OCR Specification focus:
‘The rebellions of 1553 (Lady Jane Grey) and 1554 (Wyatt); social and economic developments, including inflation, poverty, price rise and enclosure and their link to unrest.’
The mid-Tudor period witnessed dramatic political instability, marked by succession crises and widespread unrest. The rebellions of Lady Jane Grey and Wyatt illustrate the fragility of monarchy.
The Rebellion of Lady Jane Grey, 1553
Background and Succession Crisis
Following the death of Edward VI in July 1553, the question of succession became acute. Edward, a committed Protestant, feared the accession of his Catholic half-sister Mary Tudor. Influenced by the Duke of Northumberland (John Dudley), Edward drafted the Devise for the Succession, bypassing Mary and Elizabeth in favour of Lady Jane Grey, Edward’s Protestant cousin and Northumberland’s daughter-in-law.
Handwritten folio of Edward VI’s “Devise for the Succession” (1553), altering the line of succession in Lady Jane Grey’s favour. Note the amendment expanding the clause from “Lady Jane’s heirs male” to “Lady Jane and her heirs male,” a key change backing Jane’s claim. This document underpinned Northumberland’s coup attempt. Source
Devise for the Succession: A document drawn up under Edward VI excluding Mary and Elizabeth from the throne, designating Lady Jane Grey as heir.
Events of the Rebellion
Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen on 10 July 1553.
Support for Jane was limited; the vast majority of the political nation viewed Mary as the legitimate heir.
Mary quickly gathered popular and military support in East Anglia.
Northumberland’s forces dwindled, and key nobles defected to Mary’s side.
Jane’s reign lasted just nine days, after which Mary entered London triumphantly on 19 July 1553.
Consequences
Lady Jane Grey, her husband Guildford Dudley, and eventually Northumberland were executed.
Initially, Mary spared Jane, but following Wyatt’s rebellion in 1554, Jane was considered too dangerous to live.
The rebellion revealed the strength of dynastic legitimacy: despite religious differences, the nobility and people largely accepted Mary as rightful queen.
Wyatt’s Rebellion, 1554
Causes of the Rebellion
Wyatt’s rebellion arose primarily from concerns about Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain, but was reinforced by wider economic and religious discontent.
Reverse of a medal by Jacopo da Trezzo commemorating the marriage of Mary I and Philip. The allegorical imagery celebrates the dynastic and diplomatic union that many English elites feared. The decorative iconography exceeds the syllabus’ factual scope but directly illustrates the marriage at the heart of Wyatt’s revolt. Source
Marriage Fears: Opposition to England becoming subservient to Habsburg Spain; fears of foreign domination in government and influence over succession.
Religious Tension: Although Mary had promised toleration, many rebels were Protestants anxious about the Catholic restoration.
Economic Strains:
Inflation: Rising prices, particularly of grain, reduced living standards.
Poverty: Worsened by population growth and bad harvests in early 1550s.
Enclosure: Increasing conversion of arable land to pasture displaced small farmers and heightened resentment.
Enclosure: The process of consolidating and fencing common land for private use, often for sheep farming, displacing peasants and causing social unrest.
Course of the Rebellion
The rebellion, led by Sir Thomas Wyatt, gathered about 3,000 men in Kent.
The plan included uprisings in Devon, the Midlands, and Kent, but only Wyatt’s force materialised.
Rebels marched on London in February 1554 but were blocked at London Bridge.
Wyatt reached Ludgate, but Londoners refused entry; his forces scattered and he was captured.
Government Response
Wyatt and key leaders were executed; others received clemency.
Lady Jane Grey and her husband were executed shortly after the rebellion due to their potential as Protestant figureheads.
Mary used the rebellion to reinforce the necessity of her marriage to Philip, though Parliament later imposed restrictions to limit Spanish power.
Social and Economic Developments Linked to Unrest
Inflation and Poverty
Rapid inflation eroded wages, particularly affecting the urban poor and agricultural labourers.
Population increase placed further pressure on food supplies, driving prices higher.
Price Rise and Enclosure
Rising grain prices and poor harvests in 1550–1551 exacerbated hardship.
Enclosure continued to displace rural workers, creating disaffection and swelling the ranks of the discontented.
Connection to Rebellions
While Wyatt’s rebellion was primarily political, these underlying socio-economic grievances provided fertile ground for unrest.
Displacement and discontent increased susceptibility to rebellion when political leadership was available.
Significance of the Rebellions
Lady Jane Grey’s Succession Attempt
Demonstrated the primacy of hereditary legitimacy over political manipulation.
Undermined Northumberland and strengthened Mary’s early rule.
Wyatt’s Rebellion
Exposed profound anxieties about foreign marriage and loss of national independence.
Highlighted latent Protestant discontent, though religion was not the sole cause.
Forced Mary into a harsher stance on heresy, contributing to later religious persecution.
Wider Implications
Both rebellions reinforced the fragility of the Tudor regime during periods of uncertainty.
Showed the interplay of dynastic legitimacy, religion, and socio-economic pressures in driving political unrest.
FAQ
Mary recognised Jane as more of a political pawn than a true threat, manipulated by Northumberland and his supporters. Jane was young, devoutly Protestant, and lacked a strong personal power base.
Mary’s decision to spare Jane initially was a gesture of mercy and a strategic effort to stabilise her new reign by avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. Only after Wyatt’s rebellion in 1554, when Jane’s continued existence offered a rallying point for Protestants, did Mary reluctantly sign her death warrant.
Wyatt’s march reached the gates of London at Ludgate, but he was denied entry by the citizens.
Many Londoners feared disorder and preferred stability under Mary.
City authorities organised defences, closing gates and bridges.
Popular support for Wyatt was weaker than expected, with citizens wary of treason.
This refusal was decisive, as it left Wyatt isolated and led to the collapse of his rebellion.
Mary delivered a powerful speech at the Guildhall in February 1554, appealing to Londoners’ loyalty and invoking her legitimacy as Henry VIII’s daughter.
She framed Wyatt’s uprising as treason rather than legitimate political dissent, associating rebels with disloyalty to the crown.
After suppressing the revolt, Mary reinforced her position by executing key figures, such as Wyatt and Jane, while showing selective clemency to others, projecting both strength and measured mercy.
Although the rebellion centred on fears of Spanish influence, there is no evidence that foreign powers directly supported Wyatt’s rising.
However, Mary’s advisers suspected that France, hostile to Habsburg Spain, might secretly encourage discontent in England. Wyatt himself allegedly corresponded with French agents, hoping for aid, but no significant assistance materialised.
Thus, the rebellion remained a domestic affair, fuelled more by internal anxieties than genuine foreign intervention.
Jane quickly became a Protestant martyr in written accounts after her execution in February 1554.
Her youth and piety were emphasised, portraying her as a victim of Catholic tyranny.
Protestant writers circulated embellished stories of her courage at the scaffold.
Her death was later used in Elizabethan and Puritan propaganda to highlight the dangers of Catholic rule.
This symbolic role far outweighed her brief political significance, ensuring her enduring presence in Protestant memory.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
In which year was Lady Jane Grey proclaimed queen of England, and how long did she reign?
Mark scheme:
1 mark for the correct year: 1553.
1 mark for stating her reign lasted nine days.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain two reasons why Wyatt’s rebellion broke out in 1554.
Mark scheme:
Up to 3 marks for each well-explained reason.
Award 1 mark for identification of a reason, 2 marks for some explanation, and 3 marks for detailed explanation showing clear understanding of the context.
Indicative content:
Opposition to Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain (fear of foreign dominance, loss of English independence).
Religious tension (concerns among Protestants about Catholic restoration).
Economic hardship (inflation, enclosure, poverty, bad harvests increasing discontent).
Maximum 6 marks.
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