Events/Consequences of Peasants' Revolt

Question 1

What was the ‘spark’ for the outbreak of the revolt? (3)

Answer 1

• Thomas de Bampton, aimed to find out who had evaded payment of the Poll Tax
• He threatened the villagers of Fobbing, Essex when they refused to pay any extra
• About 100 villagers in all, including those from Corringham, got together to drive him and his officers away.

Question 2

Where did the rebels, mainly, come from? (5)

Answer 2

• Kent, Essex, Surrey, Middlesex and East Anglia.

Question 3

What violent measures taken by the rebels? (3)

Answer 3

• Physical attacks on Church leaders
• Vicious attacks on tax collectors and their property
• Attacks on foreigners, notably the Flemish and Italians

Question 4

What other measures were taken by the rebels? (4)

Answer 4

• Destruction of lawyers’ offices and all legal records.
• Looting of houses of the rich and sometimes of shops
• Breaking open the gaols.
• Making local important people swear an oath of support.

Question 5

What were the main events of 12th June, 1381? (4)

Answer 5

• News of the Peasants’ Revolt had filtered through to London
• The poorer Londoners whose sympathies were with the peasants began a rebellion too.
• The Kent rebels reached Blackheath, on the outskirts of the city
• Richard II attempted to meet them but soon had to withdraw.

Question 6

What were the main events in London of the 13th June 1381? (5)

Answer 6

• The peasants first entered the city
• Threatened by a large mob the guards at Southwark opened the drawbridge and allowed the rebels to pass over London Bridge
• Others later that day came from the north under Jack Straw.
• There was a lot of looting
• That night many peasants became drunk on plundered wine.

Question 7

What happened at the Tower of London on the 14th June, 1381? (2)

Answer 7

• A group of rebels persuaded the guards to allow them into the Tower of London.
• There they seized Treasurer Hales and Archbishop Sudbury and beheaded them.

Question 8

Who ordered the execution of Hales and Sudbury? (2)

Answer 8

• Johanna Ferrour, one of the leading female rebels from Kent

Question 9

What happened at Mile End on the 14th June, 1381? (2)

Answer 9

• Richard II encountered the majority of the peasants.

Question 10

How many peasants were at Mile End? (1)

Answer 10

• One estimate says 60,000

Question 11

What were the list of demands that the rebels gave to the King at Mile End? (5)

Answer 11

1) The abolition of serfdom
2) All feudal services abolished and rents should be moderate
3) Free buying and selling of land
4) Pardon for all rebels
5) Punishment for all the king’s ‘evil advisers’ including anyone who had supported the Poll Tax.

Question 12

What was the King’s response to the demands at Mile End (1) & how did the rebels react (2)?

Answer 12

• Richard verbally agreed.
• Some peasants departed apparently satisfied
• Others did not trust the King.

Question 13

Who met at Smithfield on the 15th June? (4)

Answer 13

• Wat Tyler (1) met King Richard II (1), a small entourage of about 60 knights and nobles (1) and the Lord Mayor of London William Walworth (1)

Question 14

What did Wat Tyler demand at Smithfield? (3)

Answer 14

• He reiterated the previous demands of the peasants
• Free fishing
• Confiscation of all Church lands

Question 15

How did Wat Tyler behave towards the King at Smithfield? (3)

Answer 15

• He was rude and insolent
• Demanded a drink
• Spat at the King’s feet

Question 16

What happened to Wat at the end of this meeting? (4)

Answer 16

• Walworth told Tyler to speak to the King with respect.
• Tyler moved to attack Walworth
• Walworth was too quick for him, and struck him with a blow across the neck and chest.
• A further blow mortally wounded Wat.

Question 17

How did the King ensure the rebels didn’t respond violently after Tyler’s death? (4)

Answer 17

• Richard II bravely rode forward
• He raised his arm and told them that he would become their leader.
• The peasants accepted his word that he would fulfil their demands.
• Over the rest of the day they were shepherded out of the city

Question 18

Who was knighted after the revolt? (1)

Answer 18

• William Walworth.

Question 19

What happened in London on the 16th June? (3)

Answer 19

• There was some disturbance
• Outsiders had to leave the city; if not they were punished
• Powerful Lords now returned to London.

Question 20

What happened to John Ball? (2)

Answer 20

• He was taken at Coventry (1) and hung, drawn and quartered. (1)

Question 21

What happened to the other rebels? (4)

Answer 21

• Peasant strongholds like Norwich and St. Alban’s were overcome after some resistance
• In Essex a few hundred rebels hid in the forests until eventually dispersed.
• Over the next few months about 200 other ringleaders were taken and executed.
• By the end of 1381 the remaining rebels had been pardoned.

Question 22

In what ways was the Peasants Revolt a success? (5)

Answer 22

• The scale of the Revolt did shake the upper classes of England
• Not for 600 years did the Poll Tax return
• Laws restricting wages were not strictly enforced
• Peasants were allowed to ask for (and sometimes granted) the right to pay money rents instead of doing labour service.
• Moderate, affordable rents returned within a few years.

Question 23

In what ways was the Peasants’ Revolt a failure? (5)

Answer 23

• Rebels, like Tyler and Ball, were executed
• The Church retained its property, right to a tithe and high position in society.
• The nobles continued to enjoy feudal rights
• The nobles including the monopoly of fishing and hunting.