1569- revolt of the northern earls

• Revolt of the Northern Earls

  1569
• Revolt of the Northern Earls

  • Earls wanted Catholicism to be restored
  • Earls had lost power
  • Elizabeth had refused to name an heir
• Leaders

  • Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland
  • Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland
  • Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
• Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland lost a lot of influence after Elizabeth became queen. Lost rights to a copper mine discovered on his lands in 1567 to the queen.
• Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland was part of an important Catholic family and Duke of Norfolk's brother-in-law
• Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk was a Senior noble and Protestant. He had close links to northern Catholic families and disliked Elizabeth's favourites such as Cecil and Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
• Mary, Queen of Scots was the Catholic heir to the throne
• Plots against Elizabeth

  • Revolt of the Northern Earls
  • Ridolfi Plot
  • Throckmorton Plot
  • Babington Plot
• Revolt of the Northern Earls

  Plan:

  1. Northumberland & Westmorland raise rebel forces and take control of the city of Durham.

  2. Rebels march south to meet with Norfolk near London.

  3. Spanish troops land in England to support rebels.

  4. Rebels seize control of the government and overthrow Elizabeth I

  5. Mary, Queen of Scots, marries Norfolk and is crowned Queen of England.
• Factors in the Revolt of the Northern Earls


  • Religion - North of England still strongly Catholic despite the Religious settlement

  Politics - Earls had lost power to the Forster family, who Elizabeth favoured

  Mary, Queen of Scots, and the succession as Elizabeth would not marry
• The revolt aimed to overthrow Elizabeth I and crown Mary, Queen of Scots, as Queen of England
• Key events

  • Elizabeth discovered the plot and arrested Norfolk on 1st nov 1569
  • Northumberland and Westmorland decide to push ahead with the plan. they take the cathedral at durham and celebrate mass
  • revels move south to free Mary QOS, Elizabeth moves her to coventry before they arrive.
  • Spanish troops do not arrive and Elizabeth raises an army of 14,000 men. Rebels are defeated
• Aftermath

  • 450 rebels are executed in northern towns and villages. This terrified populations to prevent future rebellion
  • westmorland escapes, Northumberland captured and executed in 1572
  • mary QOS remained in captivity until her executio in 1587
• Significance of this plot

  • Most serious act of rebellion carried out by English catholics
  • treason laws became hatsher
  • led to harsher treatment of catholics
  • pope Pius IV excommunicated Elizabeth due to her harsh treatment of rebels