OCR Specification focus:
‘Objectives and articles defined aims; size and popular support varied across communities and parishes.’
The Western Rebellion of 1549, also called the Prayer Book Rebellion, revealed widespread religious and social grievances in Devon and Cornwall. Its objectives, scale, and support base illustrate how regional discontent crystallised into organised resistance.
Objectives of the Western Rebels
Religious Aims
The central objective was resistance to the religious reforms imposed by Edward VI’s government, particularly the introduction of the Book of Common Prayer in 1549. Rebels opposed the replacement of Latin liturgy with English, which they saw as undermining traditional worship.
Title page of the first Book of Common Prayer (1549), the liturgical change that catalysed the Western Rebellion. Its mandated English services replaced familiar Latin rites, provoking organised regional resistance. This image directly illustrates the reform the rebels sought to overturn. Source
The rebels demanded restoration of Catholic doctrine, including the Mass and traditional rituals.
They sought to reverse Protestant reforms associated with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the Edwardian Reformation.
Cornwall, with its linguistic and cultural distinctiveness, particularly resisted the English liturgy, as it alienated communities that still used Cornish language.
Political and Social Aims
While religion dominated, other grievances also shaped objectives:
Economic pressures such as enclosure and taxation were condemned in the rebels’ articles.
Rebels aimed to challenge the authority of unpopular local officials and resist central interference in community traditions.
There was also hostility towards the erosion of local autonomy and resentment against landlords and gentry accused of exploiting the poor.
Articles: Formal lists of demands presented by rebels to state their grievances and aims, often negotiating political or religious reform.
The rebels’ objectives combined spiritual loyalty to Catholicism with material and political concerns, making the movement multi-causal rather than purely religious.
Size of the Rebellion
Scale of Uprisings
The rebellion spread across Devon and Cornwall, drawing in thousands. Exact numbers remain debated, but contemporary estimates suggest 6,000–10,000 participants at its peak.
Cornwall: Initial risings gathered several thousand men, motivated by opposition to liturgical change.
Devon: Reinforcements from towns and villages expanded the movement’s strength.
Geographical Reach
Concentrated in the south-west, with hubs around Sampford Courtenay and Exeter.
The rebels besieged Exeter in July 1549, demonstrating significant organisational capacity.
Hoker’s Map of Exeter (1587), the earliest printed plan of the city, showing walls, gates and principal streets. It provides geographical context for the 1549 siege cited in your notes. Extra detail beyond the syllabus: the plan dates nearly four decades after the rebellion but still depicts the relevant urban topography. Source
Despite regional strength, the rebellion lacked nationwide spread, limiting its potential to seriously threaten Edwardian rule.
Siege: A military action where forces surround a fortified location to cut off supplies and compel surrender.
The limited geographic scope highlights how regional isolation both fuelled rebellion and restricted broader success.
Support for the Rebels
Social Composition
Support came from a wide spectrum of society:
Peasantry and labourers formed the backbone, especially those threatened by enclosures and taxation.
Artisans and parish communities contributed through petitions and local organisation.
Parish account of Sir Christopher Trychay (Vicar of Morebath) recording funds and equipment for local men joining the rebellion near Exeter. It illustrates how parish structures mobilised resources, revealing the social base of support. The manuscript image includes more palaeographic detail than required but precisely corroborates community participation. Source
Clergy, particularly lower-ranking priests, actively supported demands for Catholic restoration.
Gentry and Elite Involvement
Local gentry largely opposed the rebellion, fearing loss of order and favour with the Crown.
Some sympathetic landowners covertly encouraged unrest, but overt noble leadership was absent, weakening the rebels’ political leverage.
Regional Variation
Cornwall displayed stronger cultural resistance, tied to language and identity, giving the rebellion a more cohesive outlook there.
Devon’s support base was broader but more fragmented, with parishes contributing variably to musters and supplies.
Patterns of Decline
Although initially strong, support dwindled as:
Risks of opposing royal forces became apparent.
Lack of elite leadership prevented long-term coordination.
Harsh government retaliation discouraged wavering supporters.
Objectives, Size, and Support in Interaction
Interconnected Nature
The religious objectives of the rebellion gave it a powerful unifying theme, but socio-economic grievances widened participation.
Its size reflected local intensity but also the limits of regional mobilisation.
The support base, lacking consistent gentry leadership, shaped its failure against organised royal troops.
Lasting Importance
The Western Rebellion highlighted:
The volatility of religious reform in early Edwardian England.
The ability of parish communities to organise large-scale resistance.
The weakness of rebellions without elite sponsorship or wider geographic spread.
FAQ
In Cornwall, many communities still spoke Cornish, and the imposition of the English Book of Common Prayer alienated them from religious practice. For rebels, the demand to restore Latin was not only about tradition but also about accessibility of worship.
This linguistic barrier sharpened Cornish hostility to reform and gave the rebellion a more intense cultural dimension compared to Devon.
The articles demanded restoration of the Latin Mass and Catholic rituals, but they also criticised social and economic problems.
Opposition to enclosure, which disrupted common land use.
Complaints about rising taxation and perceived exploitation by local gentry.
Demands for fairer treatment of the poor alongside religious restoration.
This blending of concerns shows how objectives were rooted in both spiritual and everyday issues.
Despite assembling thousands, the rebels failed to capture Exeter. The city’s inhabitants resisted, stockpiled supplies, and refused to let the rebels inside.
The siege showed that although numbers were impressive locally, the rebels lacked siege expertise, artillery, and the political influence to win over a key regional centre.
Parish communities provided a foundation for mobilisation. Vicars and churchwardens often collected money and equipment to support rebels.
Examples include:
Funding weapons and provisions for parishioners.
Coordinating musters at local churches.
Lending moral and spiritual legitimacy by framing rebellion as a defence of faith.
This illustrates how grassroots support sustained the rebellion despite elite opposition.
Without gentry leaders, the rebels struggled to negotiate effectively with the Crown or sustain a coherent political strategy.
Gentry were experienced in military command and could provide resources.
Their absence limited rebel demands to petitions rather than structured negotiation.
It also allowed the government to portray the rebellion as disorderly popular unrest rather than a serious political challenge.
This leadership gap was decisive in shaping the rebellion’s ultimate failure.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Identify two key objectives of the Western Rebellion in 1549.
Question 1 (2 marks)
Award 1 mark for each valid objective identified, up to a maximum of 2 marks.
Valid answers include:
Restoration of Catholic doctrine and traditional rituals
Opposition to the 1549 Book of Common Prayer
Reversal of Protestant reforms under Edward VI
Resistance to economic pressures such as taxation and enclosure
Defence of local autonomy and customs
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how the scale and support of the Western Rebellion affected its chances of success.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Level 1 (1–2 marks): Simple or generalised statements with limited detail. May mention size or support but lacks explanation of impact.
Example: "The rebellion had lots of supporters but not enough leaders."
Level 2 (3–4 marks): Some explanation of how scale and support influenced success, with reference to either numbers, geography, or social composition. Answers may focus more on description than analysis.
Example: "The rebellion had thousands of people from Devon and Cornwall, but it did not spread across the country. This meant it could not seriously challenge Edward VI."
Level 3 (5–6 marks): Clear and developed explanation linking scale and support directly to the rebellion’s outcome. Must show awareness of both strengths and limitations in support and mobilisation.
Indicative content may include:
Large numbers (6,000–10,000) showed significant discontent, giving the rebellion initial momentum.
Strong parish and community involvement, including lower clergy, demonstrated breadth of support.
Lack of elite or gentry leadership undermined long-term organisation.
Regional isolation to Devon and Cornwall limited ability to threaten the monarchy nationally.
Declining support as risks grew and government retaliation increased reduced chances of sustained success.
To reach top marks, answers must explicitly link the nature of support and scale to why the rebellion ultimately failed.
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