Council of Troubles - Aftermath

Aftermath

As the subsidy remained unpaid, the Council remained in being during the remainder of the reign of Requesens. No more death sentences were pronounced, however. After Requesens death in March, 1576 a power vacuum ensued. The Council of State now demanded to see the instructions and records of the tribunal. However, the secretary, De Roda, replied that there were no written instructions. When asked how the council had managed to try and condemn so many people, he said that the council had condemned nobody: all sentences were pronounced by the governors-general themselves; the council had technically only prepared the drafts.

On September 4, 1576, revolutionary bands, led by Jacques de Glimes, bailli of Brabant, arrested the members of the Council of State (the acting Brussels government). This ended at the same time the Council of Troubles (which the Council of State had not dared to disperse). Unfortunately, a large part of the archives of the council were lost shortly after this action. This may also have something to do with the fact that the sentences of the Council were quashed as a consequence of the amnesty, contained in the Pacification of Ghent which was concluded shortly afterwards. Fortunately, many duplicates are still extant in Spanish archives. Prominent members of the council were arrested by the Rebels, like Del Rio (who was sent to the headquarters of the Prince of Orange, but was later exchanged), and the notorious Hessels (who was summarily hanged by the revolutionary Ghent government). Others, however, escaped the revenge of the people, like the Spaniards Vargas and De Roda.