Questions about England in the Late Middle Ages
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What caused the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in England?
The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was triggered by a poll tax of one shilling levied on every person over the age of fifteen, combined with enforcement of the Statute of Labourers, which curbed wages and employment standards. Kent rebels led by Wat Tyler marched on London, stormed the Tower, and presented demands to the young king Richard II, including the abolition of serfdom. Richard promised clemency but later executed the rebel leaders and revoked all concessions.
When did the Black Death arrive in England and how did it spread?
The Black Death arrived by ship from Gascony at Melcombe in Dorset shortly before the 24th of June 1348. It spread rapidly from Weymouth across the south-west, reaching Bristol first among major cities, then London in the autumn of 1348. A second wave arrived by ship at the Humber estuary. The disease traversed the entire country in approximately 500 days, killing between a third and more than half of England's population.
What was the significance of Simon de Montfort's Great Parliament in English history?
Simon de Montfort summoned the Great Parliament in 1264 after capturing Henry III and Prince Edward at the Battle of Lewes. It is regarded as the first English Parliament worthy of the name because it was the first time cities and boroughs sent representatives alongside barons and clergy. This established a precedent for broader representation that shaped the development of Parliament through the following centuries.
How did the Hundred Years War end for England?
The Hundred Years War ended in 1453 with English defeat at the Battle of Castillon, leaving England with only Calais and its surrounding territory in continental France. Earlier French victories at Formigny in 1450 and Patay had already reversed English gains. The war had begun in disputes over Gascony and Edward III's claim to the French throne, and at its peak England held Normandy and much of Aquitaine.
Who was John Wycliffe and why was Lollardy considered heretical?
John Wycliffe was a member of Oxford University who in the 1380s argued that scripture was the best guide to understanding God's intentions, and that liturgical excess, ecclesiastical wealth, and senior churchmen's involvement in government distracted from genuine faith. The movement that followed his death in 1384, labelled Lollardy by authorities, attempted to pass a Parliamentary bill in 1395 and was rapidly condemned. Henry IV and his Lancastrian followers used both church and state power to suppress it.
What role did women play in the economy of late medieval England?
Women in late medieval England worked primarily in agriculture, spinning, clothes-making, victualling, and domestic service, with higher-status jobs and formal apprenticeships remaining closed to them. After the Black Death, many women were widowed and, with labour scarce and land abundant, peasant women in rural areas could enjoy a better standard of living than previous generations. Some women became full-time ale brewers until the male-dominated beer industry displaced them in the fifteenth century; noblewomen exercised power over estates in their husbands' absence and could live as independent figures if widowed.