John of Gaunt
History: KS3, topic 7.1.4
John of Gaunt
John of Gaunt was the uncle of King Richard and an adult advisor to him. John of Gaunt was also very unpopular among the people.
Who was John of Gaunt?
- John of Gaunt was the King's uncle.
- Because King Richard was only 10 when he became king, he needed adult advisors to help him rule England.
John of Gaunt's unpopularity
- John of Gaunt was blamed for creating the new poll tax, which was very unpopular.
- He was accused of corruption, for not spending the tax as he should.
- He also supported a radical religious leader, John Wycliffe, who was seen as a heretic by most people.
- He was unpopular in London because it was rumoured he had tried to remove the mayor and replace him with his own candidate.
Test yourself on John of Gaunt
What relation was John of Gaunt to King Richard?