Welcome to Hunting Rebels
MS Hunter 3, fol. 54. Special Collections, Glasgow University Library. Zoom view of signature of Queen Elizabeth I.
Hunting Rebels is a project investigating the Northern Rebellion of 1569 using original manuscripts in Special Collections at The University of Glasgow. Manuscript Hunter 3 in Special Collections will be the focus of this site, especially the proclamations, warrants and pardons issued before, during and after the Northern Rebellion. The project is supported by The Hunterian at The University of Glasgow through it’s Hunterian Associates Programme 2014.
This site will become a permanent online exhibition of MS Hunter 3 and it’s sources relating to the Northern Rebellion. In the coming months, images of the manuscript sources as well as transcripts deciphering the Early Modern English, will appear here.
The aim of this site is to provide various tools that will hopefully encourage users to interact with the materials, including podcasts, written pieces and ultimately a virtual tour. Our virtual tour of the Northern Rebellion will allow users to take a guided tour of the circumstances surrounding the rebellion as well as explore the event itself, using the manuscript sources of MS Hunter 3 as our signposts.
It’s hoped that when the various multimedia tools and research are presented here, then users will be able to investigate each manuscript source individually or browse more generally through the Northern Rebellion.
King in the North
Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland (1528-1572), English School (1566), Petworth House, ©National Trust Images/Derrick E. Witty
Of course, not everyone knows about the Northern Rebellion of 1569 and over the next few weeks more detailed information about the rebellion will be posted here, but for now, here’s a short introduction:
The Northern Rebellion of 1569 was a revolt, led by northern earls, against Queen Elizabeth I. Although short-lived, it was a significant challenge to her reign. Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland and Charles Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, led the rebellion and declared that they wished to return England to a Catholic nation. They also supported the claim of Mary, Queen of Scots to return to her throne in Scotland and made a naive attempt to rescue her while on the march which was not successful. When it became clear that the rebellion was failing and reports reached the earls that a force was on its way to challenge them, the rebels fled into the Scottish borders. Thomas Percy was captured and held hostage by William Douglas at Lochleven Castle on behalf of the Scottish regent whilst negotiations were pursued by the English, who wanted him sent back to face punishment. Charles Neville managed to remain free of custody with the help of various Scottish lairds who supported Mary, Queen of Scots before travelling into exile on the continent. Unfortunately Thomas Percy was not so lucky, and ultimately he was handed over to the English and executed in York in 1572.
Although the rebellion was short and in the end unsuccessful, it had some significant consequences which we will be exploring through the proclamations in MS Hunter 3.
Keep checking back here for more information on the Northern Rebellion of 1569.
And follow us on twitter @HuntingRebels
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