logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
52m 42s

414. The Peasants’ Revolt: London’s Burn...

Goalhanger
About this episode

On the 13th of June 1381, the rebel army of English peasants, led by Wat Tyler, entered London and brought chaos, death and destruction upon some of the city’s most important buildings and figures, among them the Archbishop of Canterbury and his home at Lambeth Palace. Within the Tower of London, the 14 year-old Richard II and his government still cowered, with the rebels demanding that Richard’s treacherous advisors be handed over. Desperate, the charismatic young King was convinced by his advisors to ride out and meet the rebels. A meeting ensued, upon which the whole course of English history depended, as the radicals demanded terms that would mean the abolition of serfdom, and the transformation of the English social order forever. 


Join Tom and Dominic as they describe the gory and unprecedented events of the Peasants' Revolt, and discuss the stories of mob violence, murder and vandalism…



*The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024*


Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London!

Buy your tickets here: therestishistory.com


Twitter:


@TheRestHistory

@holland_tom

@dcsandbrook




Producer: Theo Young-Smith

Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett

Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Oct 9
The Trojan War, with Mary Beard
Did the Trojan War - the ten year, cosmic clash between the Greeks and the Trojans, featuring the Olympian gods, kings and heroes - actually happen? Is there any evidence for the existence of the Trojan Horse? And, why is it the war the foundational myth of both ancient Greece an ... Show More
10m 7s
Oct 8
607. Nelson’s Lover: The Scandalous Lady Hamilton
Who was Emma Hamilton, Horatio Nelson’s strikingly beautiful, and famously fashionable mistress? How did she raise herself up from dire poverty, to become a model, actress, dancer, and even an international celebrity? And, why was theirs one of the most famous love affairs of all ... Show More
1h 13m
Oct 5
606. Enoch Powell: Rivers of Blood
Who was Enoch Powell, the deeply controversial British conservative politician? Why is he the father of Brexit, and possibly even Reform? And, how did he come to make his inflammatory ‘Rivers of Blood speech’, in 1968? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss Enoch Powell - one of th ... Show More
1h 16m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
The Davidian Revolution
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the impact of David I of Scotland (c1084-1153) on his kingdom and on neighbouring lands. The youngest son of Malcolm III, he was raised in exile in the Anglo-Norman court and became Earl of Huntingdon and Prince of Cumbria before claiming the thron ... Show More
50m 16s
Jun 2022
The Davidian Revolution
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the impact of David I of Scotland (c1084-1153) on his kingdom and on neighbouring lands. The youngest son of Malcolm III, he was raised in exile in the Anglo-Norman court and became Earl of Huntingdon and Prince of Cumbria before claiming the thron ... Show More
50m 16s
Dec 2022
The Morant Bay Rebellion
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rebellion that broke out in Jamaica on 11th October 1865 when Paul Bogle (1822-65) led a protest march from Stony Gut to the courthouse in nearby Morant Bay. There were many grounds for grievance that day and soon anger turned to bloodshed. Alt ... Show More
53m 42s
May 2019
The Gordon Riots
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most destructive riots in London's history, which reached their peak on 7th June 1780 as troops fired on the crowd outside the Bank of England. The leader was Lord George Gordon, head of the Protestant Association, who objected to the relaxing ... Show More
50m 19s
Sep 2020
E214: Edward & Richard, The Two Princes in the Tower Pt. 1
In 1483, two princes got caught in the center of a bloody war for the throne of England—and became one of the biggest murder mysteries in British history. After the princes' uncle realized they were the only thing standing between him and his life-long quest for the crown, he loc ... Show More
43m 55s
Jan 2018
Tower of London
The London Tower holds a rich history of England and its rulers...but it also holds many devious acts of imprisonment, torture and murder. This history has led the tower to become one of England’s most haunted places...where tourists just might see the pale faces or bloody, headl ... Show More
51m 35s
Oct 2022
The Rise and Fall of Roman London
In 43 AD, the Romans set up temporary forts along the banks of a river to wait for their Emperor, Claudius, to march onto the enemy capital of Camulodunum (Colchester), and eventually conquer Britain. The river was the River Thames. At the time, it was an area of marshy low-lying ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2021
The Interregnum
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the period between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the unexpected restoration of his son Charles II in 1660, known as The Interregnum. It was marked in England by an elusive pursuit of stability, with serious consequences in Scotland and not ... Show More
52m 24s
May 2021
The Interregnum
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the period between the execution of Charles I in 1649 and the unexpected restoration of his son Charles II in 1660, known as The Interregnum. It was marked in England by an elusive pursuit of stability, with serious consequences in Scotland and not ... Show More
52m 24s