Peasants' Revolt and rural unrest (1381-1387)
In late 1380, the government approved another poll tax to help fund the war with France. Because it was a flat-rate charge on ordinary people, it fell heavily on poorer households and was widely resisted. This tax became the immediate trigger for the 1381 rising, building on earlier frustrations about wages and labor controls after the Black Death.
By early 1381, the Crown was alarmed by shortfalls and suspected local underreporting and evasion. Commissions were sent out to reassess who should pay, which many communities experienced as intrusive and threatening. This enforcement push helped turn anger about taxation into organized defiance.
A royal official, John Bampton, went to Brentwood to investigate non-payment and press for money. Representatives from nearby villages refused and violence broke out, forcing Bampton to retreat. The clash quickly spread, as messengers carried news and local groups began to mobilize.
In Kent, rebels broke open Maidstone Prison and released the priest John Ball. Ball had long preached against social inequality and helped give the movement a clear message and rallying language. His involvement linked local grievances to broader demands for “freedom” and justice.
Large groups from Kent and Essex converged outside London, using Blackheath as a gathering point. There, leaders and messengers coordinated next steps and pressed the case for meeting the king. John Ball’s preaching at Blackheath helped reinforce the revolt’s sense of purpose.
On 13 June, rebels moved into London and attacked symbols of royal and aristocratic power. Buildings were burned and prisons were opened, while long-standing resentments—economic and political—turned into direct action. The violence also revealed how quickly central authority could be shaken.
Disturbances in St Albans focused on local conflict with the powerful monastery, including rights to pasture, hunt, fish, and use mills. Townspeople freed prisoners and damaged monastic property, and some sought support in London while the revolt was at its height. The episode shows how “rural unrest” could be aimed as much at local lords as at national taxes.
King Richard II met rebels at Mile End and agreed to sweeping concessions, including promises connected to ending serfdom and forced labor. Royal clerks began issuing written charters as proof of these grants. The meeting aimed to calm the crisis, but it did not stop unrest inside the city.
While the king was away from the Tower, rebels broke in and seized senior officials associated with taxation and government policy. Archbishop Simon Sudbury (also the chancellor) and Treasurer Robert Hales were taken out and executed. Their deaths showed that the revolt was not only about taxes but also about removing officials seen as abusive.
The next day, the king met remaining rebels at Smithfield to negotiate again. During the encounter, Wat Tyler was attacked and killed by royal supporters, including the mayor of London, William Walworth. Richard then persuaded many rebels to disperse, helping the government regain control of the capital.
In East Anglia, rebels under Geoffrey Litster faced the forces of Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich. The rebels were defeated at North Walsham, and this victory helped end the last major organized resistance connected to the rising. The government could now focus on punishments and restoring old obligations.
After London was secured, the Crown issued orders demanding that unfree tenants return to their previous conditions. This signaled that the government would not accept the revolt’s claims that bondage and labor services should end. It also set the stage for wider arrests and local reprisals.
Richard II formally revoked the charters and concessions that had been issued during the crisis. In practice, this meant that written promises of freedom and changed rents were declared invalid. The revocation marked a turning point from negotiation to enforcement and punishment.
John Ball was captured and brought to trial after the revolt collapsed. He was executed at St Albans in the presence of the king, and his punishment was meant to deter future resistance. His death also symbolized the government’s rejection of the revolt’s most radical arguments about equality and social order.
In the months after the violence, the government used pardons alongside prosecutions to restore order. A general pardon was presented to Parliament in December 1381, extending mercy broadly while still excluding certain serious cases. This approach helped the Crown stabilize the realm after widespread disruption.