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On January 25, 1554, Sir Thomas Wyatt gathered an army in Kent and rebelled against Queen Mary. From the article:
"The Wyatt Rebellion
Sir Thomas Wyatt was born in Allington Castle in 1521. Thomas Wyatt was the son of the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503 - 1542) had been implicated, imprisoned, but released, during the terrible days when Anne Boleyn, was arrested and eventually executed for adultery, treason and incest. He was brave, hot-headed and impulsive. He became the leader of the Wyatt Rebellion against Queen Mary I.
Biography of Sir Thomas Wyatt
Elizabeth - focus of Protestant Conspiracies
On 6 July 1553 - Mary I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, was proclaimed Queen of England. Mary was a fanatical Catholic and was determined to return England to the true Catholic faith. Elizabeth was in mortal danger - she was heir to the throne, a Protestant and her half-sister Queen Mary did not trust her. After attending Court for a short time Elizabeth retreated to Hatfield away from the intrigues of the court. Elizabeth was the focus of all Protestants and in danger of being implicated in conspiracies to overthrow her Catholic half-sister Mary. It did not take long for a Protestant rebellion to erupt which was sparked by the news that Queen Mary intended to marry the fanatical Catholic King Philip II of Spain.
Protestant Englishmen were terrified that the terrible Spanish Inquisition would come to England and that Mary and Philip would produce a Catholic heir to the throne.
The Wyatt Rebellion Conspirators
The attempt by John Dudley to put his Protestant daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey on the throne of England had failed. Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guildford had been imprisoned in the Tower of London. John Dudley had been executed on 23 August 1553. The Catholics were in power. The news about the intended Catholic marriage between Mary and Philip leaked out in the autumn of 1553. The Duke of Suffolk, who had supported Lady Jane Grey, his three brothers, Edward Courtenay Earl of Devon and Sir Edmund Warner initiated the Protestant conspiracy. Their prime objective was to replace Mary with Elizabeth. But their other objective was to arrange the marriage of Elizabeth to Edward Courtney. Elizabeth was again the centre of a plot by powerful men. The French Ambassador, De Noailles, had promised French support once the support of the people had been establish.
Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Conspiracy
Thomas Wyatt was invited to join the conspirators by Edward Courtney. Wyatt was horrified at the prospect of Spanish rule. He was young, 33 years old, reckless and hot-heated. He readily agreed to lead the men of Kent in a country-wide rebellion. The rising was fixed to start on 18 March 1554. But the numbers involved in the conspiracy grew and the 'secret' was out. Sir Thomas Wyatt met close friends at Allington Castle on 22nd January and decided that it would be too dangerous to wait until March. The date for the rebellion was brought forward to Thursday 25th January - coinciding with market day at Maidstone. He raised 4000 men in Maidstone and marched on London.
Letters sent by Sir Thomas Wyatt
Letters informing of the plan were sent to his co-conspirators in other parts of the country - the letter to the Duke of Suffolk was intercepted by Government agents. Sir Thomas Wyatt also sends a letter to Elizabeth informing her of the forth coming rebellion - which is also intercepted by Government agents. Queen Mary issues a proclamation stating any rebels who should return to their homes within 24 hours would be pardoned. Sir Thomas Wyatt was declared a traitor.
Elizabeth and the Wyatt Rebellion
When Sir Thomas Wyatt sends the letter to Elizabeth informing her of his intentions to overthrow Mary he brings Elizabeth into terrible danger - the letter is intercepted by Government agents. Another letter to the French Ambassador, De Noailles, is also intercepted and the letter is worded in such a way that it could be read that Elizabeth had prior knowledge of the rebellion.
Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Rebels reach London
On the 3rd February 1554 Sir Thomas Wyatt and his rebel army entered London. Londoners were frightened that the rebels would sack London. They were also terrified of the dire consequences which would befall any traitors who were involved in such a revolt. There were some sympathisers, but the majority of Londoners backed Queen Mary - after all she was King Henry VIII's daughter and the rightful Queen. Barricades were set up in the City of London to trap and halt the progress of the rebels. Sir Thomas did not receive the expected support from his co-conspirators. He went pass Charing Cross, along the Strand until he reached Ludgate. The gate was shut against Wyatt and the rebels and he retreated to Temple Bar.
The Bell Savage Inn and Wyatt's Rebellion
It was in the yard at the Bell Savage Innthat Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion against Queen Mary I came to an inglorious end. "Adjoining Ludgate Hill was the tavern know as "La Belle Sauvage" a coaching house and Inn-yard. Wyatt entered the courtyard and sat down on a bench, with only a handful of men left. His rearguard was cut off and dispersed and he had no means of forcing the gate. He decided to retreat and with only 60 men turned back to Charing Cross." He was met at Temple Bar by the Norroy Herald to whom he submitted. His opponents had totalled over 10,000 men.The Wyatt Rebellion was over.
Sir Thomas Wyatt taken to the tower
Sir Thomas Wyatt was taken to Whitehall and then imprisoned in the Tower of London with the other nobles caught up in the rebellion. He was questioned about those others who were involved in the rebellion. Torture was used on Wyatt. Sir John Bourne questioned Wyatt and wrote to Stephen Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, on 25th February stating that he had:
"laboured to make Sir Thomas Wyatt confess concerning the Lady Elizabeth ... but unsuccessfully,
though torture had been applied".On March 15th he was called before a court at Westminster to answer a charge of high treason. He was condemned and sentenced to death. His sentence was to be hung, drawn and quartered."
"The Wyatt Rebellion
Sir Thomas Wyatt was born in Allington Castle in 1521. Thomas Wyatt was the son of the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503 - 1542) had been implicated, imprisoned, but released, during the terrible days when Anne Boleyn, was arrested and eventually executed for adultery, treason and incest. He was brave, hot-headed and impulsive. He became the leader of the Wyatt Rebellion against Queen Mary I.
Biography of Sir Thomas Wyatt
Elizabeth - focus of Protestant Conspiracies
On 6 July 1553 - Mary I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, was proclaimed Queen of England. Mary was a fanatical Catholic and was determined to return England to the true Catholic faith. Elizabeth was in mortal danger - she was heir to the throne, a Protestant and her half-sister Queen Mary did not trust her. After attending Court for a short time Elizabeth retreated to Hatfield away from the intrigues of the court. Elizabeth was the focus of all Protestants and in danger of being implicated in conspiracies to overthrow her Catholic half-sister Mary. It did not take long for a Protestant rebellion to erupt which was sparked by the news that Queen Mary intended to marry the fanatical Catholic King Philip II of Spain.
Protestant Englishmen were terrified that the terrible Spanish Inquisition would come to England and that Mary and Philip would produce a Catholic heir to the throne.
The Wyatt Rebellion Conspirators
The attempt by John Dudley to put his Protestant daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey on the throne of England had failed. Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guildford had been imprisoned in the Tower of London. John Dudley had been executed on 23 August 1553. The Catholics were in power. The news about the intended Catholic marriage between Mary and Philip leaked out in the autumn of 1553. The Duke of Suffolk, who had supported Lady Jane Grey, his three brothers, Edward Courtenay Earl of Devon and Sir Edmund Warner initiated the Protestant conspiracy. Their prime objective was to replace Mary with Elizabeth. But their other objective was to arrange the marriage of Elizabeth to Edward Courtney. Elizabeth was again the centre of a plot by powerful men. The French Ambassador, De Noailles, had promised French support once the support of the people had been establish.
Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Conspiracy
Thomas Wyatt was invited to join the conspirators by Edward Courtney. Wyatt was horrified at the prospect of Spanish rule. He was young, 33 years old, reckless and hot-heated. He readily agreed to lead the men of Kent in a country-wide rebellion. The rising was fixed to start on 18 March 1554. But the numbers involved in the conspiracy grew and the 'secret' was out. Sir Thomas Wyatt met close friends at Allington Castle on 22nd January and decided that it would be too dangerous to wait until March. The date for the rebellion was brought forward to Thursday 25th January - coinciding with market day at Maidstone. He raised 4000 men in Maidstone and marched on London.
Letters sent by Sir Thomas Wyatt
Letters informing of the plan were sent to his co-conspirators in other parts of the country - the letter to the Duke of Suffolk was intercepted by Government agents. Sir Thomas Wyatt also sends a letter to Elizabeth informing her of the forth coming rebellion - which is also intercepted by Government agents. Queen Mary issues a proclamation stating any rebels who should return to their homes within 24 hours would be pardoned. Sir Thomas Wyatt was declared a traitor.
Elizabeth and the Wyatt Rebellion
When Sir Thomas Wyatt sends the letter to Elizabeth informing her of his intentions to overthrow Mary he brings Elizabeth into terrible danger - the letter is intercepted by Government agents. Another letter to the French Ambassador, De Noailles, is also intercepted and the letter is worded in such a way that it could be read that Elizabeth had prior knowledge of the rebellion.
Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Rebels reach London
On the 3rd February 1554 Sir Thomas Wyatt and his rebel army entered London. Londoners were frightened that the rebels would sack London. They were also terrified of the dire consequences which would befall any traitors who were involved in such a revolt. There were some sympathisers, but the majority of Londoners backed Queen Mary - after all she was King Henry VIII's daughter and the rightful Queen. Barricades were set up in the City of London to trap and halt the progress of the rebels. Sir Thomas did not receive the expected support from his co-conspirators. He went pass Charing Cross, along the Strand until he reached Ludgate. The gate was shut against Wyatt and the rebels and he retreated to Temple Bar.
The Bell Savage Inn and Wyatt's Rebellion
It was in the yard at the Bell Savage Innthat Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion against Queen Mary I came to an inglorious end. "Adjoining Ludgate Hill was the tavern know as "La Belle Sauvage" a coaching house and Inn-yard. Wyatt entered the courtyard and sat down on a bench, with only a handful of men left. His rearguard was cut off and dispersed and he had no means of forcing the gate. He decided to retreat and with only 60 men turned back to Charing Cross." He was met at Temple Bar by the Norroy Herald to whom he submitted. His opponents had totalled over 10,000 men.The Wyatt Rebellion was over.
Sir Thomas Wyatt taken to the tower
Sir Thomas Wyatt was taken to Whitehall and then imprisoned in the Tower of London with the other nobles caught up in the rebellion. He was questioned about those others who were involved in the rebellion. Torture was used on Wyatt. Sir John Bourne questioned Wyatt and wrote to Stephen Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, on 25th February stating that he had:
"laboured to make Sir Thomas Wyatt confess concerning the Lady Elizabeth ... but unsuccessfully,
though torture had been applied".On March 15th he was called before a court at Westminster to answer a charge of high treason. He was condemned and sentenced to death. His sentence was to be hung, drawn and quartered."
The Wyatt Rebellion
Posted from elizabethan-era.org.uk
World History
Military History
Monarchy
Treason
Death Penalty
Posted >1 y ago
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