POLITICAL HISTORY 



The death of Thomas, second earl of Derby, in 1521, and of Mont- 

 eagle in 1523, leaving in each case a son under age, temporarily deprived the 

 county of the leadership which the Stanleys had successfully asserted. The 

 earl of Surrey, who was collecting a force against the Scots in October of the 

 latter year, informed the king that he proposed to lead the Lancashire men 

 himself, ' considering there is some little displeasure amongis them and no 

 man among them by whom they wol be ruled.' '" Quarrels between the 

 retainers of local magnates chiefly accounted for the riotous assemblies in 

 Lancashire and other northern counties which attracted the attention of the 

 government in 1535, and were made subject of special inquiry. 



Sir Marmaduke Tunstall of Thurland and his followers fell out with the 

 servants of (the second) Lord Monteagle, and both sides appeared in arms.'*" 

 Tunstall nearly came to blows with a Mr. Morley over a disputed stag. His 

 cook ' sore bete and struck ' a burgess of Lancaster.'*' 'And thus,' continues 

 the report, ' Tunstall and his servants over-rynnyth all the Countre.' In 

 South Lancashire Monteagle was forcibly prevented by Adam Hulton of 

 Hulton from holding his court as steward of the abbot of Cockersand's lands 

 at Westhoughton.'** Monteagle and Tunstall had to give securities for the 

 peace, but were left to reduce the county to order.'*' 



In the autumn of the following year the commons of North Lancashire 

 and the neighbourhood of Whalley rose in sympathy with Aske and his 

 followers in Yorkshire. Their grievances were partly religious, partly secular.''" 

 On the top of the dissolution of the smaller monasteries, which excited fears 

 that the parish churches too would soon be despoiled, there came a demand 

 for a new subsidy. ' The common people say openly that surely they will pay 

 no more money for they have it not.' '" Many joined in the movement in 

 the hope of getting relief from feudal burdens.'^' Repeal of certain unpopular 

 statutes was demanded.'^' The loyal attitude of the young earl of Derby and 

 his promptitude in raising a force of nearly 3,000 men '" prevented the extension 

 of the rising to the southern parts of the county, where indeed discontent was 

 less keen. The rebels had had hopes of Derby, and it was insinuated that his 

 elation at receiving a royal commission extending over Lancashire, Cheshire, 

 North Wales, and Staffordshire lost them his support.'^' Derby disbanded his 

 little army on hearing of the accord taken by the duke of Norfolk with the 

 Yorkshire insurgents at Doncaster on 27 October. They were sent home 

 without their wages, and a week or two later some of them set upon the earl 



^' L. andP. Hen. Fill, iii, 3482. ="' Ibid, viii, 984, 1008. 



'^'Ibid. 1029. ^'Ibid. 1 108. 



**' Ibid. 1030, 1046 Quly). 



*" For a full account of the Pilgrimage of Grace in Lancashire and its religious causes see above, 

 pp. 39, 43. For letters from Aske to Lancashire gentlemen urging them to raise the commons there sea 

 L. and P. Hen. VIII, xi, 804 ; xii, 785. 



«> Ibid, xi, 678. 



'°' Ibid. 454, 464, 507. The commons demanded confirmation of the concession now made by the lords 

 that land in the northern counties, including Furness, should be held by tenant right, and that the ' gressom ' 

 {ingressum) payable at each change of tenancy should be limited to two years' rent ; they also asked for the 

 enforcement of the Statute of Inclosures ; ibid. 1 246. 



'^ Statutes of Handguns and Crossbows, of Uses, of Constructive Treasons, and that empowering the king 

 to declare the succession by will. Reform of Parliamentary elections and an early Parliament to be held in the 

 north were also requested. 



"* Ibid. 1 25 1. His cousin Lord Monteagle headed a Stanley contingent of 616. 



'" Ibid. 807 ; Derb. Corresp. (Chet. Soc. New Ser. xix). Edward Stanley third earl of Derby was great- 

 grandson of the first earl, who died in 1504. 



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