Kett's Rebellion - The Battle of Dussindale: August 27, 1549

Per Scriptum E. Wesley - Mackinac Center Intern

The Battle of Dussindale ended the Kett's Rebellion in England. The Rebellion had lawful cause, but ended in failure. Inflation and unemployment were high in the summer of 1549, and civil unrest among the peasantry was just around the corner. When, for the grazing of their own herds, local squires began closing off common lands originally used by serfs, many serfs became hopeless vagrants. Now these serfs were expected to work without land, much like the Hebrews in ancient Egypt expected to make bricks without straw. When Lord John Green of Wilby Manor fenced in common land at Hingham and Attleborough for his sheep, the peasantry decided they couldn't wait any longer.

On June 20, 1549, commoners from Eccles, Attleborough and Wilby knocked down Lord Green's fences, and returned home before morning. At the Feast of St. Thomas in Wymondham, news of the atrocity spread like wildfire, and incited more followers. A small band of men set out on July 8th for the village of Morley St. Peter, and destroyed Squire Hobart's fences. Next, they stormed the long hated local landowner Sir John Flowerdew's property. Seeing that a mob may be easily motivated for further destruction, Sir Flowerdew met the mob before they destroyed his fences, and bribed them into attacking his rival, Robert Kett. When the mob met Kett, Kett decided to up the ante. He agreed to throw down his own fences for free, and lead an attack back on Sir Flowerdew's land. The next day, Kett gave a stirring speech at the rebel meeting in Wymondham, and inspired them to march on the city of Norwich. The Rebellion had now found its leader: Robert Kett.

The rebels arrived at Norwich on July 10th, and began throwing down fences around the city. Many commoners from Norwich joined the gang. Sir Edmund Wyndham Sheriff of Norfolk pronounced the crowd to be rebels on the 11th, and that afternoon Norwich mayor Thomas Codd demanded that the crowd disperse. They ignored the demand, and camped at nearby Eaton Wood. Kett's mob then moved on to Drayton Woods where they met Sir Rodger Woodhouse. Sir Woodhouse offered them three cartloads of beer as a bribe to disperse. However, his mistake in appealing to "local good fellowship" as reason to disperse only led to his being captured by the mob. Kett finally moved to the heathland of Mousehold, and camped at Surrey House. Here, he held his prisoners securely (including Woodhouse, The Appleyard Brothers, Sir David Mellor, Robert Chase and Sir Thomas Gawdy) for six months. His followers grew to about 12,000 strong. Meanwhile, Norwich was at a stale mate. It wouldn't give in to the rebel demands, but it wasn't able to disperse the crowd. Nicholas Sotherton was accordingly sent to London with an appeal for reinforcements to break up the rebels. On the 22nd, the city authority of Norwhich gave Kett covering authority of the city in exchange for a voice in the rebel council. Sotherton returned in York Herald's company of London reinforcements. York then went to Mousehold Heath to offer pardon if the Rebellion dispersed. Kett refused, and York retreated to Norwhich. Mayor Codd closed the city gates. That night, gunfire erupted in Norwich for the first time. The rebels eventually swam the Wensum, overran Cow Tower, and sacked the City Chamberlains House with its store of powder and weapons. York fled for his life, and Kett captured the city authorities. Now, Norwich was in rebel possession.

Because of York's report of the fall of Norwich, the Marquess of Northampton was put in charge of 1,500 men to retake Norwich. Northampton moved through Norwich unopposed, and the rebels fled back to their camp at Mousehold Heath. After regrouping, the rebels returned with full vigor, and eventually took back the city. During one encounter, a certain Dethick offered an undiplomatic pardon to rebel leader John Flotman. In reply, Flotman gave an inspiring speech that proclaimed Kett the guardian of law and Northampton and his followers traitors. Now, we see the Rebellion forming a theory about law. Those who oppose the nobility are not traitors if the nobility are opposing law. Law is the standard by which we hold all men accountable. If the nobility go against law, they are traitors, and those who rebel against them are loyal to the law, and patriotic. The rebels are patriots, and the loyalists are traitors. Does this sound familiar?

Northampton withdrew to Cambridge, and on August 15th, Kett sent a party out of Norwich to spread the Rebellion among the inhabitants of the port city of Yarmouth. He also ordered that the port surrender. Yarmouth refused, and sent petitions to London for help. The rebels attacked Yarmouth on August 20th, but were unsuccessful. After they withdrew to Gorlson, Yarmouth inhabitants set fire to the haystacks around the city, making it impossible for the rebels to see a counter-attack through the smoke. The townspeople captured 30 rebels and 6 cannon, and the rebels withdrew to Mousehold Heath disheartened.

The Earl of Warwick, being in command of a new London company, began marching on Norwich with between 8,000 to 14,000 men. After being reinforced at Cambridge and Wymondham, he took back Norwich and executed 49 captured rebels as an example. Before the city was taken, Kett had actually intended to sue for peace, but the murder of a young boy by one of Warwick's troops had infuriated the rebels beyond the point of peace. Kett led attacks on Connisford and Bishopgate in hopes of retaking Norwich, but was unsuccessful. Kett, seeing that further attack was useless, retreated to Dussindale. Warwick chased after him, and the two armies met at Dussindale on August 27th. Warwick's cavalry charge broke the rebel lines, and the battle became a rout. At 4:00, Warwick offered pardon, and the rebels accepted the terms of surrender. A total of 3,000 rebels died on the field, and Kett was captured. All through the next day, Warwick disregarded the terms of surrender, and barbarously executed Kett and many, many others. Although the Rebellion ended in failure, Kett was a mouthpiece in the movement to end serfdom. In his petition to King Edward VI, Kett makes perhaps his boldest statement towards that end: "We pray that all bond men may be made free for God made all free with his precious blood shedding."


Sources:
The Sources and Debates in English History 1485-1714
http://www.blakeston.stockton.sch.uk/subjects/humanities/History/kettsrebellion.pdf
http://tudorhistory.org/calendar/battles.html
http://www.archive.org/stream/robertkettthenor00clayuoft/robertkettthenor00clayuoft_djvu.txt
Image of Mousehold Heath from Wikipedia