Peasants\' Revolt - Citizendia

"Peasants' revolt" redirects here. For other peasant revolutions, see Peasant revolt (disambiguation).

The end of the revolt: Wat Tyler (also spelt Tighler) killed by Walworth while Richard II watches, and a second image of Richard addressing the crowd

The Peasants' Revolt, Tyler’s Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Popular revolts in late medieval Europe were uprisings and Rebellions by (typically Peasants in the countryside or the Bourgeois in towns against The history of England is similar to the history of Britain until the arrival of the Saxons Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the best documented popular rebellion ever to have occurred during medieval times. The names of some of its leaders, John Ball, Wat Tyler and Jack Straw, are still familiar even though very little is actually known about these individuals. John Ball (c 1338 - 15 July 1381) was an English Lollard priest who took a prominent part in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Walter Tyler, commonly known as Wat Tyler ( January 4, 1341 – June 15, 1381) was the leader of the English Peasants' Jack Straw (probably the same person as John Rackstraw) was one of the three leaders (together with John Ball and Wat Tyler) of the Peasants' Revolt

Wat Tyler's Rebellion is significant because it marked the beginning of the end of serfdom in medieval England. Tyler's Rebellion led to calls for the reform of feudalism in England and an increase in rights for the serf class. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

1 Events leading to the revolt
2 First protests
3 Storming the Tower of London
4 Smithfield
5 The Cutty Wren
6 Literary mention
7 Further reading
8 Footnotes

Events leading to the revolt

The revolt was precipitated by heavy-handed attempts to enforce the third poll tax, first levied in 1377 supposedly to finance military campaigns overseas — a continuation of the Hundred Years' War initiated by King Edward III of England. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a Tax of a uniform fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior Edward III (13 November 1312 &ndash 21 June 1377 was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. The third poll tax, unlike the two earlier, was not levied on a flat rate basis (as in 1377) nor according to schedule (as in 1401), but in a manner that that allowed some of the poor to pay a reduced rate, but others with essentially the same economic position to pay the full tax, prompting calls of injustice. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a Tax of a uniform fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income : it was also set at 3 Groat compared with the 1399 rate of 1 groat. The young King, Richard II, was also another reason for the uprising, as he was only 14 at the time, and therefore unpopular men such as John of Gaunt (the acting regent), Simon Sudbury (Chancellor and Archbishop of Canterbury, who in fact acted as the figurehead to what many saw as a corrupt Church at the time) and Sir Robert Hales (the Lord Treasurer, responsible for the poll tax) were left to rule instead, and many saw them as corrupt officials, trying to exploit the weakness of the King. Richard II (6 January 1367 &ndash ca 14 February 1400 was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399 John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster (second creation 1st Duke of Aquitaine (6 March 1340 &ndash 3 February 1399 was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third Simon Theobald or Simon of Sudbury (died 14 June 1381 was an Archbishop of Canterbury (1375&ndash1381 as well as Bishop of London. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Sir Robert Hales (also called Robert de Hales) was born about 1325 in Hales Place High Halden, Kent, the son of Nicholas Hales A longer-term factor was the way the Statute of Labourers of 1351 was enforced. The Statute of labourers was a law enacted by the English parliament under King Edward III in 1351 in response to a labour shortage The Black Death that ravaged England in 1348 and 1349 had greatly reduced the labour force, and, as a consequence, labourers were able to demand enhanced terms and conditions. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia The Statute attempted to curb this by pegging wages and restricting the mobility of labour, but the probable effect was that labourers employed by lords were effectively exempted, but labourers working for other employers, both artisans and more substantial peasants, were liable to be fined or held in the stocks.

There were far fewer labourers to do all the work on the manors of England, so the ones that were not wiped out by the Black Death were left to work alone on the land. These people began to ask for higher wages and fewer hours of work. Some of them asked for their freedom. They often got what they asked for: the lords of the manors were desperate to get their land farmed and their animals looked after. Then, in 1351, King Edward III summoned parliament to make a new law. The law was called the Statute of Labourers and it tried to make sure that the landowners had as many labourers as they wanted - and that they paid them no more than before the Black Death. This angered the peasants greatly.

Incidents in the Essex villages of Fobbing ^[1] and Brentwood triggered the uprising. Fobbing is a small village in Thurrock, Essex, England. It is set between Basildon and Corringham, close to Stanford-le-Hope Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, part of Essex in England. On 30th May, John Brampton attempted to collect the poll tax from villagers at Fobbing. The villagers, led by Thomas Baker, a local landowner, told Brampton that they would give him nothing and he was forced to leave the village empty handed. Thomas Baker was one of the leaders who initiated the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 Robert Belknap (Chief Justice of Common Pleas) was sent to investigate the incident and to punish the offenders. On 2nd June, he was attacked at Brentwood. By this time the violent discontent had spread, and the counties of Essex and Kent were in full revolt. Soon people moved on London in an armed uprising. ^[2]

First protests

In June 1381, Kentish rebels formed behind Wat Tyler and joined with rebels from Essex and marched on London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. When the rebels arrived in Blackheath on June 12, the renegade Lollard priest, John Ball, preached a sermon including the famous question that has echoed down the centuries: "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?"^[3]. Blackheath is an area in southeast London centred around a section of open public grassland ('the Heath' and straddling the boundary of the London Borough of Lewisham and the Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Lollardy was the political and religious movement of the Lollards from the mid- 14th century to the English Reformation. Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or "gens" and "man" Cognate with the French word gentilhomme (I. e. "While Adam delved, and Eve spun, who then was the Gentleman ?") The following day, the rebels, encouraged by the sermon, crossed London Bridge into the heart of the city. London Bridge is a Bridge between the City of London and Southwark in London, England, over the River Thames. Meanwhile the 'Men of Essex' had gathered with Jack Straw at Great Baddow and had marched on London, arriving at Stepney. Great Baddow is an urban Village in the Chelmsford borough of Essex, England. Stepney is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Instead of what was expected from a riot however, there was only a systematic attack on certain properties, many of them associated with John of Gaunt and/or the Hospitaller Order. John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster (second creation 1st Duke of Aquitaine (6 March 1340 &ndash 3 February 1399 was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St On June 14, they are reputed to have been met by the young king himself, and, led by Richard of Wallingford to have presented him with a series of demands, including the dismissal of some of his more unpopular ministers and the effective abolition of serfdom. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Richard of Wallingford ( 14th century) constable of Wallingford Castle and landowner in St Albans, played a key part in the English peasants' revolt One of the more intriguing demands of the peasants was "that there should be no law within the realm save the law of Winchester". This is often said to refer to the statutes of the Charter of Winchester (1251), though it is sometimes considered to be a reference to the more equitable days of king Alfred the Great, when Winchester was the capital of England. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre

Storming the Tower of London

Richard II meets with the rebels in a work from Jean Froissart's Chronicles

At the same time, a group of rebels stormed the Tower of London— probably after being let in— and summarily executed those hiding there, including the Lord Chancellor (Simon of Sudbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was particularly associated with the poll tax), and the Lord Treasurer (Robert de Hales, the Grand Prior of the Knights Hospitallers of England). Jean Froissart (c 1337 &ndash c 1405 was one of the most important of the Chroniclers of Medieval France. Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower) is a historic monument in central London The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. Simon Theobald or Simon of Sudbury (died 14 June 1381 was an Archbishop of Canterbury (1375&ndash1381 as well as Bishop of London. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the Sir Robert Hales (also called Robert de Hales) was born about 1325 in Hales Place High Halden, Kent, the son of Nicholas Hales The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St The Savoy Palace of the king's uncle John of Gaunt was one of the London buildings destroyed by the rioters. The Savoy Palace was considered the grandest nobleman's residence of medieval London, until it was destroyed in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster (second creation 1st Duke of Aquitaine (6 March 1340 &ndash 3 February 1399 was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third

Smithfield

At Smithfield, on the following day, further negotiations with the king were arranged, but on this occasion the meeting did not go according to plan. Smithfield (also known as West Smithfield) is an area in the north-west part of the City of London, mostly known for its centuries-old meat market and its bloody history Wat Tyler left his army and rode forth to parlay with the King and his party. Tyler, it is alleged by the chroniclers, behaved most belligerently and dismounted his horse and called for a drink most rudely. In the ensuing dispute, Tyler drew his dagger and William Walworth, the Mayor of London, drew his sword and attacked Tyler, mortally wounding him in the neck; Sir Ralph de Standish, one of the King's squires, drew his sword and ran it through Tyler's stomach, killing him almost instantly. Sir William Walworth (d 1385 Lord Mayor of London, came from a Durham family Seeing him surrounded by the King's entourage, the rebel army was in uproar, but King Richard, seizing the opportunity, rode forth and shouted "You shall have no captain but me. ",^[4] a statement left deliberately ambiguous to defuse the situation. He promised the rebels that all was well, that Tyler had been knighted, and that their demands would be met - they were to march to St John's Fields, where Wat Tyler would meet them. This they duly did, but the King broke his promise. The nobles quickly re-established their control with the help of a hastily organised militia of 7000, and most of the other leaders were pursued, captured and executed, including John Ball and Jack Straw, who was beheaded. Following the collapse of the revolt, the king's concessions were quickly revoked.

Despite its name, participation in the Peasants' Revolt was not confined to serfs or even to the lower classes. Although the most significant events took place in the capital, there were violent encounters throughout eastern England -- but those involved hastened to dissociate themselves in the months that followed.

Although the Revolt is generally considered a failure, it did succeed in showing the peasants that they were of some value and had some power. After the revolt, the term poll tax was no longer used, although English governments continued to collect broadly similar lay subsidies until the 17th century. The Community Charge, introduced six hundred years after the peasants revolt, was popularly known as the poll tax (particularly by its opponents). The Community Charge, popularly known as the " poll tax " was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund Local government

The Cutty Wren

The Cutty Wren, one of the earliest known protest songs, dates from the time of the revolt. The Cutty Wren and its variants like The Hunting of the Wren are traditional English folk songs It tells the story of the capture of the wren - a symbol for the King (or perhaps for England itself) - and its division amongst the poor people. ^[5] A version of the song appeared on Chumbawamba's English Rebel Songs 1381-1984. Chumbawamba are an English band who began their career playing Anarcho-punk, but over a 25-year career have gone on to play music ranging from pop -influenced English Rebel Songs 1381-1984 is a rerecording of the only A cappella album by Anarchist punk band Chumbawamba, and their only album made up

Literary mention

Title page to William Morris' A Dream of John Ball (1888)

John Gower, friend of Geoffrey Chaucer, saw the peasants as unjustified in their cause. William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896 was an English Architect, Furniture and Textile designer artist writer and socialist associated A Dream of John Ball ( 1888) is a novel by English author William Morris about the English peasants' revolt of 1381 and the rebel John Ball John Gower (c 1330 – October 1408 was an English Poet, a contemporary of William Langland and a personal friend of Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. In his Vox Clamantis, he sees the peasant action as the work of the Anti-Christ and a sign of evil prevailing over virtue, writing ". Vox Clamantis ("the voice of one crying out" is a Latin Poem of around 10000 lines in Elegiac verse by John Gower that For other uses see Antichrist (disambiguation In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist or anti-Christ means a person office . . . according to their foolish ideas there would be no lords, but only kings and peasants. . . ".

Geoffrey Chaucer mentions Jack Straw, one of the leaders of the Revolt, in his satiric 'The Nun's Priest's Tale' of The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. Jack Straw (probably the same person as John Rackstraw) was one of the three leaders (together with John Ball and Wat Tyler) of the Peasants' Revolt The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in Prose, the rest in verse)

Froissart's Chronicles devotes twenty pages to the revolt. Froissart's Chronicle was written in French by Jean Froissart.

William Morris described the revolt in A Dream of John Ball (1888)

Footnotes

^ ::Peasants Revolt::
^ Maurice Hugh Keen, England in the Later Middle Ages: A Political History (Routledge, 1975)
^ See John Ball (priest): Footnotes: 1
^ Simon Schama's A History of Britain, Episode 5 'King Death'
^ The Cutty Wren

John Ball (c 1338 - 15 July 1381) was an English Lollard priest who took a prominent part in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Simon Michael Schama, CBE (born 13 February 1945 is a British professor of history and art history at Columbia University. A History of Britain redirects here for the books with that name see A History of Britain (book.

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