‘Kill all the gentlemen’? (Mis)representing the western rebels of 1549
‘Kill all the gentlemen’? (Mis)representing the western rebels of 1549
It is frequently claimed that the western rebels of 1549 were animated by class-hatred. The present article disputes that theory. First, it demonstrates that the rebels were, in general, remarkably restrained in their treatment of loyalist gentlefolk who fell into their hands. Next, it considers the blood-thirsty ‘slogan’ which has so often been attributed to the protestors – ‘kill (all) the gentlemen!’ – and argues that this phrase was, in all likelihood, a later fabrication. Finally, it suggests that popular hatred of the gentry seems more likely to have been the product than the cause of the insurrection.
Rebellion; Religion; Devon; Cornwall
50-72
Stoyle, Mark
95be1cdc-0205-4d36-b505-b1ddb4cde508
1 February 2019
Stoyle, Mark
95be1cdc-0205-4d36-b505-b1ddb4cde508
Stoyle, Mark
(2019)
‘Kill all the gentlemen’? (Mis)representing the western rebels of 1549.
Historical Research, 92 (255), .
(doi:10.1111/1468-2281.12261).
Abstract
It is frequently claimed that the western rebels of 1549 were animated by class-hatred. The present article disputes that theory. First, it demonstrates that the rebels were, in general, remarkably restrained in their treatment of loyalist gentlefolk who fell into their hands. Next, it considers the blood-thirsty ‘slogan’ which has so often been attributed to the protestors – ‘kill (all) the gentlemen!’ – and argues that this phrase was, in all likelihood, a later fabrication. Finally, it suggests that popular hatred of the gentry seems more likely to have been the product than the cause of the insurrection.
Text
Kill all the Gentlemen - Article - March 2018
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 1 March 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 January 2019
Published date: 1 February 2019
Keywords:
Rebellion; Religion; Devon; Cornwall
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 420442
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/420442
ISSN: 0950-3471
PURE UUID: 51bacaa7-d74f-4c22-b75d-39e35ed3aac1
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Date deposited: 08 May 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 06:35
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