Wat Tyler

Wat Tyler was one of the principal leaders of the English uprising of 1381. He emerged at the head of the Kentish rebels as they marched on London and became the movement’s most prominent spokesman in negotiations with the young Richard II.

At Smithfield on 15 June 1381 Tyler met the king and presented further demands. A confrontation with members of the royal party ended with Tyler being wounded and then killed. His death helped the government regain control of the capital and was followed by the suppression of the revolt.

In Juliet Barker’s England, Arise, the uprising brought thousands of rebels to London under leaders including Wat Tyler and the radical priest John Ball, confronting the fourteen-year-old Richard II and demanding the abolition of serfdom and sweeping political change. Dan Jones’ Summer of Blood follows Wat Tyler, John Ball and their supporters as they attacked symbols of lordship, law and royal administration, while the young Richard II tried to contain the crisis. G. A. Henty’s A March on London is set in 1381 during the Peasants’ Revolt and Wat Tyler’s march on London.