The Pilgrimage Of Grace: Rising Against Henry VIII

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The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising against Henry VIII’s new religious policies and was the most widespread revolt during his reign. Source A shows a summary of the demands stated in the Pontefract Articles of 1536, and it seems that the most important grievance of the leader, Robert Aske, was the changes that had been made to Catholic Doctrine. Many of the people, both gentry and commons, who took part in the rising, wanted to defend the Catholic faith and it appears that religion was the prime cause of the rising as the name ‘the Pilgrimage of Grace’ is, in itself, a symbol of religion. In addition the demands made in Source A clearly show that the aim of those in the revolt was to protect the religion that had governed their lives for centuries. Religion affected all aspects of the commons’ lives; their year was governed by the church, providing holy days as times of festivity and as a chance to escape the harsh routines of day to day life, so when Source A requests that the ‘Supreme…show more content…
The new taxes that were imposed on baptism, burial and marriage were resented by many of the commons as a great number, particularly the poorer people, could not afford to pay them and they feared that this would prevent their salvation. Source B suggests that Robert Aske led the uprising in an attempt to prevent or reduce the ‘rising entry-fines and new taxes’. Source B also states that the ‘nobles and gentry disliked… the Statute of Uses’. This was an Act of Parliament which limited the application of uses in property law and had been introduced by Henry as a way for him to rectify his financial issues, so perhaps (as Source B suggests) the nobles had helped to lead the rebellion in an attempt to revert this
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