Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England During the Reign of Edward VI

HARDCOVER in dust jacket, 1ST EDITION, by Barrett L. Beer, published 1982 by Kent State University Press. Publisher's statement: "The short reign of Edward VI was a turbulent one, even by Tudor standards. In addition to such perennial problems as religious change, inflation, poor harvests, and war with Scotland and France--and to some extent as a result of them--the kindgom was threatened by widespread unrest, riots, and rebellions among the common people. These ranged from such large riots as Kett's Rebellion in Norfolk and the Western Rebellion in Cornwall and Devon, to unrest among yeoman, farmers, artisans, and laborers as scores of towns and hamlets erupted into violence that disturbed the local peace and echoed in London. The riots and revellions were, of course, put down, and their history was recorded by the educated ruling class. In this new study Barrett L. Beer looks at these dramatic events from the viewpoint of the rebellious commoners. Drawing on a variety of contemporary manuscript sources, he analyzes the themes of discontent that motivated them, the radical demands that challenged the social order, the acts of repression and reform by which the government responded."