Wat Tyler

Wat Tyler (? - June 15th 1381) is an English peasant, demobilized soldier of the wars of France, which took the head of a revolt as of his in fight against the excessive taxes. He is not the instigator of the Révolte of the Workers but he was certainly the spearhead.

Context

Since the middle of the 14th century, the situation of the English peasant seriously worsened. It is him which with the heavy responsibility of pay the war of the king in France. The Statute of the workers of 1351, preventing a rise of the wages, increased dissatisfaction. In 1380, the Parliament decides the lifting of a news poll tax and royal police chief sending in the campaigns to avoid the frauds.

It is too for the peasants. At the beginning of 1381, the revolt bursts in Essex and is spread quickly in the Kent, the Sussex, the Norfolk. Everywhere, the noble ones flee, the castles burn. One of the leaders, the preacher John Ball, sermon the equality enters the human ones. Decree in May by the guards of the archbishop of Canterbury, Simon de Sudbury, it announces: “There will be 20,000 men who will release me. ”

Wat Tyler and the Revolt

After the French war, Wat Tyler was turned over to work on its ground in the Kent. A royal tax collector presents himself at his place and tries to pay himself while trying to rape his daughter, a 15 year old teenager. Encouraged by its neighbors, Tyler assassinates with blows of hammer the attacker of his/her daughter. The peasants of Kent, who know his value, elect it chief of the rebels. This one, which cannot return any more behind, accepts.

Their first direction is Canterbury where they release John Ball. Then they decide to go on London. On their way, they open the prisons and decapitate the judges who fall between their hands. The June 10th, when they arrive at the doors of the capital, they are nearly 100.000 insurgent which require to speak to the king.

Wat Tyler and Richard II

Wat Tyler does not want to reverse the government but requires reforms. This is why he wants to negotiate with the king. This is why also it imposes a discipline on its men by prohibiting plunderings and while punishing of dead the faulty ones.

Finally Richard II agrees to meet it. Young the 15 year old boy arrives on board a boat on the the Thames, but it takes fear and decides to turn back. It will take refuge with the Tour of London with some notable, of which Simon de Sudbury, the archbishop of Canterbury. Tyler then besieges the Tower which is taken in two fires. Sudbury is stopped and assassinated, perhaps at the instigation of John Ball.

Richard II meets Tyler with Mile End, a suburb of London. The captain of the insurrectionists requires the abolition of the Servage, the poll tax and the privilege of the hunting and the fishing of the nobility. The king wants to save time because it knows that Robert Knolles is raising an army not far from there. It accepts all and fixes appointment at the following day to finalize the details of the agreement.

The death of Tyler

June 15th, Tyler and the king thus meet again with Smithfield. Richard II surrounded himself by agitators who have fun to insult the chief of the insurrectionists. This one leaves its sword. Taking pretext of want to defend its king, the Lord Mayor of London, William Walmorth, carries a blow of sword to him which reverses it. It is completed at once by a rider.

Richard, who has beautiful imposing presence, manages to calm the insurrectionists present. He makes them believe that Tyler is a traitor who wanted to assassinate it and who him, the king, is their true chief. He promises to them that he will respect his promise and their request to disperse.

It will be their fault. Robert Knolles awaits them at the exit of London. They are crushed. Those which are not killed scatter in all the areas. The reprisals follow. Thousands of peasants are carried out. John Ball, captured in an old abbey, is hung and quartered. It is only on August 30th that a royal order suspends the reprisals.

Thereafter, it was not any more question before a long time of abolishing serfdom nor the poll tax .

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