Wyatt's Rebellion
3 February 1554
On the 3rd February 1554 a man entered London at the head of a force of, according to recent estimates, 3000 men. His name was Thomas Wyatt (the younger) and this was almost the last act in a rebellion, which his participation in would cost him his life.
King Edward VI, the son Henry VIII had so desperately wanted, was already dead, just six years after Henry’s death, and it was his daughter by Katherine of Aragon who now sat on the throne of England as Queen Mary I.
England’s first queen regnant had made a strong start to her reign, Edward’s wish that the throne be claimed by his protestant cousin Lady Jane Grey instead of Mary had met with widespread opposition, and cost Lady Jane, her husband, and her father-in-law their lives. Most people in England felt that Mary was the rightful heir, regardless of her religious faith and the fact that she was a woman. She had therefore come to the throne on a wave of popular support. As a woman however Mary faced one burning question, the same question that had and would plague female rulers throughout history: Would or should she marry and if so who should she marry? This issue in Tudor England raised a very complex set of issues, for women in England this time were subject to their husbands, if Mary should marry, might enormous power be conferred upon her husband, and would she be bound by church law to listen to and obey him over her council?
Mary wanted, and intended to marry. Moreover she felt it her duty to do so in order to provide England with a legitimate Catholic heir who would secure the religious future of her kingdom. Soon Philip II of Spain had emerged as the key contender for her hand, something which was in certain quarters vehemently opposed and “the anomalous position of a king regnant crystallized fears about how Philip might use his powers within England; the possibility that England might become another Habsburg milch cow was very real; and there was a real risk of a succession struggle on Mary's death" (Ian Archer).
These fears and issues meant that by November 1553 Mary’s council was urging her not to marry Philip, instead they suggested she marry an English nobleman, Edward Courtenay with royal blood in his veins, but Mary was set on her Spanish choice.
A group of men therefore began to meet in order to plot military opposition to Mary’s rule. These men included Sir James Croft, Thoman Wyatt, Sir Peter Carew, Sir Edward Rogers, Sir William Pickering, Sir George Harper, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, Nicholas Arnold, William Winter and William Thomas.
The men were led in the early stages by Sir James Croft, a man who had previously been incarcerated in the Tower for his support of Lady Jane Grey and only the previous year he had been arrested for plotting against the queen in Wales. He was a staunch protestant with a deep-rooted fear of Catholic Spain and the influence that a Spanish ‘king’ might have on England. Another of these high-profile rebels, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, was also a staunch Protestant and his early involvement indicated how serious he, and other high-ranking members of Mary’s court, took the threat of Spanish influence. Another addition to the rebels included the Duke of Suffolk Henry Grey, Lady Jane Grey’s father, who had joined their ranks by December.
The rebels' plan was relatively simple: they would take London, depose Mary, place Elizabeth her protestant half-sister on the throne who would then marry Edward Courtenay. The question of whether Mary herself would then be executed or not was a sticking point and source of disagreement among the rebels.
Mary meanwhile was well aware that rebellion was brewing, possibly it was Courtenay that had betrayed them, and she took decisive action. Whilst the plan had been for a nationwide uprising on Palm Sunday 1554 with Wyatt leading the men of Kent, Grey the Midlands, and Carew Devon and Cornwall, now they were forced into quick action. On the 25th January 1554 Wyatt “unfurled his banners in Maidstone high street and proclaimed his intention to prevent the proposed marriage between Mary Tudor and King Philip II of Spain,” (Martyn Ellis) under his command were 3000 men.
Three days later the rebels were confronted by Mary’s forces under the Duke of Norfolk but many joined the rebels instead of facing them. This enlarged force then besieged Cooling castle, whose owner Baron Cobham made a token protest trying to hedge his bets, before joining the rebels.
The London that Wyatt entered on the 3rd February however was now a city fiercely loyal to her Queen. Whilst her council was panicking and urging Mary to flee to Windsor, Mary had firmly taken the lead and on the 1st February had given a rousing and utterly brilliant speech at the Guildhall. The speech is remarkable and was recorded in Holinshed's Chronicle:
“I am (quoth she) come unto you in mine own person, to tell you that which already you do see and know, that is how traitorously & seditiously a number of Kentish rebels have assembled themselves together against both us and you. Their pretense (as they said at the first) was only to resist a marriage determined between us and the prince of Spain. To which pretended quarrel, and to all the rest of their evil contrived articles ye have been made privy. Since which time, we have caused diverse of our privy council to resort [unclear] to the said rebels, and to demand of them the cause of their continuance in their seditious enterprise. By whose answers made again to our said council, it appeared that the marriage is found to be the least of their quarrel. For they now swearing from their former articles, have betrayed the inward treason of their hearts, as most arrogantly demanding the possession of our person, the keeping of our tower, and not only the placing and displacing of our councillors; but also to use them and us at their pleasures.
Now loving subjects, what I am, you right well know. I am your queen, to whom at my coronation when I was wedded to the realm and to the laws of the same (the spousall ring wereof I have on my finger, which never hither to was, nor hereafter shall be left off) ye promised your allegiance and obedience unto me. And that I am the right and true inheritor to the crown of this realm of England; I not only take all Christendom to witness, but also your acts of parliament confirming the same. My father (as ye all know) possessed the regal estate by right of inheritance, which now by the same right descended unto me. And to him always ye shewed your selves most faithful and loving subjects, and him obeyed and served as your liege lord and king: and therefore I doubt not but you will shew your selves likewise to me his daughter. Which if you do, then may you not suffer any rebel to usurp the governance of our person, or to occupy our estate, especially being so presumptuous a traitor as this Wyatt hath shewed himself to be; who must certainly, as he hath abused my ignorant subjects to be adherents to his traitorous quarrel; so doth he intend by colour of the law, to subdue the laws to his evil, and to give scope to the rascally and forlorn persons, to make general havoc and spoilation of your goods.
And this further I say unto you in the word of a prince, I cannot tell how naturally a mother loveth her children, for I was never the mother of any, but certainly a prince and governor may as naturally and as earnestly love subjects, as the mother doth her child. Then assure yourselves, that I being sovereign lady and queen, do as earnestly and as tenderly love and favour you. And I thus loving you, cannot but think that ye as heartily and faithfully love me again: and so loving together in this know of love and concord, I doubt not, but we together shall be able to give these rebels a short and speedy overthrow.
And as concerning the case of my intended marriage, against which they pretend their quarrel, ye shall understand that I entered not into the treaty thereof without advise of all our privy council; yea, and by assent of those to whom the king my father committed his trust, who so considered and weighted the great commodities that might inuse thereof, that they not only thought it very honourable, but expedient, both for the wealth of our realm, and also of all our loving subiects. And as touching my self (I assure you) I am not so desirous of wedding, neither so precise or wedded to my will, that either for mine own pleasure I will choose where I lust; or rise so amorous as needs I must have one. For God I thank him (to whom be the praise thereof) I have hitherto lived a virgin, and doubting nothing but with Gods grace shall as well be able so to live still. But if as my progenitors have done before, it might please God that I might leave some fruit of my body behind me to be your governor, I trust you would not only rejoice there at, but also I know it would be to your great comfort. And certainly if I either did know or think, that this marriage should either turn to the danger or loss of any of you my loving subjects, or to the detriment of impairing of any part or parcel of the royal estate of this realm of England, I would never consent there unto, neither would I ever marry while I lived. And in the word of a queen I promise and assure you, that if it shall not probably appear before the nobility and commons in the high court of parliament, that this marriage shall be for the singular benefit and commodity of all the whole realm; that then I will abstain, not only from this marriage, but also from any other, whereof peril may ensue to this most noble realm.
Wherefore now as good and faithful subjects pluck up your hearts, and like true men stand fast with your lawful prince against these rebels, both our enemies and yours, and fear them not: for assure you that I fear them nothing at all, and I will leave with you my lord Howard and my lord Treasurer to be your assistants, with my lord Mayor, for the defense and safeguard of this city from spoil and sacking, which is only the scope of this rebellious company.”
It was brilliant, arguably Mary’s finest hour and London, and her fearful council rallied behind her. Wyatt however did not initially meet much resistance when he entered London which he took as evidence of the peoples support for him but in fact he was being effectively lured into the city. He found Ludgate barred and barricaded and when he turned to go back the queens men were waiting for him. A brief ‘battle’ was fought at Temple bar where he was defeated by the queen's forces under the command of the Earl of Pembroke. Many of the rebels surrendered including Wyatt himself who was duly taken to the Tower.
Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guildford Dudley were executed on 12 February and Lady Jane’s father would follow suit eleven days later on 23 February 1554.
Wyatt’s refusal to implicate Princess Elizabeth in his plans when he was questioned would have lasting repercussions for England, but there was no doubting his own guilt and he was tried, found guilty and executed, the latter event taking place on the 11th April 1554.
Princess Elizabeth herself was arrested and taken to the Tower where Mary's council tried valiantly to implicate her in the rebellion. Most historian’s today feel that it is almost certain that she was at least aware of Wyatt's plans but Wyatt’s, and others, refusal to talk meant that she was eventually released.
Mary’s marriage to Phillip duly took place but it was not a happy union and Mary’s two ‘pregnancies’ proved to be phantom ones. Catholic England died with her, despite her best efforts, and it is Elizabeth who assumed the throne as Queen Elizabeth I: England’s Gloriana.
Do you think this episode is the reason why Elizabeth never married?
I have always disliked Queen Mary, seeing nothing commendable for her in either in governance nor character. I am more admiring of her after hearing how she comported herself in a time of peril. However, I am with the average English person of the time who feared not only the stripping of wealth from England but the over arching power of the inquisition set free within our already sufficiently brutal lands. Thanks for this article. It enlarged my understanding of this event.