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. 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. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links DeathWatTylerFull. ... Image File history File links DeathWatTylerFull. ... Events June 12 - Peasants Revolt: In England rebels arrive at Blackheath. ... Popular revolts in late medieval Europe were uprisings and rebellions by peasants in the countryside, or the bourgeois in towns, against nobles and kings during the upheavals of the 14th through early 16th centuries. ... England is the largest and most populous of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (the United Kingdom is a nation which was created by the bonding of the four succsessor states). ... John Ball (d. ... Wat Tylers Death Walter Tyler, commonly known as Wat Tyler (died June 15, 1381) was the leader of the English Peasants Revolt of 1381. ... Jack Straw (probably the same person as Rackstraw) was one of the three leaders (together with John Ball and Wat Tyler) of the Peasants Revolt or Great Rising of 1381, a major event in the history of Britain. ...

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. Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2006 estimate...

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. 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 1379), but in a manner that appeared more arbitrary and hence unfair: it was also set at 12d compared with the 1377 rate of 4d. 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) 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. A longer-term factor was the way the Statute of Labourers of 1351 was enforced. 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 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. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... // Events January 17 – Pope Gregory XI enters Rome. ... Combatants France Castile Scotland Genoa Majorca Bohemia Crown of Aragon Brittany England Burgundy Brittany Portugal Navarre Flanders Hainaut Aquitaine Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire The Hundred Years War was a conflict between France and England, lasting 116 years from 1337 to 1453. ... This article is about the King 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). ... // Events January 17 – Pope Gregory XI enters Rome. ... Events Robert of Geneva, the butcher of Cesena was elected as Pope Clement VII. This led to a schism in the Catholic church with one pope in Rome (Pope Gregory XI and the antipope (Clement VII) in Avignon. ... Richard II (January 6, 1367 – February 14, 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan The Fair Maid of Kent. He was born in Bordeaux and became his fathers successor when his elder brother died in infancy. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Simon Theobald a. ... Sir Robert Hales (also called Robert de Hales), was born about 1325 in Hales Place, High Halden, Kent, the son of Nicholas Hales. ... The Statute of Labourers was a law enacted by the English parliament under King Edward III in 1351 in response to a labour shortage. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Suko of Japan, third of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders May 1 Zürich joins the Swiss Confederation. ... It has been suggested that Plague doctor be merged into this article or section. ... April 7 - Charles University is founded in Prague. ... // Events January 9 - The Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland is rounded up and incinerated, believed by the residents to be the cause of the ongoing bubonic plague. ...

The event that triggered the uprising was the attempt to force the village of Brentwood, Essex, to pay the recent poll tax. When John Bampton, along with two armed guards, entered the village and demanded them to pay, the locals insisted they had already paid and would not contribute another penny. Bampton then tried to arrest some villagers; however, over one hundred men, led by Thomas Baker, chased Bampton out of the village. When he returned to London, troops were dispatched to deal with them. These men were also repelled by Baker, who made the man in charge swear an oath to never return and beheaded six of the accompanying clerks. 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.

First protests

In June 1381, two groups of common people from the southeastern counties of Kent and Essex marched on London. The most vociferous of their leaders, Walter, or "Wat" Tyler, was at the head of a contingent from Kent. 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?"^[1]. (I.e. "when Adam dug, and Eve spun, were there then any gentlemen?") The following day, the rebels, encouraged by the sermon, crossed London Bridge into the heart of the city. Meanwhile the 'Men of Essex' had gathered with Jack Straw at Great Baddow and had marched on London, arriving at Stepney. 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. On June 14, they are reputed to have been met by the young king himself, and 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. 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. coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Blackheath is a suburb of London, divided between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lollardy or Lollardry was the political and religious movement of the Lollards in late 14th century and early 15th century England. ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or gens, and man, cognate with the French word gentilhomme, the Spanish gentilhombre and the Italian gentil uomo or gentiluomo), in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, the Latin generosus (its invariable translation in English... For other uses, see London Bridge (disambiguation). ... Great Baddow is an urban village in the Chelmsford borough of Essex, England. ... Stepney is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta) is an organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in 1080 to provide care for poor and sick... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Alfred (also Ælfred from the Old English: Ælfrēd) (c. ... Winchester is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40,000 within a 3 mile 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— after likely 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). The Savoy Palace of the king's uncle John of Gaunt was one of the London buildings destroyed by the rioters. Richard II agreed to reforms such as fair rents and the abolition of serfdom. Image File history File links Richard_II_meets_rebels. ... Image File history File links Richard_II_meets_rebels. ... Jean Froissart (~1337 - ~1405) was one of the most important of the chroniclers of medieval France. ... Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is a historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and prior to the Union the Chancellor of England and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom, and its predecessor states. ... Simon Theobald a. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... 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 Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta) is an organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in 1080 to provide care for poor and sick... The Savoy Palace was considered the grandest noblemans residence of medieval London, until it was destroyed in the uprising of 1381. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... Richard II (January 6, 1367 – February 14, 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan The Fair Maid of Kent. He was born in Bordeaux and became his fathers successor when his elder brother died in infancy. ... // “Serf” redirects here. ...

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. 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. Seeing him surrounded by the King's entourage, the Rebel Army was in uproar, but King Richard, seizing the opportunity, rode forth and promised the Rebels that all was well, that Tyler had been knighted, and 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. Jack Straw turned on his associates under torture and betrayed many of them to the executioner - though it did not save him. Following the collapse of the revolt, the king's concessions were quickly revoked, and the tax was re-levied. Smithfield meat market from the south Smithfield is an area in the north-west part of the City of London (which is itself the historic core of a much larger London). ... Sir William Walworth (d. ...

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.

Literary mention

John Gower, friend of Geoffrey Chaucer, saw the peasants as unjustified in their cause. In his Vox Clamantis, he sees the peasant action as the work of the Anti-Christ and a sign of evil prevailing over virtue. John Gower shooting the world, a sphere of earth, air, and water (from an edition of his works c. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... An illustration from a manuscript of Vox Clamantis, showing Gower shooting the world: I throw my darts and shoot my arrows at the world. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Antichrist. ...

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. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Jack Straw (probably the same person as Rackstraw) was one of the three leaders (together with John Ball and Wat Tyler) of the Peasants Revolt or Great Rising of 1381, a major event in the history of Britain. ... Canterbury Tales Woodcut 1484 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. Froissarts Chronicle was written in French by Jean Froissart. ...

William Morris described the revolt in A Dream of John Ball (1888). William Morris, socialist and innovator in the Arts and Crafts movement William Morris (March 24, 1834 – October 3, 1896) was an English artist, writer, socialist and activist. ...

In the book Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry (1990) author John J. Robinson (not a professional historian), combines scholarly research with entertaining storytelling to make the case that the leadership of the revolt was somehow involved with the disbanded Knights Templar, and makes broad correlations throughout his book to Freemasonry and the Templar Order. These claims are unique to Robinson and are warily received by professional scholars of the period.^[2] The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici), popularly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple, were the first and among the most famous of the Christian military orders. ... The Masonic Square and Compasses. ...

Further reading

• R. B. Dobson, editor, (2002), The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 (History in Depth) ISBN 0-333-25505-4; a collection of source materials
• Alastair Dunn (2002), The Great Rising of 1381: The Peasant's Revolt and England's Failed Revolution, ISBN 0-7524-2323-1
• Sir Charles Oman (1906), The Great Revolt of 1381; a classic account
• P. J. P. Goldberg (2004), Medieval England 1250-1550: A Social History, ISBN 0-340-57745-2; Chapter 13 is devoted to the Peasants' Revolt
• John J. Robinson, (1990), "Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry" ISBN 0-87131-602-1; Chapters 1-5 are dedicated to the Peasants' Revolt
• A contemporary chronicle, the final meeting of king Richard II and the leader of the Peasants' Revolt Wat Tyler.
• "The Peasants' Revolt" Voices of the powerless - readings from original sources BBC Radio programme, Thursday 25 July 2002, 9.02 am - 9.30 am.
• Britannia:The History of the Peasants' Revolt by Jeff Hobbs with useful bibliography
• "Wat Tyler's Rebellion", from The Chronicles of Froissart, , pp 61-63 includes John Ball's speech.
• "King Richard punishes the rebels in Kent" from The Chronicles of Froissart, edited by Steve Muhlberger, Nipissing University.
• A Dream of John Ball: a King's Lesson by William Morris (Project Gutenberg etext)
• "Conflagration: The Peasants' Revolt", by Melissa Snell.

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Footnotes

1. ^ See John Ball (priest): Footnotes: 1
2. ^ Gordon Stein, University of Rhode Island. 'a'Library Journal review 1989.ISBN 0-87131-602-1