Questions about Wyatt's rebellion
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was Wyatt's Rebellion and when did it take place?
Wyatt's Rebellion was a popular uprising in England in early 1554, led primarily by Thomas Wyatt the Younger along with Sir James Croft, Sir Peter Carew, and Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk. It was an unsuccessful attempt to prevent Queen Mary I from marrying Philip of Spain and to replace her with her half-sister Elizabeth.
Why did Wyatt's Rebellion fail?
The rebellion collapsed when Courtenay's arrest on the 21st of January 1554 forced the conspirators to act weeks ahead of their planned the 18th of March date. Carew fled to France, Suffolk was betrayed hiding in a hollow tree, and Croft was surrounded and forced to surrender. Wyatt reached London but found the gates shut and the city's defences hardened by Mary's speech at the Guildhall, which rallied an estimated 25,000 defenders.
What happened to Thomas Wyatt the Younger after the rebellion?
Thomas Wyatt was imprisoned after his surrender on the 7th of February 1554 and tried on the 15th of March. He pleaded guilty to treason and was sentenced to death by hanging, drawing, and quartering. On the 11th of April 1554, just before his execution, he publicly declared that neither Elizabeth nor Courtenay had been involved in the rebellion, recanting testimony he had given at trial.
Was Princess Elizabeth involved in Wyatt's Rebellion?
Elizabeth was not an active participant. Despite intense pressure and the use of torture to extract evidence against her, no conclusive proof of her involvement was found. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London on the 18th of March 1554 and released on the 19th of May 1554, though she remained under confinement. Wyatt himself, on the scaffold, avowed her innocence.
Who was the only rebel acquitted at trial after Wyatt's Rebellion?
Sir Nicholas Throckmorton was the only insurgent acquitted after the rebellion. His trial on the 17th of April 1554 saw him challenge second-hand testimony and demand that accusers appear in person. The jury returned a unanimous "Not guilty" verdict despite pressure to reconsider. The jurors were subsequently arrested and held until winter, then released only on payment of exorbitant fines.
How many people were executed for their role in Wyatt's Rebellion?
Out of approximately 3,000 captured insurgents, only about 150 were executed. A general execution of common prisoners began on the 12th of February 1554 with gallows erected across London. The remaining prisoners were freed on the 20th of January 1555 at the request of Philip of Spain. Lady Jane Grey and her husband Lord Guildford Dudley were also executed on the 12th of February, despite having no part in the rebellion.