It’s no understatement to say that Ripon contains the echoes of thousands of years of history – after all, the first known record of the city can be traced back to the 7th century.

From Romans to royalty and much in between, Ripon has played host to many major historical events in its lifespan.

But did you know that Market Place was the meeting point for a 16th century rebel uprising?

This week we’re exploring the tale of what has been cited as ‘the final insurrection of early modern England’ by historians – and how Ripon became a place for forces to assemble before the siege of Barnard Castle. 

The road to rebellion

The Tudor period in England is one defined by instability, religious unrest, war and plotting – an awful lot of plotting.

In 1558, the Protestant Elizabeth I succeeded her Catholic half-sister Mary I as Queen of England.

However, this accession was disputed due to the controversy surrounding the marriage of her parents Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, which was one of the reasons that the Church of England was formed.

For this reason, many English Catholics were disappointed at the appointment of a Protestant queen, and vocal opponents threw their support behind Mary, Queen of Scots, the descendant of Henry VIII's sister Margaret as rightful heir instead.

It wasn’t just Catholics who were dissatisfied with the state of affairs; there was a strong sense of regional pride at stake too, and a general discontent at being dictated at from a monarch based down South.

There were many very powerful earls - landowners, and wealthy, influential Catholic men – based in the North. When Elizabeth inherited the throne, she put limits on their power, by putting lords sympathetic to her cause in charge of some of their land, which undoubtedly angered them further.

These factors – combined with the presence of Mary, Queen of Scots in England in 1568, albeit as a prisioner of her royal cousin – became a perfect storm from which a rebel movement arose.

The uprising

After many months of plotting – apparently the Tudors' favourite pastime – the uprising began in earnest at Durham Cathedral, after a celebration of Mass.

Largely orchestrated by Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland and Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland, rebel forces marched to Yorkshire via Darlington, Northallerton and Richmond to gather up supporters, defiantly celebrating Mass in each location.

By the time the army reached Ripon, it was 6000 men strong, and fervour was high. Records held at Markenfield Hall, a privately owned 14th century house near Ripon, tell how Mass was held at Ripon Cathedral, and rebel leaders rode through the Gatehouse, holding aloft a banner depicting the Five Wounds of Christ.

They then moved on to Boroughbridge, where they considered their next plan of action. Invading York was an option, but this was quickly abandoned as the city was considered too well-defended.

It is thought that a plan was then formed to break Mary, Queen of Scots out of Tutbury Castle, where she had been imprisoned earlier in the year. But this never came to fruition as, perhaps due to a tip-off, she was moved out of Yorkshire to Coventry.

Regrouping in Knaresborough – and with a Royal Army in fast pursuit – the group then hatched a fresh plan to target Barnard Castle. However, support was already beginning to wane, fuelled in part by a pardon Elizabeth I issued for all those who returned to their lands by a certain date.

The remaining rebels did in though, lay siege to the castle, capturing it on December 14.

Victory was rather fleeting; the much larger and better equipped Royal Army were already moving North to quash any insurrection and only two days after Barnard Castle was taken, the cause was abandoned and many rebels fled to Scotland.

The aftermath

Punishment for those who took part in the failed uprising was swift and brutal; under Elizabeth I’s orders, known rebels were captured and made an example of.

Despite a lack of support amongst the ordinary residents of Yorkshire, many villages across the region became sites of public hangings for those deemed to have played a part.

Sources differ on the precise number, but it is said that between 200 – 300 men were hanged at Gallows Hills in Ripon during January 1570.

The two main ringleaders of the Rising of The North had very different fates. Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland managed to flee the country, dying in poverty in 1610.

Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland was captured and imprisoned in Scotland. Three years later, and for the sum of two thousand pounds, he was sold to the English government and transported to York.

On August 22, 1572, Percy was beheaded at a public execution, after he refused to accept an offer to renounce Catholicism and be spared.

The green plaque marking Ripon’s role during the uprising can be found along Market Place, next to Boots pharmacy - an innocuous setting perhaps, for such a violent and interesting part of the country’s history.  

Sources for this article include an article on the BBC Bitesize History website, a blog post on LSE’s website, an article on the History Jar website, an article on the Rylstone Project website, information taken from the Markenfield Hall website, 'On this day in Tudor History: November 9 - The Northern Rebellion against Elizabeth I' a Youtube video published in 2021 by The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society, a transcript of The History of England podcast episode 296 'Rising of the North' and information found on the Ripon Civic Society website.