Lincolnshire Day

What is Lincolnshire Day?

Lincolnshire Day - how did it all begin?

October 1st marks the fourth official ‘Lincolnshire Day' and historically, the date commemorates the Pilgrimage of Grace, which began in 1536 - the widespread revolt against the rule of Henry VIII.

Although the initial uprising, which began in Lincolnshire, was short-lived at just two weeks, it represented a major threat to the government at the time due to the ‘dignitaries' behind. Not just a working class revolt, people of note and standing within the community were up in arms. This shook the government so much that troops from other parts of the country were drafted in as the local militia were thought to be sympathising with the rebels.

The uprising quickly gathered pace and within a week there were 40,000 supporters on board. The gathering proceeded to march in an orderly fashion to Lincoln, where they received a warm welcome. However, upon reaching the city, they heard that the Duke of Suffolk was on his way with an army in tow. This proved to be the stumbling block for the noblemen who realised that they may well have too much to lose and withdrew.

Those that stood firm and defied the gesture of a review of some of the policies by the King in return for spared bloodshed were shown no mercy and rumour has it that they paid with their lives. However, the cause was then taken up by the people of Yorkshire, where the revolt continued at length.

Whilst Lincolnshire was the epicentre for the unrest, the campaign was by no means regional and sympathisers from around the country voiced their indignation. It has been regarded as the biggest threat to the King's reign, largely due to the vast number of supporters from all backgrounds. For this reason, this date was chosen when deciding on a specific day to celebrate the counties - voted for by readers of Lincolnshire Life magazine and BBC Lincolnshire listeners.