The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381

468 Pages·1983·37.208 MB·English

by  R. B. Dobson (auth.)

The Peasants'
Revolt of 1381
Second Edition
EDITED BY
GWYN A. WILLIAMS
HISTORY IN DEPTH
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381
History in Depth
GENERAL EDITOR: Gwyn A. Williams
D. S. Chambers: Patrons and Artists in the Italian Renaissance
R. B. Dobson: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381
W. N. Hargreaves-Mawdsley: Spain under the Bourbons 1700-1833
Roger Mettam: Government and Society in Louis XIV's France
J. R. Pole: The Revolution in America 1754-1788
H. C. Porter: Puri.tanism in Tudor England
Jane Rendall: The Origins of the Scottish Enlightenment 1707-1776
Edward Royle: The Infidel Tradition from Paine to Bradlaugh
Dorothy Thompson: The Early Chartists
Henry S. Wilson: Origins of West African Nationalism
The Peasants' Revolt
of
1381
R. B. DOBSON
Professor of History, University of York
Second Edition
M
MACMILLAN
To my mother and in memory of my father
Selection and editorial matter © R. B. Dobson 1970, 1983
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 2nd edition 1983 978-0-333-25504-9
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced or
transmitted, in any form or by any
means, without permission
First Edition 1970
Second Edition 1983
Reprinted 1989
Published by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
London and Basingstoke
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
ISBN 978-0-333-25505-6 ISBN 978-1-349-16990-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-16990-0
The paperback edition of this book is sold subject to the
condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent,
resold, hired out, or oth.;rwise circulated without the publisher's
prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that
in which it is published and without a similar condition including
this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi
GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE X111
PREFACE xv
INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND EDITION XIX
INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION I
NOTE ON TRANS LA TIONS 32
THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE REVOLT 36
LIST OF AUTHORITIES 45
PART I: The Background to the Peasants' Revolt
I The Character of the English according to John Trevisa 53
2 The Lay Population of English Counties and Towns
according to the Poll Tax Returns of 1377 and 1381 54
3 The Clerical Population of English Dioceses according
to the Poll Tax Returns of 1377 and 1381 58
4 The Black Death of 1348-9 according to Henry
Knighton 59
5 The Statute of Labourers, 1351 63
6 The Enforcement of the Statute of Labourers: 69
A. According to Henry Knighton
B. Trespasses on the Statute of Labourers, 1373-5
C. A Preference for Bond Service, 1350
7 Commons' Petition against Vagrants, 1376 72
8 Peasant Discontents and Resistance before 1381: 75
A. Commons' Petition against Rebellious Villeins, 1377
B. The Bocking Petition, c. 1300-30
C. Revolt of the Villeins of Darnall and Over, 1336
9 Political Protest in the Good Parliament of 1376 83
10 Poem on the Death of Edward III 88
II A Disastrous Start to a New Reign, 1377: according to
the Vita Ricardi II 91
12 Desertion from the English Army, 1380 94
13 Proposals to protect Shipping at London, 1380 95
14 John Gower foresees the Peasants' Revolt 97
vi THE PEASANTS' REVOLT OF 1381
PART II: The Three Poll Taxes and the Outbreak of Revolt
IS The Grant of the First Poll Tax, 1377: 103
A. According to Thomas Walsingham
B. According to the Rolls of Parliament
16 The Grant of the Second Poll Tax, 1379: according to
the Anonimalle Chronicle 105
17 The Northampton Parliament of 1380 and the Grant
of the Third Poll Tax: according to the Rolls of
Parliament III
18 Appointment of Commissioners to enforce payment
of the Third Poll Tax, March 1381 II9
19 The Outbreak oft he Revolt according to theAnonimalle
Chronicle 123
20 The Outbreak of the Revolt according to Thomas
Walsingham 131
21 The Outbreak of the Revolt according to Henry
Knighton 135
22 The Outbreak of the Revolt according to Froissart 137
23 The Rebels in Canterbury according to Jurors' Present-
ments 145
24 The Indictment of two Essex rebels 148
PART III: The Rebels in London, 13-1sjune 1381
2S The Rebels in London according to the Anonimalle
Chronicle ISS
26 The Rebels in London according to Thomas Walsing-
ham 168
27 The Rebels in London according to Henry Knighton 181
28 The Rebels in London according to Froissart 187
29 The Peasants' Revolt according to the 'monk of West-
,
minster 199
30 The Peasants' Revolt according to the Continuator of
the Eulogium Historiarum 204
31 The Peasants' Revolt according to City of London
Letter Book H 208
CONTENTS VU
32 The Treachery of London Aldermen according to the
London Sheriffs' Inquisitions: 212
A. The inquisition of 20 November 1382
B. The inquisition of 4 November 1382
33 The Indictment of Walter atte Keye, Brewer, of
Wood Street, London 226
34 Royal Letters of Pardon to Paul Salesbury of London 228
PART IV: The Rising in the Eastern Counties
35 The Risings in the Eastern Counties according to the
Anonimalle Chronicle 235
36 The Risings in the Eastern Counties according to
Henry Knighton 237
37 The Rising in Cambridge according to the Rolls of
Parliament 239
38 John Wrawe and the Burgesses of Bury St Edmunds
according to Thomas Walsingham 243
39 The Depositions ofJ ohn Wrawe 248
40 Two Suffolk Rebels and the 'Great Society' 254
41 The Revolt in Norfolk according to Thomas Walsing-
ham 256
42 The Death of Sir Robert Salle according to Froissart 261
PART V: Elsewhere in England
43 The Rebels at St Albans according to Thomas Walsing-
ham 269
44 Panic in Leicester according to Henry Knighton 277
45 The Bridgwater Rising: 279
A. According to the pardon of Thomas Engilby
B. According to the accusations against Sir William Coggan
46 The Riots at York: 284
A. According to a parliamentary petition, November-December
1380
B. According to the York 'Memorandum Book'
C. According to the York jurors' presentments, August 1381
47 The Riots at Scarborough 289
48 The Riots at Beverley 294
VID THE PEASANTS' REVOLT OF 1381
49 Rising of the Villeins of the Abbot of Chester 297
50 Rising of the Tenants of the Priory of Worcester 299
p ART VI: Suppression and Survival
51 'The Ax was Scharp' 305
52 The Suppression of the Revolt according to the
Anonimalle Chronicle 305
53 The Suppression of the Revolt according to Thomas
Walsingham 306
54 The Suppression of the Revolt according to Henry
Knighton 3 13
55 The Suppression of the Revolt according to Froissart 315
56 Royal Commission to keep the Peace in London, 15
June 1381 317
57 The Trial and Pardon ofJ ohn Awedyn of Essex 319
58 A Tall Story: Oxfordshire Rebels as French Agents 321
59 A New Conspiracy in Kent, September 1381: John
Cote's Confession 322
60 Post-mortem and Pardon: the Westminster Parliament
of November-December 1381 325
61 The Persistence of Revolt: 333
A. A conspiracy in Norfolk, 1382
B. An abortive rising in Kent, 1390
C. An attack upon property in London, 1412
62 The Complaints and Requests of the Commons of
Kent, 1450 336
63 The Disappearance of English Villeinage: 342
A. Royal Manumissions in Yorkshire, 1338
B. Manumission by the Bishop of Hereford, 1419
C. Bondsmen not to enjoy the Liberties of the City of London,
1387
D. Parliamentary Petition to enforce Villein Disabilities, 1391
64 The Twelve Articles of Memmingen, 1525 346
PART VII: Interpretations o.f the Peasants' Revolt
65 A 'Wamying to Be Ware' 357
66 'Tax Has Tenet Us AIle' 358
CONTENTS IX
67 The Causes of the Revolt according to Sir Michael de
la Pole. 1383 362
68 The Causes of the Revolt according to Thomas
Walsingham: Jack Straw's Confession 363
69 The Causes of the Revolt according to Froissart 369
70 The Significance ofJ ohn Ball: 372
A. John Ball according to Thomas WaIsingham
B. Ball and Wycliffe according to Henry Knighton
C. Ball and Wycliffe according to the Fasciculi Zizaniorum
71 The Literature of Protest: 379
A. John Ball's letter to the Essex Commons
B. The letters of Jakke Mylner, Jakke Carter, Jakke Trewman
andJohn Ball
C. Song of the 'Yorkshire Partisans', 1392
D. A Song of Freedom, c. 1434
E. 'Cryste may send now sych a Yere', c. 1450
F. Song of the Kentish Rebels, 1450
72 Geoffrey Chaucer and the Peasants' Revolt 386
73 John Gower and the Peasants' Revolt 387
74 The Life and Death ofJ acke Strawe. 1593 389
75 Edmund Burke and the Peasants' Revolt 392
76 Thomas Paine and the Peasants' Revolt 394
77 Robert Southey's Wat Tyler 396
78 Engels on the Peasant Risings of the Middle Ages 399
79 William Morris's Dream ofJ ohn Ball 403
BIBLIOGRAPHY 405
ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY 413
INDEX 421
LIST OF MAPS
England in 138 I 100
London in 1381 152
Eastern England in 1381 232