Many English Catholics , then a significant portion of the population , supported Mary 's claim as a way to restore Catholic ideology . This position was especially strong in Northern England , where several powerful nobles were Catholics ; there had been similar risings against Henry VIII ; the Pilgrimage of Grace of 1536 and Bigod 's Rebellion of 1537 . Supporters of Mary hoped for aid from France ( among Scots ) and possibly Spain ( among English ) . Mary 's position was strengthened by the birth of her son , James , in 1566 but weakened again when she was deposed in July 1567
Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
Rising of the North