Power and the People

Question 1

When was the Magna Carta signed?

Answer 1

June 1215

Question 2

Battle of Lewes

Answer 2

14 May 1264

Question 3

When did Simon De Montfort die?

Answer 3

4 August 1265

Question 4

impact of the black death

Answer 4

1348/9

Dorset and spread across
killed up to 50% of population
villages wiped out completely
rich were forced to lower rents or raise wages if they wanted to get workers
villagers of Rudheath in Cheshire refused to work for lord unless he reduced rents by 33%
villeins ran away to towns or manors where wages were better
landlords retaliated by enclosing land and keeping more sheep- profitable

parliament retaliated by passing Statue of Labourers in 1351- every person under 60 had to work
wages no higher than in 1347
sumptuary laws
game laws strengthened- 1356 Duke of Arundel lost 100 swans

Question 5

Sumptuary Laws 1363

Answer 5

• yeomens wives were not allowed to wear silk veils
• the wife/daughter of a labourer was not allowed to wear a girdle garnished with silver
• yeomen and craftsmen were not allowed to wear any clothes worth more than 49 shillings for the whole cloth
• carters, ploughmen and the like could only wear russet cloth (12d per length) and use rope as a belt
• servants were not to eat meat or fish more than once a day

Question 6

aftermath of the peasants revolt

Answer 6

15 June- Richard II promised to grant demands and to pardon them but now that Wat Tyler was dead and most of the rebel’s dispersed he changed his mind.

royal army marched into Essex and surrounded remains of the Essex rebels. Another army marched into Kent and Suffolk, Norfolk and Yorkshire.

low estimate is 1,500 died and highest is 7,000

Question 7

Significance of the Peasants revolt

Answer 7

• complete failure as leaders were killed and the king went back on his promises

however- was ‘the rebellion that, more than any other before or since, struck fear into the ruling classes’
landowners frightened- freed villeins
70 years later all villeins were freed by 1450 and could all work for wages whenever they wanted

Ideas of John Ball- picked up later again in later centuries by different groups

600 years later- Poll tax riots of 1989 protestors echoed peasants revolt

Question 8

The Pilgrimage or Grace

Answer 8

very quickly a rebel army of 30,000 men was marching on York