and Lord Privy Seal. Among the land ...
's initial force had reached Honiton. It included 160 Italian arquebusiers and 1,000
landsknecht
The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line wa ...
s, German foot soldiers, under the command of
Lord William Grey. With promised reinforcements from
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
and
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
, Russell would have had more than 8,600 men, including a cavalry force of 850 men, all of whom were well armed and well trained. Russell had estimated the combined rebel forces from Cornwall and Devon at only 7,000 men. On July 28, Arundell decided to block their approach to Exeter at Fenny Bridges. The result of this conflict was inconclusive. Approximately 300 men on each side were reported to have died with Lord Russell and his army returned to Honiton.
Philip Payton
Philip John Payton is a Cornish-Australian historian and Emeritus Professor of Cornish and Australian Studies at the University of Exeter and formerly Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies based at Tremough, just outside Penryn, Corn ...
. (1996). ''Cornwall''. Fowey: Alexander Associates
Battle of Woodbury Common
Lord Russell's reinforcements arrived on August 2 and his army of 5,000 men began a march upon Exeter, westward, across the downs. Russell's advance continued on to
Woodbury Common where they pitched camp. On August 4, the rebels attacked, but the result was inconclusive with large numbers of prisoners taken by Lord Russell.
Battle of Clyst St Mary
Arundell's forces re-grouped with the main contingent of 6,000 soldiers at
Clyst St Mary
Clyst St Mary is a small village and civil parish east of Exeter on the main roads to Exmouth and Sidmouth in East Devon. The name comes from the Celtic word clyst meaning 'clear stream'. The village is a major part of the electoral ward of ...
, but they were attacked by a central force led by Sir William Francis on August 5. After a ferocious battle, Russell's troops gained the advantage and left a thousand Cornish and Devonians dead and many more taken prisoner.
Clyst Heath massacre
Russell pitched camp on
Clyst Heath
Today Clyst Heath is a suburb to the south east of the city of Exeter, Devon, England. An area of relatively high ground to the west of the River Clyst, it remained heathland until the early nineteenth century when it was cultivated for the first t ...
where he had 900 bound and gagged rebel prisoners killed, with their throats slit in 10 minutes, according to the chronicler
John Hayward.
Battle of Clyst Heath
When news of the atrocity reached Arundell's forces, a new attack took place early on August 6. Lord Grey later commented that he had never seen the like nor taken part in such a murderous fray. As he had led the charge against the Scots in the
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh
The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...
, this was a telling statement. Some 2,000 soldiers had died at the battle of Clyst Heath. A group of Devon men went north, up the valley of the Exe, where they were overtaken by Sir Gawen Carew who left the corpses of their leaders hanging on gibbets from Dunster to Bath.
Relief of Exeter
Lord Russell continued his attack with the relief of Exeter. In London, a proclamation was issued, allowing the lands of those involved in the uprising to be confiscated. Arundell's estate was transferred to Sir Gawen Carew, and Sir Peter Carew was rewarded with John Winslade's estate in Devon.
Battle of Sampford Courtenay
Lord Russell was under the impression that the rebels had been defeated, but news arrived that Arundell's army was re-grouping at
Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in West Devon in England, most famous for being the place where the Western Rebellion, otherwise known as the Prayerbook rebellion, first started, and where the rebels m ...
. This interrupted his plans to send 1,000 men into Cornwall by ship to cut off his enemy's retreat. Russell's forces were strengthened by the arrival of a force under Provost Marshal Sir
Anthony Kingston
Sir Anthony Kingston (ca. 1508 – 14 April 1556) was an English royal official, holder of various positions under several Tudor monarchs.A.D.K. Hawkyard, 'Kingston, Anthony (by 1512-56), of Cadleigh, Devon and Painswick, Glos.', in S.T. Bind ...
. His army now numbered more than 8,000, vastly outnumbering what had remained of his opposition. Lord Grey and Sir William Herbert led the attack, and the contemporary Exeter historian
John Hooker John Hooker may refer to:
*John Hooker (English constitutionalist) (c. 1527–1601), English writer, solicitor, antiquary, civic administrator and advocate of republican government
*John Lee Hooker (1912–2001), American blues singer-songwriter an ...
wrote that "the Cornish would not give in until most of their number had been slain or captured". Lord John Russell reported that his army had killed between five and six hundred rebels, and his pursuit of the Cornish retreat had killed a further seven hundred.
Aftermath
![DSCN1948PenrynPrayerBookRebellionMemorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/DSCN1948PenrynPrayerBookRebellionMemorial.jpg)
Many had escaped, including Arundell who fled to
Launceston. There, he was captured and taken to London together with Winslade, who was caught at Bodmin. In total, over 5,500 people lost their lives in the rebellion. Further orders were issued on behalf of the king by the
Lord Protector
Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') was a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometimes ...
the
Duke of Somerset
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
and Archbishop
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry' ...
for the continuance of the onslaught. Under Sir
Anthony Kingston
Sir Anthony Kingston (ca. 1508 – 14 April 1556) was an English royal official, holder of various positions under several Tudor monarchs.A.D.K. Hawkyard, 'Kingston, Anthony (by 1512-56), of Cadleigh, Devon and Painswick, Glos.', in S.T. Bind ...
, the English and mercenary forces had moved into
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
and
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
where they executed or killed many people before the bloodshed finally ceased. Proposals to translate the Prayer Book into
Cornish were also suppressed.
The loss of life in the Prayer Book Rebellion and subsequent reprisals as well as the introduction of the English Prayer Book is seen as a turning point in the Cornish language, for which – unlike
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
– a complete
bible translation
The Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. all of the Bible has been translated into 724 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,617 languages, and ...
has not been produced. Research has also suggested that, prior to the rebellion, the Cornish language had strengthened and more concessions had been made to Cornwall as a "nation", and that anti-English sentiment had been growing stronger, providing additional impetus for the rebellion.
Bishop of Truro's apology for the response to the Rebellion
In June 2007, the then
Bishop of Truro
The Bishop of Truro is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Truro in the Province of Canterbury.
History
There had been between the 9th and 11th centuries a Bishopric of Cornwall until it was merged with Crediton ...
, the Right Revd
Bill Ind
William Ind (born 26 March 1942) is a retired English Anglican bishop. He was formerly the Bishop of Truro.
The son of William Robert Ind and Florence Emily Spritey, Ind was educated at the Duke of York's School in Dover, at the University o ...
, was reported as saying that the massacre during the vicious suppression of the Prayer Book Rebellion more than 450 years ago was an "enormous mistake" for which the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
should be ashamed.
[Bishop Bill apologises for Cornish massacre – Western Morning News – June 2007]
/ref> Speaking at a ceremony at Pelynt
Pelynt ( kw, Pluwnennys, Pluwnonna) is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth and four miles (6.5 km) west-northwest of Looe. Pelynt had a population of around 1,124 ...
, he said:
See also
* Cornish Rebellion of 1497
* Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Rising of 1549, which took place at the same time and for the same reasons as the Prayer Book Rebellion
* Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...
* Rising of the North
The Rising of the North of 1569, also called the Revolt of the Northern Earls or Northern Rebellion, was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of ...
* Religion in the United Kingdom
Religion in the United Kingdom, and in the countries that preceded it, has been dominated for over 1,000 years by various forms of Christianity, replacing Romano-British religions, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon paganism as the primary religion. Rel ...
* Jenny Geddes
Janet "Jenny" Geddes (c. 1600 – c. 1660) was a Scottish market-trader in Edinburgh who is alleged to have thrown a stool at the head of the minister in St Giles' Cathedral in objection to the first public use of the Church of Scotland ...
, precipitator of a later rebellion in Scotland leading to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities united in a pers ...
including the English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
* List of topics related to Cornwall
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall:
Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and west by ...
* History of Devon
Devon is a county in south west England, bordering Cornwall to the west with Dorset and Somerset to the east. There is evidence of occupation in the county from Stone Age times onward. Its recorded history starts in the Roman period when it was ...
References
Bibliography
Primary sources
*Holinshed, Raphael (1586) ''The ... Chronicles, comprising the description and historie of England, the description and historie of Ireland, the description and historie of Scotland''; first collected and published by Raphaell Holinshed, William Harrison, and others. Now newlie augmented and continued (with manifold matters of singular note and worthie memorie) to the yeare 1586 by John Hooker, alias Vowell Gent, and others. 3 vols. London: John Harrison, 1586–87 (includes an account of the rebellion by John Hooker)
*John Hooker John Hooker may refer to:
*John Hooker (English constitutionalist) (c. 1527–1601), English writer, solicitor, antiquary, civic administrator and advocate of republican government
*John Lee Hooker (1912–2001), American blues singer-songwriter an ...
, ''Description of the citie of Excester'', ed. Walter J. Harte, J. W. Schopp and H. Tapley-Soper, (Devon and Cornwall Record Society Publications, vol. 11), 3 pts., Exeter: Devon and Cornwall Record Society, 1919–1947
* Nicholas Pocock, (ed.), ''Troubles connected with the Prayer Book of 1549'', Camden Society
The Camden Society was a text publication society founded in London in 1838 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books. It was named after the 16th-century antiquary an ...
, new series, vol. 37, 1884
Secondary sources
* Arthurson, Ian. "Fear and loathing in west Cornwall: seven new letters on the 1548 rising," ''Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall'', new series II, vol. 3, pts. 3/4, 2000, pp. 97–111
* Aston, Margaret, "Segregation in church," in: W. J. Sheils and Diana Wood, (eds.), ''Women in the Church'', (Studies in Church History, 27), Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1990, pp. 242–281.
* Beer, B. L. “London and the Rebellions of 1548-1549.” ''Journal of British Studies'', 12.1 1972, pp. 15–38
online
* Charlesworth, Andrew, ed. ''An atlas of rural protest in Britain 1548-1900'' (Taylor & Francis, 2017).
* Cornwall, Julian. ''The Revolt of the Peasantry, 1549'', London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977
* Couratin, A.H. "The Holy Communion, 1549," ''Church Quarterly Review'', vol. 164, 1963, pp. 148–159
* Eamon Duffy
Eamon Duffy (born 1947) is an Irish historian. He is a professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow and former president of Magdalene College.
Early life
Duffy was born on 9 February 1947, in Dundalk, I ...
, ''The Voices of Morebath: reformation and rebellion in an English village'', New Haven, Conn.; London: Yale University Press, 2001.
* Fletcher, Anthony, and Diarmaid MacCulloch
Diarmaid Ninian John MacCulloch (; born 31 October 1951) is an English academic and historian, specialising in ecclesiastical history and the history of Christianity. Since 1995, he has been a fellow of St Cross College, Oxford; he was former ...
, ''Tudor Rebellions'', 5th ed., Harlow: Pearson Longman, 2004 (pp. 52–64).
* Diarmaid MacCulloch
Diarmaid Ninian John MacCulloch (; born 31 October 1951) is an English academic and historian, specialising in ecclesiastical history and the history of Christianity. Since 1995, he has been a fellow of St Cross College, Oxford; he was former ...
, ''Thomas Cranmer: a life'', New Haven, Conn.; London: Yale University Press, 1996 (pp. 429–432, 438–440).
* Manning, Roger B. "Violence and social conflict in mid-Tudor rebellions," ''Journal of British Studies'', vol. 16, 1977, pp. 18–40
* Mattingly, Joanna. "The Helston Shoemakers Guild and a possible connection with the 1549 rebellion," ''Cornish Studies'', vol. 6, 1998, pp. 23–45
* Rose-Troup, Frances. ''The western rebellion of 1549: an account of the insurrections in Devonshire and Cornwall against religious innovations in the reign of Edward VI'', London: Smith, Elder, 191
online
* Mark Stoyle
Mark J. Stoyle is a Tudor and Stuart British historian who specializes in the English Civil War, the nature of magic and witchcraft and the identity of key areas such as Cornwall and Wales during the early modern period. He is Professor at the ...
. "The dissidence of despair: rebellion and identity in early modern Cornwall," ''Journal of British Studies'', vol. 38, 1999, pp. 423–444
* Mark Stoyle
Mark J. Stoyle is a Tudor and Stuart British historian who specializes in the English Civil War, the nature of magic and witchcraft and the identity of key areas such as Cornwall and Wales during the early modern period. He is Professor at the ...
. "‘Fullye Bente to Fighte Oute the Matter’: Reconsidering Cornwall's Role in the Western Rebellion of 1549." ''English Historical Review'' 129.538 (2014): 549-577.
* Whittle, Jane. "Peasant Politics and Class Consciousness: The Norfolk Rebellions of 1381 and 1549 Compared." ''Past and Present'' 195.suppl_2 (2007): 233–247.
* Youings, Joyce. "The south-western rebellion of 1549," ''Southern History'', vol. 1, 1979, pp. 99–122
* Mark Stoyle
Mark J. Stoyle is a Tudor and Stuart British historian who specializes in the English Civil War, the nature of magic and witchcraft and the identity of key areas such as Cornwall and Wales during the early modern period. He is Professor at the ...
''A Murderous Midsummer: The Western Rising of 1549'', Yale University Press, 2022.
External links
1549 Prayer Book Rebellion
The Prayerbook Rebellion – Etched in Devon's memories
Keskerdh Kernow 500
Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in Cornish
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1549 in England
History of Cornwall
History of Devon
Christianity in Cornwall
Christianity in Devon
Tudor rebellions
Cornish nationalism
Counter-Reformation
Military history of Cornwall
Book of Common Prayer
Battles involving the Cornish
Conflicts in 1549
16th-century rebellions
Edward VI of England
Sectarian violence
16th century in Cornwall
16th century in Devon
Catholic rebellions