On the 8th, June, 1381. Yalding is visited by William Gildbourne from
Fobbing in Essex.
I have
been sent to see you by Wat Tyler. He wants me to tell you what has
been happening during the last few days. On the 30th May, the king's
tax collector, Thomas Bampton, sent a message to our village that
we had to assemble in Brentwood. When we arrived in the town we saw
that people from the villages of Corringham and Stanford were also
there. Bampton told us that we had to pay our poll tax. We tried to
tell him that we had paid the tax in March but he refused to believe
us. Thomas Baker showed Bampton the receipt that the tax collector
had given to us, but Bampton said it was a forgery. When we refused
to pay any more money, Bampton threatened to arrest us. There were
over 300 people in Brentwood and we were able to force Bampton and
his two soldiers to go back to London.
After
Bampton left, we went into the forest and made a camp. We sent out
messages about what had happened in Brentwood to other villages in
the area.
On 2nd June news reached us that the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Belknap,
and his soldiers, had arrived in Brentwood. We heard that Belknap
only had a few soldiers so armed with scythes, sickles and a few old
swords, we went back to Brentwood. When Belknap saw so many angry
people he left very quickly.
The next
day, we heard how a serf from Rochester called John Belling had been
captured by soldiers in Gravesend. Belling was taken back to Sir Simon
Burley at Rochester Castle. We decided to march on Rochester and rescue
Belling. When we arrived a large crowd led by Robert Cave, a baker
from Dartford, had surrounded the castle. Sir John Newton, the constable
of the castle, was so frightened he let John Belling go.
Cave told
us that John Ball had been imprisoned in Maidstone. He said we should
march to Maidstone and rescue him. On the way we broke into several
manor houses and destroyed all the documents we could find. For as
you all know, without these the lord of the manor will not be able
to force serfs to do labour service.
We arrived
in Maidstone on 7th June. A meeting was held and we chose Wat Tyler
from Colchester to become our leader. We then marched on the prison
and freed John Ball. Tyler then asked for volunteers to take Ball's
letters to the people of England. Wat Tyler wants you to meet at Maidstone.
When we have enough people, we plan to march to London to see the
king.
Maidstone,
7th June, 1381
People of
Yalding. Now is the time. Stand together in God's name.
John Ball
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