1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion

1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion is in 1436-1453 End of the Hundred Years War.

From April 1450 to June 1450 Jack Cade's Rebellion was a popular revolt against the government of England which took place the south-east. Their leader Jack Cade [aged 30] led an army of men to London to force reform. When in the London the rebels, against the order of their leader, looted the city resulting in the citizens of London forcing them out culminating in a battle on London Bridge. Robert Poynings [aged 31] joined the rebellion.

On 29th June 1450 Bishop William Ayscough [aged 55] was murdered at Edington, Wiltshire by an angry mob.

On 4th July 1450 James Fiennes 1st Baron Saye and Sele [aged 55] was beheaded at the Standard in Cheapside [Map]. His son William [aged 22] succeeded 2nd Baron Saye and Sele and inherited his estates including Hever Castle, Kent [Map] and Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex [Map].

His son in law William Cromer [aged 34] was also beheaded.

On 12th July 1450 Jack Cade [aged 30] was captured at which time he was wounded and died of his wounds.

On 23rd September 1450 William Tresham was killed while travelling to meet Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke of York [aged 39] by a group of men as a result of a propery dispute before he was tried for treason. His son Thomas Tresham [aged 30] escaped albeit severly injured.

Chronicle of Gregory. 1450. Ande at Rochester [Map] ix [11] men were be-heddyd at that same tyme, and her heddys were sende unto London by the kyngys commaundement, and sette uppon London Brygge [Map] alle at one tyme; and xij [12] heddys at a nothyr tyme were brought unto London at a sette uppe undyr the same forme, as hys^a was commaundyd by the kyng. Men calle it in Kente the Harvyste of Hedys. Will^b

Note a. So in MS.

Note b. The Christian name "Will." is added by a somewhat later hand. The date " 1451 " is also added in the margin in a hand decidedly more modern.

Chronicle of Gregory. April 1450. Ande aftyr that the comyns of Kent a rosse with certayne othyr schyrys, and they chesse them a captayne, the whyche captayne compellyd alle the gentellys to a-rysse why the hem. Ande at the ende of the Parlyment they come whythe a grete might and a strong oste unto the Blackehethe [Map], be syde Grene wyche, the nomber of xlvj M [46000]; and there they made a fylde, dykyd and stakyde welle a-bowt, as it ben in the londe of warre, save only they kept ordyr among them, for als goode was Jacke Robyn as John at the Noke, for alle were as hyghe as pygysfete, unto the tyme that they shulde common and speke with suche statys and massyngerys as were sende unto hem; thenne they put alle her pouer unto the man that namyd him captayne of alle her oste. And there they a-bode certayne days too the comyng of the King [aged 28] fro the Parlymentte at Leyceter. Ande thenne the kyng send unto the captayne dyvers lordys bothe spyrytualle and temporalle, to wytte and to have knowleche of that grette assembelynge and gaderyng of that grete a[n]d mysavysyd feleschyppe. The captayne of them sendyng worde agayne unto the King, that it was for the wele of him our sovereign lorde, and of alle the realme, and for to dystrye the traytours beyng a-boute hym, whythe othyr dyvers poyntys that they wolde see that it were in schorte tyme a-mendyde. Uppon whyche answere that the kyng, a thedyr sent by his lordys, dyd make a crye in the kyngys name of Engelonde that alle the kyngys lege men of Engelonde shulde a-voyde the fylde. And a-pon the nyght aftyr they were alle voydyd and a-goo.

Polydore Vergil [1470-1555]. April 1450. But when they perceived that the Kentishmen had turned to looting the city, they feared for their lives and thought they could not wait no longer to see how this fury turned out. But while the Kentishmen raged against the city like madmen, nobody dared resist them before they beheaded the Lord High Treasurer John Saye [aged 55] and several noblemen.

Chronicle of Gregory. June 1450. The morne aftyr, the King [aged 28] rode armyd at alle pecys from Syn Johnys be-syde Clerkynwelle [Map] thoroughe London; and whythe him the moste party of temporalle lordys of this londe of Engelond in there a beste raye. Aftyr that they were every lord whythe his retenowe, to the nombyr of x M [10000] personys, redy as they alle shulde have gon to batayle in to any londe of Crystyn-dome, whythe bendys a-bove her harnys that every lord schulde be knowe from othyr.

Chronicle of Gregory. [7th June 1450] And yn the fowarde, as they wolde have folowyde the captayne, was slayn Syr Umfray Stafforde [aged 50] and Wylliam Stafford [aged 30], squyer, one the mannylste man of alle this realme of Engelonde, whythe many moo othyr of mene personys at Sevenocke [Map], in Kentt, in her oute ragyng fro her oste of our sovereign lordys the kyng, Harry the vj^te. And the kyng [aged 28] loggyd that nyght at Grenewyche [Map], and son aftyr every lord whythe his retynewe rood home in to her contraye.

Note. The date sometimes given as the 8th June 1450 and 18th June 1850.

Chronicle of Gregory. 29th June 1450. And the same year was the Byschoppe of Sawlysbury [aged 55] slayne at Edyngton, a myle out of the towne, a-pon a hyghe hylle; it was the xiiij day of June, and alle his goode mevabylle was departyde to every man dwellynge there that any of his lyflode laye; for bothe oxsyn, sheppe, hors, swyne, carte, plowe, corne, hay, tymbyr, strawe, harnys in castellys of hys, clothynge for his owne body, bokys, chalys, and alle that longyd to any manyr of hys, and the very ledde that coveryd the howsys and wodys wer fylde downe in some placys, but not in every place, but in som, as at Shyrbone in Dorsette schyre. And the men that toke a-pon them alle this mys rewle, whenne they undyrstode that it was wronge that they hadde done bothe to hym, and in specyalle unto the King, they a-non wente thoroughe out alle the towne of Shyrborne an toke to every man, woman, and chylde that was above xij year age and iij chore, every che of them hadde vj d; and they madde them to swere to be trewe ande holde to gedyr, by cause yf the King wolde have take any execucyon a-pon it he moste have take it a-pon e alle the hoole schyre and contrays there that his lyflode was. And for cause here of the King gaffe a generalle pardon to alle maner men.

Chronicle of Gregory. 1st July 1450. Ande aftyr that, uppon the first day of Juylle, the same captayne come agayne, as the Kenttysche men said, but it was a-nothyr that namyd hymselfe the captayne, and he come to the Blacke Hethe [Map]. And uppon the morowe he come whythe a grette hoste yn to Sowtheworke, and at the Whythe Herte [Map] he toke his loggynge.

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Chronicle of Gregory. 2nd July 1450. And a-pon the morowe, that was the Fryday, a gayn evyn, they smote a sondyr the ropys of the draught brygge and faught sore a manly, and many a man was mortheryde and kylde in that conflycte, I wot not what [to] a name it for the multytude of ryffe raffe. And thenne they enteryde in to the cytte of London as men that hadde ben halfe be-syde her wytte; and in that furynys they wente, as they said, for the common wele of the realme of Ingelonde, evyn strayght unto a marchaunte is place i-namyd Phylyppe Malpas of London. Yf it were trewe as they surmysyd aftyr ther doyng, I remytte me to ynke and pauper - Deus scit et ego non [God knows and I am not]. But welle I wote that every ylle begynnynge moste comynly hathe an ylle endyng, and every goode begynnyng hathe the wery goode endyng. Proverbium: - Felix principium finem facit esse beatum [A happy beginning makes an end happy]. And that Phylyppe Malpas was aldyrman, and they spoylydhym ande bare a-way moche goode of hys, and in specyalle moche mony, bothe of sylvyr and golde, the valowe of a notabylle som, and in specyalle of marchaundys, as of tynne, woode, madyr, and alym, whythe grette quantyte of wollyn clothe and many ryche jewellys, why the othyr notabylle stuffe of fedyr beddys, beddyng, napery, and many a ryche clothe of arys, to the vale we of a notabylle some - nescio, set Deus omnia scit [I don't know, but God knows all things].

Chronicle of Gregory. 3rd July 1450. Ande in the evenynge they went why the her sympylle captayne to his loggynge; botte a certayne of his sympylle and rude mayny a-bode there alle the nyght, weny[n]ge to them that they hadde wytte and wysdome for to have gydyde or put in gydyng alle Ingelonde, alsosone at they hadde gote the cytte of London by a mysse happe of cuttynge of ij sory cordys that no we be alteryde, and made ij strong schynys of yryn unto the draught brygge of London. But they hadde othyr men with hem, as welle of London as of there owne party. And by them of on parte and of that othyr parte they lefte noo thyng unsoffethe, a and they serchyd alle that nyght.

Chronicle of Gregory. 4th July 1450. Ande in the morne he come yn a-gayne, that sory and sympylle and rebellyus captayne why the his mayny; that was Satyrday, and it was also a Synt Martyn is day¹, the dedycacyon of Synt Martynys in the Vyntry [Map], the iiij day of Juylle. And thenne dyvers questys were i-sompnyd at the Gylhalle [Map]; and ther Robert Home beynge alderman was a-restyde and brought in to Newegate. And that same day Wylliam Crowemere [aged 34], squyer, and Scheryffe of Kentt, was be-heddyde in the fylde whythe out Algate at the mylys ende be-syde Clopton is Place. And a nothyr man that was namyde John Bayle was be-heddyd at the Whytte Chapylle. And the same day aftyr-non was be-heddyd in Cheppe a-fore the Standard [Map], Syr Jamys Fynes [aged 55], beyng that tyme the lord Saye and Grrette Treserer of Ingelonde, the whyche was brought oute of the Toure of London [Map] unto the Gylde Halle [Map], and there of dyvers tresons he was exampnyd, of whyche he knowlachyd of the dethe of that notabylle and famos prynce the Duke of Glouceter. And thenne they brought him unto the Standard in Cheppe [Map], and there he ressayvyd his jewys [dues] and his dethe. And so forthe alle the iij [3] heddys that day smetyn of were sette uppon the Brygge of London [Map], and the ij othyr heddys takyn downe that stode a-pon the London Brygge by-fore. And at the comyng of the camptayne yn to Sowtheworke, he lete smyte of the hedde of a strong theff that was namyd Haywardyn.

Note 1. The Translation of St. Martin of Tours.

Chronicles of London Vitellius A XVI. And [on 4th July 1450] at London Stone he strak vpon it like a Conquerour; and so beyng in the Cite sent vnto the Tower for the lord Say; and he was ffett and brought vnto Guyldehalle, wher he was Endited w^t other of treason. And vpon the same morne the Capteyne sent for Robert Horne, Alderman, wher w^t grete labour of his ffreendes he scapid w^t his lif, and rounsomed at a grete Somme of money; and so were other delt w^t in like maner. And while the Mair was at the hall the Capeteyne come ageyne into the Cite, and went into the flete; and from thens vnto one Crowmer, a Squyer, that had wedded the lord Says doughter and had been Shyref of Kent, and had doon grete extorcion ther, as they seid. In the meane while the lord Say beyng at Guyldchalle before the Mair and the kynges Justice there, desired to be demyd by his perys; but the kentisshemen wold not suffir that, but by force and strength toke hym owte of Guyldhalle and brought hym vnto the Standard in Chepe, and there smote of his hede; and aftir set it vpon a spere and bore it aboute the Cite; and the same day at Milis End Crowmer befornamed was beheded, vpon whos soule Jhesu haue mercy. And the same day, befor the behedyng of Crowmer, the Capteyne w^t a certeyne w^t hym went vnto Philip Malpas howse, and robbid him of moche good. And from thens he went to one Geerstes howse, beside tower strete, and ther dyned, and in like wise robbid hym. And it is to be remembred that whan Crowmer was behedid, that same season was also behedid a man that was callid Baily; and after they brought the hedis of the lord Say and of Crowmer vpon ij stakes or polis, and in dyuers places of the Cite put theym togider, cawsyng that oon to kysse that other; and when the citezens saw that he had Robbed Philip Malpas and Geerst those that were substanciall dowted; for, lest afterward he wold Robbe theym in like wise, they w'drewe hertes and loue from hym; for if he had not fallyn to Robbery, it is-to deme he myght haue goon fer in the lande, ffor the kyng and all the lordes were departid, except the lord Scalis that kept the Tower.

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Chronicle of Gregory. 5th July 1450. And uppon the morowe the Sonday at hyghe mas tyme a lette to be heddyd a man of Hampton, a squyer, the whyche was namyd Thomas Mayne. And that same evyn Londyn dyd a rysse and cam out uppon them at x [of] a the belle, beyng that tyme her captaynys the goode olde lorde Schalys [aged 53] and Mathewe Goughe. Ande from that tyme unto the morowe [6th July 1450] viij of belle they were ever fyghtynge uppon London Brygge [Map], ande many a man was slayne and caste in Temys, harnys, body, and alle; and monge the presse was slayne Mathewe Goughe and John Sutton aldyrman. And the same nyght, a-non aftyr mydnyght, the Captayne of Kentte dyde fyre the draught [draw] brygge of London; and be-fore that tyme he breke bothe Kyngys Bynche [Map] ande the Marchelsy [Map], and lete out alle the presoners that were yn them.

Chronicle of Gregory. 6th July 1450. And uppon the morowe by tymys came my lord the Cardynalle of Yorke [aged 70], and my Lord of Cauntyrbury, and the Byschoppe of Winchester [aged 52], and they tretyde by twyne the Lord Schalys [aged 53] and that captayne, that the sore conflycte and skarmasche was sessyde, ande gaffe the captayne and his mayne a generalle chartoure for him and for alle his company in his name, callyng him selfe John Mortymere, and thoroughe that mene they were i-voydyde the moste partye. And the vj day aftyr that, the Satyr-daye at evyn 3 the iij heddys were takyn downe of London Brygge, that is to say, the Lord Say [deceased] is hedde, Crowmers [deceased], and the Bayleyes, and the othyr ij [2] heddys sette uppe a-yenne that stode a-pon London Brygge be-fore, and the body whythe hedde were i-burydde at the Gray Fryers at London.

On 6th July 1450 John Sutton was killed during the fight on London Brodge during Jack Cade's Rebellion. He was buried at St John Zachary Church where his grave slab has the inscription: "Here lieth the Body of John Sutton, Citizen, Goldsmith, and Alderman of London, who died the 6. day of July, 1450." and "This brave and worthy alderman was killed in the defence of the City, in the bloody nocturnal battle on London Bridge, against the infamous Jack Cade, and his army of Kentish rebels."

Pakington's Chronicle [-1390]. [12th July 1450] One Iden, a Squier of Kent, toke Jak Cade [aged 30] in a Garden in Southfax, an ther slew hym.

Chronicle of Gregory. 12th July 1450. And uppon the xij day of Juylle, the year a-fore said, the said camptayne was cryde and proclaymyd traytoure, by the name of John Cade, in dyvers placys of London, and also in Sowtheworke, whythe many moo, that what man might or wolde bryng the said John Cade to the kyng, qwyke or dede, shulde have of the King a thousande marke. Also who som evyr might brynge or wolde brynge any of his chyffe counsellourys, or of afynyte, that kept any state or rewle or governansse undyr the sayd fals captayne John Cade, he schulde have to his rewarde of the King v. c. [500] marke. And that day was that fals traytoure the Captayne of Kentte i-take and slayne in the Welde in the countre of Sowsex, and uppon the morowe he was brought in a.earre alle nakyd, and at the Herte in Sowetheworke there the carre was made stonde sty lie, the wife of the howse might se him yf it were the same man or no that was namyd the Captayne of Kente, for he was loggyd whythe yn her howse in his pevys tyme of his mys rewylie and rysynge. And thenne he was hadde in to the Kyngys Bynche [Map], and there he lay from Monday at evyn unto the Thursseday nexte folowynge at evyn; and whythe yn the Kings Benehe [Map] the said captayne was be-heddyde and quarteryde; and the same day i-d[r]awe a-pon a hyrdylle in pecys whythe the hedde by-twyne his breste from the Kyngys Benehe thoroughe out Sowthewerke, and thenne ovyr Londyn Brygge, and thenne thoroughe London unto Newegate, and thenne his hedde was takyn and sette uppon London Brygge.

Chronicle of Gregory. 23rd September 1450. Ande that same year was slayne Tresham, the man of lawe, that was Speker of the Parlymentt, and his son [Thomas Tresham [aged 30]] was soore woundyde in Northehampton schyre. And by the King and his counselle a Parlyment was ordaynyde to be-gyn on Syn Leonarde is day nexte folowynge. In the mene tyme many strange and woundyrfulle bylle were sete in dyvers placys, some at the kyngys owne chambyr doore at Westemyster, in his palysse, and some at the halle dore at Westemyster, ande some at Poulys chyrche dore, and in many othyr dyvers placys of London.

Memoires Jacques du Clercq. In the year 1450, one named John Cade, who was an apostate, stirred up a part of the commons of Kent, to the number of twenty thousand fighting men, of whom he was made captain, and it was not well known from where he came. This company, with their captain, went to encamp about ten miles from London, which is about five leagues. Against them the King of England set out from London to fight them; but when he was informed that they were common people and men of low condition, he was advised not to engage them, and sent the Duke of Buckingham to tell them that the king commanded all his loyal subjects to depart from the camp. As soon as this proclamation was made, the captain replied that he was one of them, and withdrew; and as he went, he encountered Sir Humphrey Stafford and William Stafford, his brother, whom he fought and killed. After this, the king returned to London and withdrew into the castle of Wallingford. Then the said captain went to the city of London and entered it freely on the 4th day of July; he robbed a merchant named Philip Malpas and lodged that night outside London in the great street called Southwark. The next day he entered London, dressed in a robe of velvet, with a sword in his hand, had the Lord Say brought out of the Tower of London, and had him taken to the Guildhall, where he was immediately judged to die, and at once his head was struck off in the principal street of London called Cheapside; and his head was set upon a lance, together with the head of his son-in-law and the others who had been killed, as has been said, and his body was drawn in pieces at the tails of two horses. After this, the said captain returned to his lodging and remained there the following day, and had a great thief named Hol Bardin beheaded; then the said captain took counsel how he might plunder those of the city of London. Of this intent the Londoners were warned, and they appointed the Lord Scales and Matthew Gough as captains, with a great number of men, to seize him suddenly. The captain, being informed of this, set guards around his lodging; and these guards cried alarm at the coming of the Lord Scales and Matthew Gough. The said lord was driven back toward the hill nearest London; but in the end the Lord Scales forced the captain to retreat to the far side of the bridge. Meanwhile Matthew Gough entered a house to sleep, thinking the enemy had been fully driven back; but the captain drove them back again as before, and when the said Matthew had slept a little, he came out crying his banner, thinking to find his men, and there he was slain by the captain's followers. When the captain saw that those of London were gathering in great numbers, he had the bridge below set on fire so that none might approach; but the archers did not cease to attack them all night until the next day, when the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York brought it about that the captain's men withdrew to their country, and the captain remained alone in hiding; and then he fled into the land of Sussex. But those of London sent after him to take him, and as he sat at dinner, a Welshman entered the house to seize him; as soon as he saw him, he fled into a garden, where the said Welshman struck him a blow from which he died. His body was brought to the city of London, and his head was set upon London Bridge. Soon after, King Henry of England inflicted great punishment upon all the principal men who had been with that captain and had consented to what he had done.

Ex l'an mil iiij^e cinquante, ung nommé Jean Cadée, lequel estoit apostat, esmeut une partie de la commune de Treulx, et jusques au nombre de vingt mille combattants, desquels il fust fait capitaine, et ne sçavoit on bonnement d'ou il estoit; laquelle communauté, avecq leur capitaine, allerent tenir ung camp, ainsi que a dix milles près de Londres, qui font environ cinq lieues, allencontre desquels le roy d'Angleterre wida de Londres pour les combattre; mais quant il fust adverti que c'estoient gens populaires et meschants gens, il fust conseillé de ne les combattre, et y envoya le duc de Belingam pour leur dire que le roy leur mandoit, que touts ses loyaulx subjets widassent du camp; et incontinent que le cry fust fait, le capitaine respondit qu'il estoit l'ung d'iceulx, et se partist; et en allant, il rencontra messire Hamffroy Staffort et Guillaume Staffort, son frere, lesquels il combattit et les tua; ce faict, le roy retourna a Londres et se boutta au chasteau de Wallungfort; et après ce, alla ledit capitaine en la ville de Londres, et y entra franchement le iiij^e jour de juillet; il desrobba ung marchand appellé Philippe Malpas, et se logea la nuict hors Londres, en la grande rue appellée Sortswerbe, et le lendemain il entra en Londres, vestu d'une robbe de velour a tout une espée en sa main, feit tirer le St de Seay hors de la tour de Londres, et le feit mener en la halle, ou il fust incontinent jugé a mourir, et incontinent on lui trencha la teste en la principale rue de Londres, appellée Cepe, et la teste fust mise en une lanche, avecq la teste de son beaufrere et les aultres qui feurent tués, comme dict est, et son corps fust mis en detrais a la queux de deux chevaux: après ce, ralla ledit capitaine en son logis, et la se tint le jour ensuivant, et feit decoller ung grand larron nommé Hol Bardin; puis print conseil icelluy capitaine comment il pourroit desrobber ceulx de la ville de Londres, duquel fourfaict ceulx de Londres feurent advertis, sy ordonnerent le St Destalles et Mathieu Gelbghe, capitaines, avecq grand nombre de gens pour les prendre subitement; de quoi icelluy capitaine fust adverti, et feit guet autour de son hostel; lequel guet cria allarmes a la venue du Sª Destalles et Mathieu Gelbghe; et fust icelluy Sr recullé jusques au plus près du mont qui est au plus près de Londres; mais enfin le St Destalles feit le capitaine reculler jusques a l'aultre pied du pont, et en ce faisant, Mathieu Gelbghe entra en une maison pour dormir, cuidant avoir recullé ses adversaires du tout; mais ledit capitaine les reculla derechief comme debvant; et comme ledit Mathieu eust ung peu dormi, il issit dehors, criant son enseigne, cuidant estre avecq ses gens, et la fust tué par les gens du capitaine. Quant le capitaine veit que ceulx de Londres estoient multipliés, il feit ardoir le pont qui y avalle, adfin que nulluy approchat; mais les archiers ne laisserent a les assaillir toute la nuict jusqu'au lendemain, que l'archevesque de Cantorbery et l'archevesque d'Yorck feirent tant, que les gens du capitaine s'en rallerent en leur pays, et demoura le capitaine seul a privé, mais et lors s'enffuit en la terre de Touet; mais ceulx de Londres envoyerent après pour le prendre, et ainsi qu'il estoit assis au disner, un Gallois entra en la maison pour le prendre, lequel, si tost qu'il le veit, entra en ung jardin, auquel jardin ledit Gallois lui donna ung coulp dont il mourut, et fust son corps porté en la ville de Londres, et la teste mise sur le pont de Londres. Et assés tost après, le roy Henry d'Angleterre print grande punition de touts les plus grands qui estoient avecq icelluy capitaine, et qui auroient esté consentants de faire ce qu'il avoit fait.

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