The Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536-1537, and the Exeter Conspiracy, 1538, Volume 2 (of 2)

The Pilgrimage of Grace erupted in 1536 as a massive protest against Henry VIII’s religious and fiscal policies, gathering thousands of northern gentry, clergy, and commoners. This volume turns its focus to the uneasy negotiations that followed, especially the “second appointment” at Doncaster where royal envoys tried to gauge the rebels’ demands and the king’s willingness to compromise. By tracing the correspondence between Henry’s council and the insurgents, the authors reveal how quickly the truce turned into a stalemate.

The narrative then follows the king’s calculated decision to withhold his written answer, allowing a printed reply to Lincolnshire to serve as an indirect message. While the Pilgrims wrestle with the incomplete response, the book also charts the rising tension that would later flare into the Exeter Conspiracy of 1538. Drawing on court records, wills, and contemporary ballads, the study offers a vivid, scholarly portrait of a turbulent moment in Tudor England.