Abstract

The events of June in 1381 confronted the English government with a big scale in London. At the same time other areas similarly witnessed outbursts of concerted violent protest against authority. This paper offers an account of the events in rural Cambridgeshire. The account considers the violent incidents in the county, including their chronological and geographical distribution and various forms of violence, which establishes that the scale of the revolt in this region is limited. It also explores the rebels involved in the rebellion, including their social composition, organisation and aims, which show local peculiarities of the revolt in this county. This study, together with recent local studies on the revolt, reveals the complexities of the 1381 Revolt, which is further utilized to demonstrate the limitations of the extant two conflicting interpretations of the revolt.