March to London
History: KS3, topic 7.2.2
March to London
The rebels in Kent began to march to London on the 11th June, meeting up with the rebels in Essex and Sussex on the way. They assembled at Blackheath, just south of London, gathering weapons as they went.
King Richard hears
- King Richard, having heard about the rebels' advance, moved from Westminster to London and set up his council in the Tower of London.
- He was joined by important noblemen such as Lord Treasurer Robert de Hales, his mother Queen Joan and the Archbishop of Canterbury Simon Sudbury.
King Richard outnumbered
- King Richard didn't have a big army and most of the experienced military leaders were abroad at the time.
- The King knew he would probably lose a battle against the rebels who outnumbered him.
Bishop of Rochester mediates
- King Richard sent the Bishop of Rochester as his representative to go to the rebel camp and try to persuade them to go home.
The Reverend John Ball incites the crowd
- At the rebel camp, a priest named John Ball gave a passionate speech.
- He asked the crowd, "when Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?"
- This showed the rebels' anger at the way they were treated by the gentry and nobility.
- But he also created the slogan "With King Richard and the true commons of England" which showed their loyalty to King Richard.
Rebels don't back down
- The Reverend John Ball rejected the offer from the Bishop of Rochester to go home peacefully, instead saying that the rebels would continue to march to London.
Test yourself on March to London
Who did King Richard send to the rebel camp to try to persuade them to go home?