Francais | English | Espanõl

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Image:SSL10089.JPG Kett's Rebellion was a revolt in July 1549 instigated by Robert Kett of Wymondham. Kett himself had been a tanner who had used enclosure on the common land. When rebels came to rip down his fences he was convinced by their arguments and soon became the leader of the rebellion.

It was aimed at bringing attention to the economic problems faced by agricultural workers in East Anglia. In the spirit of the Levellers of the next century, the leaders demanded the abolition of enclosures, the end of private ownership of land, and the dismissal of counsellors. To a lesser degree, the rebellion also had religious leanings, with the rebellion campaigning for further Protestant reforms and the right to choose their own priests. The rebels themselves did not believe that they were rebels as they didn't think that they had done any real harm and they thought that they had the support of the Duke of Somerset. He had made it seem to them that he was going to aid them in the enclosure crisis and establish enclosure commissions. But this was never to be;somerset was not going to risk upsetting nobles who had most likely been using enclosure just to help some peasants. The insurgents amounted to maybe 15,000 men, but after some initial excitement they were defeated in August by an army under the command of the Earl of Warwick--the rebellion was started in the area of Wymondham in Norfolk and came to an end in Dussindale one of the long dales that led from Mousehold Heath at the time. The actual site has never been proven. The most popular is that the Dale began in the vicinity of Plumstead Road East allotments that swept into the Valley Drive into the present remnant of Mousehold, into the Long Valley and out into what is now Gertrude Road and the allotments. In Victorian times this area was known as `Ketts Meadow`. The other Dussindale is the name given to a recent housing development in nearby Thorpe St Andrew, which appears to have more to do with the Civil War judging by the various road names.