Richard II,
King of England from 1377 - 1399, is certainly one of the most interesting
characters in English history. Described by some as beautiful, intelligent,
well read and rather feminine, yet to Shakespeare, he is cruel, vindictive and
irresponsible. Bishop Stubbs in The
Constitutional History of England argued that towards the end of his reign, Richard's mind "was losing its
balance altogether". On the other hand, such diagnosis was dismissed by
later historians, who claimed that his change in personality is purely a result
of his narcissistic indulgence. In this regard, he is not dissimilar to his arrogant, greedy, fiery and bad-tempered Plantagenet forebears. Whether the
shift in his personality can be attributed to his mental state caused by
external factors such as the death of his first Queen, Anne of Bohemia, in
1394, or to his innate psychological issues and intrinsic violent tendency
shared by almost all other Plantagenets is unknown. Nevertheless, one thing we know for certain is that it is
this shift in personality that gradually served to make him fall out of favour with the people, and that ultimately brought about
his downfall.
Formerly
known as Richard of Bordeaux, Richard II was crowned at the age of ten. The
second son of Edward the Black Prince and a grandson of the famous Edward III,
who sparked the Hundred Years' War with France, Richard II became first in line
to the Throne of England after the death of his father and elder brother. His
father is the eldest son of Edward III, and is an illustrious fighter who
exhibited his military prowess during his campaign in France. There is no doubt
why the Black Prince's premature death brought so much grief to Edward III and
to the English people.
On the day
of Richard's coronation, a minority council was formed to help rule on Richard's behalf on account of his young age. It was thought at the time that John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster who is Edward III's third surviving son and the young King's eldest surviving uncle, would have been preferred. On the contrary, John of Gaunt merely ensured some of his supporters were part of the council and thereafter withdrew to Kenilworth Castle.
Richard II inherited an uneasy crown, together with all the dissatisfaction that is the hallmark of his period. the Shortage of labour, pestilence, cruel and uncompromising landlords, onerous taxation exacted to fund the ongoing campaigns in France (the Hundred Years' War lasted up till the reign of Henry VI!) provide a perfect hotbed for civil unrest. Richard's first test came four years after his coronation at the end of 1380, that would later culminate in the greatest rebellion in English history. The unrest began in York, when a rumour started to spread that a group of armed rebels broke into the city guildhall and drove out the mayor. Exasperated by the onerous tax burden imposed by the Court, they were demanding justice.
Something needs to be mentioned about the nature of taxation at the time to give a better context of the 1381 rebellion. In response to the uprising in York, the Northampton parliament nonetheless decreed a poll tax which was three times more onerous than the last. This poll tax means a tax on every 'poll or head' imposed equally on the rich and poor. Its perversity is further enhanced by the proviso that rich people could use to avoid the tax burden, and as a result the poor suddenly shouldered the greater burden. The unrest quickly spread, first in Kent, where the rioters occupied Canterbury and freed all the prisoners held in the Archbishop's prison, among them a certain radical cleric known as John Ball, who inspired the rebels with his sermons.
Things seemed to get out of control for the young King when, on 11 June 1381, the rebels decided to march upon London to vent out their grievances. Uprisings were now sparked all over England with riots erupting in Norwich, St Albans, Winchester, York, Scarborough and Ipswich. Approximately 30,000 men were now on the road. Out of all of them, the men of Kent were the most fierce. The Kentish rebels were led by Wat Tyler (or Wat the Tiler - people not infrequently took their last names from their profession). They gathered on Blackheath on 12 June. At that time, Richard, aged 14, had retreated to the Tower of London for safety. His situation was very precarious since almost all the royal forces were either abroad or in northern England. On 13 June, the rebels finally entered London, and attacked the jails, destroyed the Savoy Palace, set fire to the law books and buildings, and slaughtered anyone associated with the royal government. It is noteworthy that the people of London sympathised with the rebel's cause and left the city gate open for their coming. They too were incensed by the harsh taxation and joined the rebels in the pillaging of the city. All this time, Richard was observing the carnage from a window of the Tower.
On 14 June when Richard decided to make his journey to Mile End on his horse to address the rebels in the company of the mayor of London, William Walworth, and some knights. After kneeling to their anointed King, the rebels began to dictate the terms of negotiation. They wanted the 'traitors', officials who unjustly taxed and oppressed them. They wanted to cleanse the government of these mongrels. They wanted all the serfs to be given their freedom, and that land should be rented at fourpence per acre. The King, in his attempt to bring about appeasement, agreed, replying that he would surrender to the rebels any men convicted of treachery according to the law. Meanwhile, in the King's absence, certain rebels had already decided to take the law into their own hands by entering the Tower, dragging out several officials taking refuge there including the Archbishop of Canterbury, and beheading them on the site of public execution. All over England, manors were being pillaged and its inhabitants killed. Law and order came to a halt, and tax records burnt. The rebels despised John of Gaunt, whom they perceived to be the leader of their oppressors.
The most famous episode of the Peasants' Revolt is on 15 June, when Richard came to parley with the rebels at Smithfield. Wat Tyler and approximately 20,000 insurgents were waiting for the King. Upon encounter, Richard and Wat rode up to one another and began their conversation. The content of the conversation was not all that clear but it is certain that Wat appeared to be threatening Richard, playing with his dagger and laying his hand on the bridle of the King's horse. Fearing treason, the mayor of London stabbed a short sword into Wat's throat. Wat was later taken to the hospital of St Bartholomew. At this point, angered and shocked at the event, the rebels drew their bows. The situation would have escalated into a fighting had Richard not galloped to the front line of archers, exclaiming:
"What are you doing? Tyler was a traitor. Come with me, and I will be your leader".
He then led the rebels north into Islington, where 1,000 armed men had been gathered by the mayor. The rebels was walking to a trap, and upon learning this, fell to their knees and begged for pardon. The King wisely rejected any idea of punishment, and ordered the rebels to return to their homes. Wat Tyler was then taken out of the hospital and beheaded in Smithfield. So thus disastrously ended the first phase of the revolt for the rebels.
One of the first few glimpses into Richard's turbulent character is provided a few days later when he revoked the charter of emancipation he had granted at Mile End, on the ground that it had been extorted by violence. When he reached Essex to examine the revolt's aftermath, a group of villagers asked him to keep his promise. His response was, however, very crude, according to one contemporary chronicler:
"You wretches are detestable both on land and on sea. You seek equality with the lords, but you are unworthy to live. Give this message to your fellows: rustics you are, and rustics you will always be. You will remain in bondage, not as before, but incomparably harsher. For as long as we love we will strive to suppress you, and your misery will be an example to posterity."
Punishment was then issued, most harshly to the county of Essex. The leaders of the rebels were beheaded. John Ball was hanged, drawn and quartered in St Albans. Both he and Wat Tyler were later remembered as heroes in folk memory.
The revolt was essentially misnamed the Peasants' Revolt since it is generally known that the participants were mostly the leaders of village life, such as bailiffs, constables and jurors. Far from being opportunistic, they had actual grievances and wanted to voice those grievances to the only person who had the power to do something about it. Indeed, there is actual evidence of widespread corruption by local magnates. All the ordinances and statutes concerning labour had changed significantly after the Black Death. The law was no longer an instrument of justice, but instead a vehicle to further the exaction, extortion and oppression of the lower classes. As the people began to realise the futility of the war with France, they were protesting even more against their obligation to fund such futile war. They furthermore despised the greedy landlords and officials who cared only about their pockets and nothing about the miserable lives of the common people.
In the end, what brought about the rebels' demise is their misjudgment of Richard's character. The King, whom they believed to embody the idea of virtue, justice and compromise, actually turned out to be a mere uncompromising and fiery Plantagenet, whose only concerns were self-preservation, self-glorification and self-enrichment. In this way, Richard is no difference to the selfish and greedy officials the people were attempting to denounce and stamp out. Indeed, it is this treacherous personality of Richard, coupled with his uncompromising and turbulent character, that will ultimately bring about his downfall. He was lucky to have survived in 1381, but he won't be lucky forever.
Please stick with us if you want to read more about the story of Richard II and all the struggles he faced throughout his reign......
Richard II inherited an uneasy crown, together with all the dissatisfaction that is the hallmark of his period. the Shortage of labour, pestilence, cruel and uncompromising landlords, onerous taxation exacted to fund the ongoing campaigns in France (the Hundred Years' War lasted up till the reign of Henry VI!) provide a perfect hotbed for civil unrest. Richard's first test came four years after his coronation at the end of 1380, that would later culminate in the greatest rebellion in English history. The unrest began in York, when a rumour started to spread that a group of armed rebels broke into the city guildhall and drove out the mayor. Exasperated by the onerous tax burden imposed by the Court, they were demanding justice.
Something needs to be mentioned about the nature of taxation at the time to give a better context of the 1381 rebellion. In response to the uprising in York, the Northampton parliament nonetheless decreed a poll tax which was three times more onerous than the last. This poll tax means a tax on every 'poll or head' imposed equally on the rich and poor. Its perversity is further enhanced by the proviso that rich people could use to avoid the tax burden, and as a result the poor suddenly shouldered the greater burden. The unrest quickly spread, first in Kent, where the rioters occupied Canterbury and freed all the prisoners held in the Archbishop's prison, among them a certain radical cleric known as John Ball, who inspired the rebels with his sermons.
Things seemed to get out of control for the young King when, on 11 June 1381, the rebels decided to march upon London to vent out their grievances. Uprisings were now sparked all over England with riots erupting in Norwich, St Albans, Winchester, York, Scarborough and Ipswich. Approximately 30,000 men were now on the road. Out of all of them, the men of Kent were the most fierce. The Kentish rebels were led by Wat Tyler (or Wat the Tiler - people not infrequently took their last names from their profession). They gathered on Blackheath on 12 June. At that time, Richard, aged 14, had retreated to the Tower of London for safety. His situation was very precarious since almost all the royal forces were either abroad or in northern England. On 13 June, the rebels finally entered London, and attacked the jails, destroyed the Savoy Palace, set fire to the law books and buildings, and slaughtered anyone associated with the royal government. It is noteworthy that the people of London sympathised with the rebel's cause and left the city gate open for their coming. They too were incensed by the harsh taxation and joined the rebels in the pillaging of the city. All this time, Richard was observing the carnage from a window of the Tower.
On 14 June when Richard decided to make his journey to Mile End on his horse to address the rebels in the company of the mayor of London, William Walworth, and some knights. After kneeling to their anointed King, the rebels began to dictate the terms of negotiation. They wanted the 'traitors', officials who unjustly taxed and oppressed them. They wanted to cleanse the government of these mongrels. They wanted all the serfs to be given their freedom, and that land should be rented at fourpence per acre. The King, in his attempt to bring about appeasement, agreed, replying that he would surrender to the rebels any men convicted of treachery according to the law. Meanwhile, in the King's absence, certain rebels had already decided to take the law into their own hands by entering the Tower, dragging out several officials taking refuge there including the Archbishop of Canterbury, and beheading them on the site of public execution. All over England, manors were being pillaged and its inhabitants killed. Law and order came to a halt, and tax records burnt. The rebels despised John of Gaunt, whom they perceived to be the leader of their oppressors.
The most famous episode of the Peasants' Revolt is on 15 June, when Richard came to parley with the rebels at Smithfield. Wat Tyler and approximately 20,000 insurgents were waiting for the King. Upon encounter, Richard and Wat rode up to one another and began their conversation. The content of the conversation was not all that clear but it is certain that Wat appeared to be threatening Richard, playing with his dagger and laying his hand on the bridle of the King's horse. Fearing treason, the mayor of London stabbed a short sword into Wat's throat. Wat was later taken to the hospital of St Bartholomew. At this point, angered and shocked at the event, the rebels drew their bows. The situation would have escalated into a fighting had Richard not galloped to the front line of archers, exclaiming:
"What are you doing? Tyler was a traitor. Come with me, and I will be your leader".He then led the rebels north into Islington, where 1,000 armed men had been gathered by the mayor. The rebels was walking to a trap, and upon learning this, fell to their knees and begged for pardon. The King wisely rejected any idea of punishment, and ordered the rebels to return to their homes. Wat Tyler was then taken out of the hospital and beheaded in Smithfield. So thus disastrously ended the first phase of the revolt for the rebels.
One of the first few glimpses into Richard's turbulent character is provided a few days later when he revoked the charter of emancipation he had granted at Mile End, on the ground that it had been extorted by violence. When he reached Essex to examine the revolt's aftermath, a group of villagers asked him to keep his promise. His response was, however, very crude, according to one contemporary chronicler:
"You wretches are detestable both on land and on sea. You seek equality with the lords, but you are unworthy to live. Give this message to your fellows: rustics you are, and rustics you will always be. You will remain in bondage, not as before, but incomparably harsher. For as long as we love we will strive to suppress you, and your misery will be an example to posterity."
Punishment was then issued, most harshly to the county of Essex. The leaders of the rebels were beheaded. John Ball was hanged, drawn and quartered in St Albans. Both he and Wat Tyler were later remembered as heroes in folk memory.
The revolt was essentially misnamed the Peasants' Revolt since it is generally known that the participants were mostly the leaders of village life, such as bailiffs, constables and jurors. Far from being opportunistic, they had actual grievances and wanted to voice those grievances to the only person who had the power to do something about it. Indeed, there is actual evidence of widespread corruption by local magnates. All the ordinances and statutes concerning labour had changed significantly after the Black Death. The law was no longer an instrument of justice, but instead a vehicle to further the exaction, extortion and oppression of the lower classes. As the people began to realise the futility of the war with France, they were protesting even more against their obligation to fund such futile war. They furthermore despised the greedy landlords and officials who cared only about their pockets and nothing about the miserable lives of the common people.
In the end, what brought about the rebels' demise is their misjudgment of Richard's character. The King, whom they believed to embody the idea of virtue, justice and compromise, actually turned out to be a mere uncompromising and fiery Plantagenet, whose only concerns were self-preservation, self-glorification and self-enrichment. In this way, Richard is no difference to the selfish and greedy officials the people were attempting to denounce and stamp out. Indeed, it is this treacherous personality of Richard, coupled with his uncompromising and turbulent character, that will ultimately bring about his downfall. He was lucky to have survived in 1381, but he won't be lucky forever.
Please stick with us if you want to read more about the story of Richard II and all the struggles he faced throughout his reign......
To be continued
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