BattlefieldsWyatt's Rebellion — Action at Rochester (1554)
Tudor

Wyatt's Rebellion — Action at Rochester (1554)

1554
Kent, England
Also known as: Rochester bridge Wyatt 1554 · Wyatt holds Rochester
Era
Tudor
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Kent, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Royalists (Duke of Norfolk)
Forces
Norfolk's royal force c.1,500–2,000.
VS
Victor
Rebels (Wyatt)
Forces
Wyatt c.3,000–4,000
Outcome
Rochester bridge and castle controlled by rebels; Norfolk's force partially defected; Wyatt advanced
The Battle

History & Significance

Wyatt held Rochester and controlled the Medway crossing — the strategic key to the Kent-London road. When Norfolk arrived with a royal army, the London Whitecoats marched over to Wyatt en masse. Norfolk fled back to London. The defection demonstrated how unpopular the Spanish marriage was even among professional soldiers and showed how close Wyatt came to bringing down Mary's government.

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