St George’s Day 1376 marked the beginning of a significant unrest in England. Edward III called the first Parliament in three years to ask the Commons to grant a subsidy (tax) to fund the war with France. It was known that corruption was rife. There were many about the throne who benefitted greatly from business dealings and grants that were in the royal gift. Flemish merchants were high on the list, having at times loaned sums of money to the King in return for favours at Court. Not least of these grafters, was Alice Perrers, Mistress to Edward III. She was known for brokering favours for those whom she cultivated at Court in return for money and land.
Edward was declining both physically and mentally. The Prince of Wales Edward of Woodstock (known as The Black Prince) was terminally ill, suffering from “dropsy”, a form of edema possibly exacerbated by congestive heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure, all of which would seriously compromise the immune system. The Prince’s son, Richard, was only nine years old, so the death of The Black Prince before Edward III would almost certainly mean that Richard would ascend the throne before he was of an age to rule in his own right.
Lionel, the second son of Edward III had died, but his daughter had borne a son, Roger, by the Earl of March, who would be next in line after Richard. Neither child was of an age to rule, so a regent or protector would be required. The logical choice would be John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster - the third son of Edward III.
John had a son of his own (Henry) who was the same age as Richard. The Duke was unpopular, and it was felt that he might try to set aside young Richard in favour of his own son.
So, on that St George’s Day, Parliament was contumacious and disinclined to accede to the King’s demands for money until there had been a purging of the rapacious nobles and foreign merchant deemed to be draining the coffers of funds that the Commons raised through taxation. The situation became very unsettled. The Commons was determined to have its way. Parliament sat on until July, but before business was concluded, there came the news, on 8th June, that the Prince of Wales was on his deathbed.
Following the death of his brother, Duke John formally knelt and proclaimed his fealty to young Richard. Lancaster was declared guardian and protector and as King Edward was by this time gravely ill, Lancaster was virtually Regent of England
In the end, many of the “guilty” were charged and either jailed or exiled, but in the following months, the general unease in the Country continued to grow, culminating in serious rioting in February 1377. Edward III died on 21st June 1377 and on 15th July Richard was processed in state through the City prior to his enthronement the next day.
Serfdom was the lot of most of the population. It was begun in England in the 10th century. Powerful Lords encouraged the establishment of serfdom as a source of agricultural labour. Peasants were free to move from fief to fief to look for work. But Serfs were unfree. They were like slaves except that they could not be bought or sold, but their ownership could be transferred if a new Lord took over the estate.
They were ‘owned’ by their Manor Lords and held their plots of land entirely at his pleasure. In addition to the subsistence living they were forced to endure, they were also subject to “fines” or taxes. One third of their land’s value was payable in taxes. (In wartimes they had to pay extra tax.) They were also required to do “boon work” on the Lord’s own Manor lands. Their diet largely consisted of bread, cheese and small ale.
A Merchet tax was payable to the lord on the marriage of a plot holder, or for the marriage of his son or daughter. Tithes were paid to the Church. A Heriot tax was payable upon a death before a son could take over the plot from his father. (Our Inheritance tax today is much the same as the Mediaeval Heriot tax: we are still regarded as Serfs to be plucked at will upon our demise, of anything that we have had the temerity to amass for ourselves in life!
I am indebted to Dr Hannah Skoda - St John’s College, Oxford for the following information (that I had not come across before):-
“From 1349 - 1351 There were fewer labourers available following the depredations of the Black Death. The Ordinance and Statute of Labourers was introduced to try to keep labourers in their place. Labourers had tried to obtain better conditions as the Plague had left such serious labour shortages. This Act made the labourers angry and also affected the landowners who actually wished to offer better terms and conditions to encourage people to want to work on their estates. The Statutes called into question whom the legislation was supposed to serve.
Complaints literature was produced as the decades passed. Produced and written in Middle English, they were written by names such as Chaucer; Hoccleve; Gower and Langland. The poems were designed to question exactly who government and law is there to preserve. There was also an expansion of the petition process that meant that all people could petition to right wrongs and voice their complaints
The term the “True Commons” was meant to convey that the Commons in Parliament was intended to represent the wider community whose voices and interests were also deemed worthy of attention. The 1376 Parliament was called The Good Parliament because of the sheer number of petitions received. The 1377 Parliament was named The Bad Parliament because of the number of petitions rejected”. (End of quoted text)
I believe that the question (ie for whom is the government and law there to preserve) raised above, is no less pertinent today!
The application of the Poll Tax in 1380 was the final straw that triggered off the uprising in 1381. The Poll Tax was three groats per head ie 12d per adult (or one shilling). Most serfs never earned more than 14/- per annum. The Poll Tax, on top of the other taxes, was simply one tax too many.
Plans began to be set in place to overthrow the rule of serfdom and win freedom. Naturally, their means of communication was somewhat limited. Almost none could read or write. However, there existed a steady stream of carriers, peddlers, itinerant peasant workmen and travelling hedge priests. In order to announce their arrival that they carried bone fide messages (and to avoid causing suspicion amongst the Lords’ Reeves and Bailiffs, a series of chants were devised. To the uninitiated, such chants would merely be seen as the popular ditties of the day. But the chants contained a message with meaning to those who were involved.
One was :- “When Adam delved and Eva span
Who was then the gentleman”
Another:- “Jack Milner asketh help to turn his mill aright
For he hath grounden small, small, small
The King’s Son of Heaven payeth for all
With might and with right, with skill and with will
Right before might then turns our mill aright
But if might goes before right then the mill is misadight
John Ball was one of the hedge priests travelling around the country taking this message to the waiting serfs on the Manors.
During May 1381 the serfs left their Manors and began to gather. A two pronged uprising was planned. One in Essex and the other in Kent. John Ball had been imprisoned in Kent. Jailed for life because he had been preaching contrary to the faith of the Church. (Rather like our political prisoners today are languishing in jail for speaking against the political views of the day!). The serfs had been complaining for months about the Poll Tax.
Rebels stormed the prison in Maidstone on 11th June 1381 and freed John Ball. On 13th June the rebels crossed London Bridge to enter the city. They had been encamped on the southern bank at Blackheath where John Ball had preached his ultimate sermon to the assembled serfs. It contended that when Adam delved and Eve span all men were equal. There were no rich Lords and no slaves. He further said that nothing could go right with England until everything was held “in common”.
Wat Tyler had persuaded the Aldermen of London to open the gates to the serfs on the assurance that there would be no damage and no thievery.
However, that assurance was not kept. Human nature and desperate and starving men suddenly finding power within their grasp, ransacked the homes of officials associated with the Kings government. Some were dragged out and killed in the streets. They destroyed, records, freed prisoners from jails and breached the Tower of London. The only time it was ever breached. They also destroyed the magnificent Savoy Palace in the Strand, the London home of the hated John of Gaunt.
The King had been lodged in the Tower along with his Mother the Princess Joan, Mayor Walworth, Robert Hales, treasurer and Archbishop Simon Sudbury, Chancellor. On 12th June the King had been rowed down river in his barge to parley with the rebels. But there were so many that his advisors took fright and rowed back quickly to the Tower.
On 14th June Richard met with the rebels at Mile End. The rebels sent the King a list of their demands. Along with the end of serfdom, they demanded the punishment of Archbishop Sudbury the Chancellor who had instigated the hated Poll Tax; The Treasurer Robert Hales, Prior of the hated Templars of St John where sly money grabbing lawyers were bred.
To get rid of the rebels, Richard promised that they should be satisfied. He dispersed them on the promise that they should meet next day at Smithfield where all should receive charters of freedom.
On 15th June Richard again met with the rebels along with sixty of his own men in attendance. This time Wat Tyler, deeming himself on equal footing with the King, rode up to parley with him on his horse. He declared to Richard that they were all loyal subjects. But Richard, wishing, only to be rid of them as quickly as possible, was brusque. Wat Tyler suggested that they should seal the bargain by shaking hands. At this point a nearby knight called him a knave and a robber. Wat Tyler drew his dagger to attack the knight. It was taken that he had threatened the King and was cut down. Things might have gone badly at this point, but Richard rode out to the assembly and raised his sword saying “now I shall lead you as you wish me to”.
Thus the rebels were persuaded to depart, believing that Wat had actually threatened the King. Sadly, the King reneged on his promises and most of the serfs were rounded up (some put to death) and returned to their Manor Lords. But the movement had started a process. Eventually in the coming years more and more serfs were freed until eventually serfdom was ended, gradually dying out and over by the mid-16th century.
John Ball was captured and put to death on 15th July 1381 at St Albans.