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A Murderous Midsummer and other activities!
An event celebrating the 475th Battle of Fenny Bridges and the Prayer Book Rebellion
27th July 2024
@ Feniton Village Hall and Church
Past Participate are proud sponsors of this event.
It is being managed by the Friends of St Andrews, Feniton, A local community group in East Devon. Any profit made will be donated to the Friends of St Andrews Church Tower Appeal
Please join us for a day of historical activities that will include:
10am
Coffee Morning
(£4 for drink and cake, please bring cash)
10.30am
Arming the Rebellion
Short talk by Dr Ed Fox (included with Coffee Morning charge)
11.15am
a film made by EWTN that included local people and places
12.00pm
Living history group
Commotion Times will be demonstrating behind the village hall
Lunch
will be available to purchase in the church. Please bring cash
1.15pm
A Murderous Midsummer: The Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549
Lecture by Professor Mark Stoyle.
This lecture will cost £6. Please bring cash
2.30pm
The Unveiling of a New Interpretation Board about the Rebellion
by Richard Foord MP
2.45pm
Refreshments available again in village hall
Raffle with prizes donated from Otter Nurseries, Dilly's flowers and more
There will be displays of historical information in the church and village hall.
Dave Retter, Honiton Town Crier will also be in attendance
To Book
No booking required. Please bring cash to pay on the door for the talks and refreshments
The Battle of Fenny Bridges
In the fields south of Feniton, around the bridge over the river Otter at Fenny Bridges, a battle was fought which has come to be known as ‘the Prayer Book Rebellion’. The revolt was triggered by King Edward VI’s command that the country accept the new Protestant Prayer Book. Westcountry men were staunchly Catholic and resented interference from London, while the Cornish refused to use English instead of Cornish in their services.
Why was a battle fought at Fenny Bridges?
The royalist army, stationed in Honiton under the command of Lord Russell, heard on 27th July that some of the many thousands of Devonshire men laying siege to Exeter had set up camp by in Fenny Bridges in order to block the road to Exeter. On hearing of the arrival of the rebels Russell decided to attack the next day.
Arriving at Fenny Bridges, Russell ordered his cavalry to charge through the rebels defending the bridges, and sweep them aside. Once on the field, he instructed his men forward to fight at close quarters with bills, pikes and hand-guns. Engrossed in stripping and plundering the corpses, the royalists failed to notice that 250 Cornish reinforcements, armed with their famous longbows, had arrived from Exeter until a rain of arrows fell on them. The royalists fled across the Otter, leaving the rebels in charge of the field.
The victory was short lived, however, as more royalist reinforcements arrived.
The second round of fighting, says the contemporary chronicler Hooker was ‘very sharp and cruel’ and soon the royal standard was hoisted beside the bridge.
The Westcountry men were, concluded Hooker in obvious admiration, ‘men of great courage, who in a better cause might have done better service’.
After further victories at Cary’s Windmill, Clyst St Mary, and Clyst Heath, Russell relieved Exeter on August 6th. The rebels, though, re-grouped at Sampford Courtenay and it was not until their defeat there on 18th August that the uprising was finally quashed. The ringleaders were executed in London in 1550 while gallows were set up around the South West for all who took part.
Aftermath of the rebellion
Their defeat left Devon and Cornwall completely crushed and impoverished while up to 50% of the Cornish men of fighting age were killed. The Manor of Feniton was burnt to the ground and the innkeeper of the Greyhound Inn executed as a punishment for helping injured rebels. For Cornwall there was one additional punishment: all evidence of her semi autonomy was wiped from the map and the Reformation marked the demise of the Cornish language. The rebellion had had the potential to reverse the Reformation but its defeat enabled Protestantism to be established throughout the kingdom.
