Tudor History with Claire Ridgway9 Okt 2025

Henry VIII’s Bloody Response to Rebellion: The Pilgrimage of Grace Begins

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On this day in Tudor history, 9 October 1536, anger in Lincolnshire burst into open revolt.

At Horncastle, a crowd raised their hands in agreement: “We like them very well!”, and sent a blunt list of grievances to King Henry VIII. That petition marked the birth of the Pilgrimage of Grace, the largest uprising of his reign.

But how did it start?
In the first week of October 1536, fear and fury spread through Lincolnshire:

Louth’s vicar warned that the Church was in danger.
Cromwell’s commissioners were attacked and their papers burned.
Two royal agents were killed at Horncastle.

The rebels’ demands were clear:

Stop dissolving monasteries
End new taxes and seizure of Church wealth
Remove “upstart” councillors like Thomas Cromwell and Richard Rich

Henry’s reply? Defiance. “Withdraw yourselves… and submit to punishment.”
But the rebellion spread north. Within weeks, Robert Aske led 30,000 rebels under the banner of the Five Wounds of Christ. They faced the Duke of Norfolk near Doncaster, and chose negotiation over bloodshed.

Henry’s promise of pardon was a trap. When the rising rekindled, Aske and the rebel leaders were executed.

Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as we trace how local anger became a national crisis, and how Henry VIII’s cold response defined his rule.

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Tell me in the comments: Would you have trusted Norfolk’s offer, or marched on London? #OnThisDay #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #PilgrimageOfGrace #ThomasCromwell #RobertAske #Reformation #LincolnshireRising #EnglishReformation #TudorRebellion #BritishHistory #ClaireRidgway

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