The Lincolnshire Rising.

The following Article is taken from THE LINCOLNSHIRE RISING AND MARTYRS

This Post was originally inspired by the Lincolnshire Photographer, Rod Collins. His original Post, and his Site, can be found HERE. It is a great resource for all those interested in Lincolnshire.

The Lincolnshire Rising was a righteous stand by Roman Catholics, from Louth, and the surrounding Lincolnshire towns of Caistor, Market Rasen and Horncastle, against The Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Before The Reformation, everyone in England was Catholic. The Dissolution was set in motion by Thomas Cromwell's suggested plan of asserting the nation's religious autonomy, and the King's Supremacy over Religious Matters, after the Vatican would not grant King Henry VIII a divorce from Queen Anne Boleyn.

The Lincolnshire Rising began on 1 October 1536, at Saint James Catholic Church (now Anglican), in Louth, after Vespers. This was shortly after the Dissolution of Louth Park Abbey, the same year.

The catalyst was a fervent Homily, given at Solemn Vespers, by the Catholic Priest, Thomas Kendall (not to be confused with the New Zealand Missionary, also from Lincolnshire).

1 October is now known as Lincolnshire Day.

The stated aim of the uprising was against the attempt to suppress Catholic Religious Houses, and was not against King Henry VIII, himself. It quickly gained support in Horncastle, Market Rasen, Caistor and other nearby towns.

Map of the route of The Lincolnshire Rising

and The Pilgrimage of Grace.

Angered by the actions of the King's Commissioners, the Louth, Market Rasen, Caistor and Horncastle townsfolk demanded:

The end of The Collection of the Subsidy;
The end of The Ten Articles;
The end to the Dissolution of the Monasteries;
The end to Taxes in peacetime;
A purge of Heretics in Government;
The Repeal of The Statute of Uses.

The Lincolnshire Rising was led by a Shoemaker, called Nicolas Melton, also known as Captain Cobbler, and involved 22,000 people.

The Lincolnshire Rising had no Banner, unlike The Pilgrimage of Grace, in Yorkshire, which followed The Lincolnshire Rising shortly thereafter. Though we now know that, at one point, they got a piece of White Cloth and attached a Parchment Painting of The Holy Trinity to it. Below is what it 'may' have looked like, but no one is sure.

However, by the time the group walking to Lincoln reached Market Rasen, at a place called Hambleton Hill (now Willingham Woods), there were circa 50,000 Catholics camping that evening.

With support from the local gentry, a force of demonstrators, estimated at up to 50,000, marched on Lincoln and, by 14 October, occupied Lincoln Cathedral. They demanded the freedom to continue worshipping as Catholics, and protection for the treasures of Lincolnshire Churches.

The moratorium effectively ended when the King sent word for the occupiers to disperse, or face the forces of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, which had already been mobilised. By 14 October few remained in Lincoln.

Following The Lincolnshire Rising, the Vicar of Louth and Captain Cobbler, two of the main leaders, were captured and hung at Tyburn, London. Many of the others met the same fate over the next twelve days, including William Moreland, or Borrowby, one of the former Louth Park Abbey Monks, with a Lawyer, from Willingham, being hanged, drawn and quartered for his involvement.

Soon, however, The Lincolnshire Rising helped inspire the more widespread Pilgrimage of Grace,
in Yorkshire.

THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE

The original Pilgrimage of Grace Badge, worn by Sir Thomas Constable of Everingham,

which was kept at Holy Rood Church, Market Rasen, until the 1920s.

The portrayal of The Pilgrimage of Grace

from "The Tudors"

THE MARTYRS OF

THE LINCOLNSHIRE RISING 

Two important notes.

The Magisterium of The Catholic Church states that acts of an unrighteous rebellious nature are sinful, and it is without doubt that many at The Lincolnshire Rising went beyond the legitimate call to Defend The Faith.

It is believed that the list below is of those who were deemed righteous in their acts

and had a level of piety in their Defence of The Faith.

Please also note that no Martyr at The Lincolnshire Rising has been Beatified, or is recognised officially, as a Martyr of England and Wales, as is so often assumed.

The following list was originally sent to the Apostolic See of Rome, for Holy Blessing and to be ‘officially’ considered as Martyrs to The Catholic Cause. Of course, not every person that died as a result of The Rising is on the list. 

They are all from Lincolnshire. If they passed Papal Approval, then these Martyrs would first be made Servants of God, then Venerable, then Blessed, and, finally, Canonised,

as Saints and Martyrs.

CLERGY

Thomas Watson, Bishop of Lincoln, 

died a prisoner in Wisbeach Castle, September 2nd, 1584. 

Henry Anderson, Secular Priest, Vicar of Morton.

John Flassher, Priest of Scartho

Ralph Grey, of Louth, Priest of Croft

William Holton, of Louth, Priest of Cockerington

John Kingston, cleric, of Louth, Priest of Tetney. 

(But, query, executed ?)

John Lyon, Priest, of Biscathorpe

Thomas Retforthe, or Redforth, Parson of Snelland

Robert Singleton, clericus, Stamford.

Thomas J. Smith, Priest of Horbelyn 

(but, query, executed ?)

William Smythe, Parson of Donnington

Bardney Abbey

William Cooper, Benedictine

William Gregory, Benedictine

John Ambrose Francis, Benedictine

John Heron, Benedictine, Benedictine. 

(But, query, was he executed?)

Hugh Lansdale or Londysdale, or Lednam, Benedictine

Richard Philip Laynton, Benedictine

John Jerome Tenant, Benedictine

Barlings Abbey

Mackerell, Matthew, Norbertine, Abbot of Barlings and Bishop. of Chalcedon

Thomas Bradley, Norbertine, sub-prior

William Brygges, alias Kendal, Norbertine

Richard Catton, alias Warryn, Norbertine

William Holme, Norbertine

James Wharton, or Hodgeson, Norbertine

Kirkstead Abbey

Harrison, Richard, Cistercian, Abbot of Kirkstead Abbey, 

executed at Lincoln

Henry Jenkinson, Cistercian (professed of Vaudey). feudal, Thos., S.T.B., & Priest of Louth.

Reginald Kirbye, or Wade, Cistercian 

(professed of Vaudey).

William Swale, alias Ripon, Cistercian.

Louth Park Abbey.

William Burraby, alias Moreland, Cistercian

Society of Jesus (Jesuits)

Thomas Foster, S,J., died in Lincoln prison, 1648.

John Hudd, John, S.J., died prisoner at Lincoln, 1649.

Lay People

Lord John Hussey, of Sleaford, 

hanged at Lincoln, July, 1537.

Robert Hudson of LouthRobert Cotman of Spilsby

Edward Leche, yeoman, of Fullaby

Robert Leeche, husbandman, March, 1537

William Leeche, yeoman, of Lincolnshire, 

executed, July 8th, 1539, at St. Thomas Waterings

John or Thomas Manbye of Louthe

Roger Neve, saddler, Lincolnshire, 

executed at Tyburn, 27th March, 1537.

Thomas Noble of Louth

William Nixon [Nycson] of Alford

Richard Phelipson of Alford

William Smith of Louth

John Wade of Boston

James Willson of Alford

Thomas Yolk of Louth