Wat Tyler

Lore & Background

Little is known of Tyler's early life. Historical sources give differing accounts of his birth. One claims that he was born on 4 January 1341, while another source claims he was born around 1320. Most historians agree that he was born around 1341. 'Wat' may have been his given name (derived from the Old English name Watt), or a diminutive form of the name Walter; his original surname was unknown. It is thought that the name 'Tyler' came from his occupation as a roof tiler, but this is not confirmed. It is probable that he lived in Kent or Essex. He has variously been represented as coming from Deptford, Dartford and Maidstone in Kent, as well as from Colchester in Essex. He is said by several chroniclers to have served in France during earlier campaigns of the Hundred Years War as an archer.

The Peasants' Revolt began in May 1381, triggered by a recently imposed poll tax of four pence from every person aged fifteen and above. The revolt was not only about money, as the peasants also sought increased liberty and other social reforms. How Tyler became involved with the revolt is unknown, although a much later 16th-century source indicates that a man of a similar name, John Tyler, was its initiator. This account suggests that a poll-tax collector had indecently assaulted John Tyler's daughter. Regardless of the veracity of that story, by June 1381, when groups of rebels from across the country began a coordinated assault on London, Wat Tyler had emerged as a leader of the Kentish forces.

On 13 June 1381 Tyler with other rebels of Kent crossed London Bridge to enter the city. Once in the city, they attacked civil targets, destroying legal records, opening prisons, sacking homes, and killing individuals they thought were associated with the royal government. In response, King Richard II met with the rebels on 14 June and agreed to make many concessions and to give full pardons. While some of the rebels were satisfied by the king's promises and dispersed, Tyler and his followers were not. On 15 June Tyler and his Kentish forces met King Richard at Smithfield. There, Tyler spoke personally with the king and put forward his demands. At first, the meeting seems to have gone well, with Tyler treating the king in a friendly, if overly familiar, manner, and Richard agreeing the rebels 'should have all that he could fairly grant'. However, tensions quickly rose. Tyler acted contemptuously, calling for a flagon of water to rinse his mouth 'because of the great heat that he was in' and when he received the water 'he rinsed his mouth in a very rude and disgusting fashion before the King's face'. Sir John Newton insulted Tyler by calling him 'the greatest thief and robber in all of Kent'. Tyler attacked Newton but was restrained and arrested by the Lord Mayor of London, William Walworth. Tyler then attempted to stab Walworth who was saved by his armour. Walworth slashed Tyler across the neck and head with his sword, and another of the king's servants, possibly Ralph de Standish, stabbed Tyler again, severely wounding him. Tyler managed to ride 30 yards before he fell from his horse. In the disorder that followed, Tyler was taken to a hospital for the poor but was tracked down by Walworth, brought back to Smithfield and by judgment of the mayor publicly beheaded. Tyler's head was placed atop a pole and carried through the city, then displayed on London Bridge. In the wake of Tyler's death, his followers were driven from London and the movement was shattered. Subsequently, Richard II revoked all the concessions he had made to the rebels, and many were hunted down and executed.

Reader's Guide

Wat Tyler's significance lies in his role as a leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, one of the most widespread popular uprisings in medieval England. The revolt, triggered by a poll tax, also demanded increased liberty and social reforms, including an end to serfdom. Tyler's brief success in leading rebels from Canterbury to London and negotiating directly with the young King Richard II demonstrated the potential power of collective action by commoners. However, his death at Smithfield and the subsequent revocation of royal concessions and execution of rebels underscored the fragility of such movements against established authority. Tyler's legacy has endured in literature and the arts, appearing in works from the 14th-century poem Vox Clamantis to modern novels and operas, often as a symbol of resistance against feudal tyranny. The uncertainty surrounding his early life and the details of his involvement in the revolt have allowed later writers to shape his image according to their own political and social contexts, making him a lasting figure in English historical memory.

Did You Know?

• Little is known of Tyler's early life; his original surname is unknown, and 'Tyler' may come from his occupation as a roof tiler.
• A much later 16th-century source suggests the revolt was triggered by a poll-tax collector indecently assaulting the daughter of a man named John Tyler.
• Tyler was killed at Smithfield after being slashed across the neck and head by the Lord Mayor of London, William Walworth.
• After his death, Tyler's head was placed atop a pole and displayed on London Bridge.