THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE RECONSIDERED

A DISCUSSION OF THE CAUSES OF THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE MAY SEEM either superfluous or premature. The massive study by the Misses Dodds has been followed by a number of short discussions, in general works on the period, in studies of monasticism, in studies of government in the north, and so on. It will not be possible to write confidently about the Pilgrimage until Mr. M. E. James has completed the work which, in a series of remarkable short studies, has already begun to show the importance of patronage, of tenurial relationship, of kinship and connection, and, not least, of personality in northern society at this time. Obviously, too, a good deal of work has yet to be done on the comparative study of social structure in the north, a study which would undoubtedly show up important regional variations.* Nevertheless, I believe that an interim discussion is worth-while. So much of what has been written seems to dodge the main issue. It tries to apportion the causes of the Pilgrimage between various "factors" and, by implication, to consider, for instance, "economic" and "religious" factors as mutually exclusive. What is needed is rather an attempt to see how the various factors were interrelated, to consider why the Pilgrims, whatever their other grievances, marched behind the Banner of the Five Wounds and, ostensibly at least, were prepared to fight for the defence of the church as they knew it. It may be possible, as a result of this, to reconsider some of the accepted views on the nature of the English Reformation.