Mark Stoyle states his aim is “to provide a new history of the Western Rising , and to consider the disturbances afresh.” (3) In several ways Stoyle highlights that with slight changes the rising might have been successful.
The Western Rising of 1549, also called the Prayer Book Rebellion, took place in Devon and Cornwall. The first part of Stoyle’s history describes background events that took place under Henry VIII, and disturbances that took place before 1549. One precursor to the rebellion was a dispute between Nicolles, a young evangelist, who bates a church canon, Crispin, who is comfortable with traditional religion, but realizes he is out of step with the Crown. Stoyle argues this public dispute revealed the strong religious divisions existing in the West Country before 1549. (292) The rising had critical precedents, and events were driven by activity coming from outside the West Country.
The second part of the history consists of four chapters, including the outbreak of rebellion in June 1549, a period of escalation during the first half of July, intense battles in the second half of July, and finally the defeat of the rebellion in August 1549. One of Stoyle’s most important findings about the battles is that “the initial gathering of Cornish rebels did not take place on 6 June,” as misstated in records after the battles were over, “but on 6 July.” This meant “Humphrey Arundell and his lieutenants managed to gather their forces and march to Exeter in just three weeks.” (293) Had Cornish forces gotten to Exeter more quickly while Russell’s troops were inadequate, the final outcome of the rising might have been different.(293)
The third part describes retribution imposed on the people of Devon and Cornwall after the rebellion was defeated. A second chapter describes events in London, which Stoyle calls aftershocks. In this section Stoyle points out that political machinations after the rising was put down came close to achieving the goals of the rebels, to return to a more traditional form of worship they had experienced before Henry VIII died, but it did not.(294) Some might argue that the strength of the evangelical, reformed religious position was too strong for that the happen.
Stoyle begins by explaining that in Devon and Cornwall “most ordinary people were deeply attached to their traditional faith.” (22) Parishioners paid to maintain their beautiful churches with stained-glass windows, paintings, and a crucifix. In 1532 Thomas Cranmer was made Archbishop of Canterbury. He was a churchman of strong reform leanings. In 1534 the Act of Supremacy declared that the king was head of the Church of England. “Having brought the Church completely under his control, Henry was now determined to take revenge on the religious orders, which he regarded as the chief centers of resistance to the royal supremacy.” (26)
Royal injunctions issued to the clergy in 1536 required they explain the royal supremacy and deny the power of the pope. The Ten Articles, the Church of England’s first statement of independent doctrine was “followed by a church statement ordering that the dedication feasts of all churches should henceforth be held in early October, and that their traditional patronal festivals, or church holy days, should no longer be observed. (27) People in the West Country were upset that they could not have their separate ceremonies honoring their churches. A story emerged of a member of a parish who asked a painter to create a religious banner for a procession to take place on Pardon Monday. The banner would show people appealing to Christ to tell the king to let people have their parish celebrations. This was alarming to Henry VIII at a time when the Pilgrimage of Grace was taking place; a rebellion driven by anger at Henry and Cromwell’s actions.
Because Edward VI was nine when his father died in 1547, it was necessary for others in the privy council to direct his actions. Edward Seymour, (who became duke of Somerset; referred to as Somerset going forward), brother to Edward VI’s dead mother, maneuvered to be the protector of the realm and the chief guide of his nephew. Somerset became the de facto king of England. Somerset was determined to continue Henry’s expensive wars. He was also determined to drive through “a radical religious policy.” (45) Somerset and Thomas Cranmer placed more religious reformers in Devon and Cornwall. Simon Haynes, an evangelical, was appointed to be dean of Exeter Cathedral. Haynes, Sir Gawen Carew, and Sir Peter Courtenay, all reform-minded, were made JPs in Devon. The powerful Arundell family lost two places as Justice of the peace in Cornwall. They were replaced by reform-minded Sir William Godolphin and Sir Richard Grenville who became the “most senior JPs.” (46) JPs formed the powerful council that was responsible for local control.(46) Somerset and Cranmer placed people of their mindset in the West Country
In July 1547 a new set of royal injunctions for the governance of the English Church “to plant true religion“ was published. Many of these injunctions erased practices acceptable before and during the reign of Henry VIII. (48) Additionally, all parishioners were to be able to read the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments in English. In early 1549 during the reign of Edward VI, two acts were passed by Parliament. The Act of Uniformity decreed that the liturgy in Latin should be abolished, and it should be replaced with the Book of Common Prayer which was written in English. (80) A second Act, the Act for the Relief of Sheep and Cloth, granted the Crown the ability to impose new taxes on sheep and cloth. (80) In Devon and Cornwall raising sheep for wool and manufacturing cloth were important economic activities. Demonstrations against enclosures had been happening since 1548.
According to John Hooker who lived through these events, some parishioners complained to the priest of their church in Sampford Courtney, Devon, on Monday June 10, 1549. The Parishioners told their priest that they wanted to continue with the service as it had been done under King Henry VIII. They also claimed King Henry had stated that nothing should change under Edward VI until he had “come into his full age.”(86) Other parishioners joined in. The priest gave in to the parishioners’ request and performed the service in the old manner. After the service the people remained at the church and celebrated. Local magistrates, JPs, also came to the church. It was their job to admonish the people and the priest that they must follow the Act of Uniformity, but they did not do so. All over Devon people supported what had happened at Sampford Courtney. William Hellions, “a minor gentleman, or perhaps a yeoman” did speak to the parishioners and tell them they had to participate in the new service using the Book of Common Prayer.(94) He was taken to a church house where people were gathered. There Hellions continued to argue with the parishioners, but they attacked and killed him.
The Crown sent Peter and Sir Gawen Carew to Devon to resolve the issue. When they arrived in Exeter, they learned people from all over Devon were gathered 7 miles away in Crediton. They had set up barricades and chosen a spot close to Exeter, the regional capital. The Carews and a support party approached Crediton on Saturday, June 22 intending to talk with the people. The protestors had created a strong position, and they “refused to negotiate.” (101) Hooker implies that the protestors fired first, but Stoyle cautions that Hooker is biased, and although he is frequently the only source available, it is necessary to view his opinions cautiously. It may have been the Carews that began fire. A battle ensued. It was this event that began the rising of 1549. People in Devon had killed a man who disagreed with their right to have church services as they had done when Henrry VIII was king. They fired on people who represented the crown.
Stoyle describes how the common people’s commitment to rebellion eventually drew in members of the gentry and lords of Devon. The city of Exeter did not permit the rebels to enter. Somerset responded to the rising by directing Lord John Russell to put down the rebellion. Russell struggled to get sufficient troops to defeat the rebels because of the many problems the Crown faced at that time. When he received support with the help of mercenaries, he was able to defeat the Cornish rebel forces at Sampford Courtenay. Some scholars have suggested that the rising was a class war, but Stoyle asserts this was untrue. There were powerful people in the West Country who also wished for a more traditional religion, and they joined forces with commoners. A new look at the rising also points out the importance of the Arundell family that supported the rebels.(295)