Kett's Rebellion

Quick Facts: Who was Kett's Rebellion?

Subject:

Kett's Rebellion

Known for:

A major peasant revolt in Norfolk, England, protesting land enclosure during Edward VI's reign.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Kett's Rebellion was a revolt in the English county of Norfolk during the reign of Edward VI, largely in response to the enclosure of land. It began at Wymondham on 8 July 1549 with a group of rebels destroying fences that had been put up by wealthy landowners. One of their targets was yeoman Robert Kett who, instead of resisting the rebels, agreed to their demands and offered to lead them. Kett and his forces, joined by recruits from Norwich and the surrounding countryside and numbering some 16,000, set up camp on Mousehold Heath to the north-east of the city on 12 July. The rebels stormed Norwich on 29 July and took the city.

Career & Major Achievements

On 1 August the rebels defeated a Royal Army led by the Marquess of Northampton who had been sent by the government to suppress the uprising. Kett's rebellion ended on 27 August when the rebels were defeated by an army under the leadership of the Earl of Warwick at the Battle of Dussindale. Kett was captured, held in the Tower of London, tried for treason, and hanged from the walls of Norwich Castle on 7 December 1549. The 1540s saw a crisis in agriculture in England. With the majority of the population depending on the land, this led to outbreaks of unrest across the country.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Kett's rebellion in Norfolk was the most serious of these. The main grievance of the rioters was enclosure, the fencing of common land by landlords for their own use. Enclosure left peasants with nowhere to graze their animals. Some landowners were forcing tenants off their farms so that they could engross their holdings and convert arable land into pasture for sheep, which had become more profitable as demand for wool increased. Inflation, unemployment, rising rents, and declining wages added to the hardships faced by the common people.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1549: 1549 Milestone — It began at Wymondham on 8 July 1549 with a group of rebels destroying fences that had been put up by wealthy landowners.

Notable Quotes by Kett's Rebellion

“they "could scarcely doubt that the state had been taken over by a breed of men whose policy was to rob the poor for the benefit of the rich".”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kett's Rebellion

True or False: “The primary cause of Kett's Rebellion was dissatisfaction with the monarchy's religious policies.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While religion played a role in local grievances, the main catalyst for the rebellion was the enclosure of common land by wealthy landowners.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Kett's Rebellion