BattlefieldsPilgrimage of Grace — Wensleydale and Swaledale Muster 1536
Tudor

Pilgrimage of Grace — Wensleydale and Swaledale Muster 1536

1536
North Yorkshire, England
Also known as: North Riding rising 1536 · Dales rising for the Pilgrimage
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
North Yorkshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Crown authority
Forces
Crown authority c.200–300
VS
Victor
Pilgrims
Forces
Dales rebels c.3,000–5,000
Outcome
Wensleydale, Swaledale, and Nidderdale contributed thousands to the Pilgrim host; lead-mining communities strongly represented
The Battle

History & Significance

The North Riding dales rose enthusiastically for the Pilgrimage. Wensleydale, with its chain of monastic granges and strong religious conservatism, provided large numbers. The lead-mining communities of Swaledale and Nidderdale — economically dependent on monastic land and suspicious of evangelical changes to their parish churches — were among the most committed. The dales' contribution gave the Pilgrim host its military mass and made it impossible for the Crown to dismiss the rising as a mere urban disturbance.

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