Uprisings Against Elizabeth I
History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603, topic 3.3.4
The Northern Rebellion
Two northern noblemen, the Earl of Westmorland and the Earl of Northumberland, led a rebellion against Elizabeth.
Causes of rebellion
- Elizabeth I refused to let the Duke of Norfolk marry her Catholic cousin, Mary Queen of Scots.
- Many nobles in the north of England were Catholics and were hostile to the Protestants from the South who controlled many of affairs in the north.
- Two northern noblemen, the Earl of Westmorland and the Earl of Northumberland, led a rebellion against Elizabeth.
Course of rebellion
- Elizabeth I had confiscated a lot of land from the Earl of Northumberland. She had then given this land to his principal rival in the north and a Protestant nobleman from the south.
- In November 1569, the two Earls held an illegal Catholic mass in Durham Cathedral. 4,600 men marched with them as they headed south.
- The loyalist Earl of Sussex raised troops against them and they dispersed.
Consequence of rebellion
- Elizabeth I executed Northumberland and Westmorland escaped to France. The Duke of Norfolk was imprisoned.
- The plot had tried to maintain the northern nobles’ independence. In fact, it led to increased repression and government control in the region.
- Henry Hastings, a Puritan, was installed as leader of the Council of the North (which helped to govern the region).
Test yourself on Uprisings Against Elizabeth I
Who did the Earl of Westmorland lead a rebellion with?
What did the northern nobles want to maintain?
Course of the Northern Rebellion