The Pilgrimage of Grace

What was the Pilgrimage of Grace?

The Pilgrimage of Grace was a against Henry VIII, following his break with the Catholic Church.

What caused the Pilgrimage of Grace?

There were four key causes:

❖ Henry VIII had led the Reformation and made himself head of the Church of England. Many Catholics did not like this.
❖ Henry began the dissolution of the monasteries, where monks lived. The monasteries had helped the poorest in society.
❖ Thomas Cromwell, Henry's Chief Minister, was hated by landowners and blamed for the changes to the Church. He had been reducing the power of the northern lords.
❖ Prices and taxes continued to rise.

What happened in the Pilgrimage of Grace?

There were four key events:

❖ A rebellion broke out in Yorkshire and spread across northern England. The pilgrims had around 50,000 men, compared to the king who had an army of only around 8,000 in the North.
❖ The pilgrims, as the rebels were known, made it clear they were rejecting the changes to the church and not rejecting Henry as king.
❖ The king chose the duke of Norfolk to negotiate with the pilgrims. The duke promised Robert Aske that he would give their demands to the king and they would be pardoned.
❖ However, when the rebels found out the king was not going to agree to their demands they attacked castles in Hull, Beverley and Scarborough. Henry cancelled the pardons and hanged the rebel leaders.

Why did the Pilgrimage of Grace fail?

The were too willing to believe King Henry would listen to their demands. Despite vastly outnumbering King Henry's army they disbanded too quickly, when Henry was really just buying time.

Why was the Pilgrimage of Grace significant?

There were five key reasons for its significance:

❖ It was the largest rebellion of the 16th century. There were 50,000 rebels, and they took control of the whole of northern England.
❖ The rebellion failed. They were persuaded to disperse by the duke of Norfolk and, therefore, did not achieve their aims. This is significant as it shows the difficulties rebels faced and dissuaded others from rebelling.
❖ Henry began to dissolve the monasteries at a faster rate than before.
❖ The rebel leaders, such as Aske, were hanged as a warning to other rebels. This allowed Henry to become more powerful.
❖ The signing of the 'Pilgrim's Oath' by the Pilgrims showed that religion could be an alternative to royal authority.