The Jack Cade Rebellion of 1450 was an uprising of the commons of England-most of whom were from Kent, Norfolk, and Essex-that culminated in a battle on London Bridge. The rebel force, led by a mysterious man known as Jack Cade, protested King Henry VI's ineffectiveness as a leader, the over-taxation of the working classes, the crown's failed attempts to secure French territories, and the corrupt bureaucrats and church officials. This book collects, for the first time, primary documents related to the rebellion that have been translated into Present-Day English or glossed for ease of reading. The sources included in this book comprise the rebels' petitions, entries from medieval and early modern chronicles, letters and formal correspondences, official government documents, and political poems of the fifteenth century. Students interested in urban history, popular rebellions, medieval and early modern studies, legal studies, criminal justice, Shakespeare, and artistic expressions of protest will find these primary sources invaluable.
Alexander L. Kaufman is Reed D. Voran Distinguished Professor of Honors Humanities and professor of English at Ball State University.
Part I: Medieval and Early Modern Chronicles Chapter 1: From Robert Bale's Chronicle Chapter 2: From John Benet's Chronicle, Translated from Latin into English by Molly A. Martin Chapter 3: From An English Chronicle, 1377-1461 Chapter 4: From A Short English Chronicle Chapter 5: From A Chronicle of London in Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Gough London 10 45 Chapter 6: From Gregory's Chronicle Chapter 7: From Ingulph's Chronicle of the Abbey of Croyland Chapter 8: From John Stone's Chronicle Chapter 9: From the Middle English Prose Brut Chapter 10: From A Chronicle of London in London, British Library MS Cotton Vitellius A XVI Chapter 11: From The Great Chronicle of London Chapter 12: From Robert Fabyan's The New Chronicles of England and France Chapter 13: From John Mair's Historia Maioris Britanniae tam Angliae quam Scotiae (History of Greater Britain) Chapter 14: From Hall's Chronicle Chapter 15: From Polydore Vergil's Anglica Historia Chapter 16: From George North's A Brief Discourse of Rebellion and Rebels Chapter 17: From Holinshed's Chronicle Chapter 18: From William Martyn's The Historie, and Lives, of the Kings of England Part II: Documents of the Government and Rebels, Personal Correspondences Chapter 19: The Rebels' Bills of Complaint of 1450 Chapter 20: The Proclamation by King Henry VI Authorizing the Taking of John Cade, With Latin Translations by Evan Golightly Chapter 21: Letters from Jack Cade to Sir Thomas Cook Chapter 22: The Pardon Roll of July 1450 Chapter 23: From The Antient Kalendars and Inventories of the Treasury of His Majesty's Exchequer Chapter 24: From the Parliament Rolls of England Chapter 25: From the Paston Letters Part III: Political Poems of the Fifteenth Century Chapter 26: "On the Arrest of the Duke of Suffolk" Chapter 27: "A Warning to King Henry" Chapter 28: "Verses Against the Duke of Suffolk" Chapter 29: "For Jake Napes Sowle, Placebo and Dirige,"Latin Translations by Molly A. Martin Chapter 30: "On the Corruption of the Times I" Chapter 31: "On the Corruption of the Times II" Chapter 32: Robin Hood and the Monk
With this book, Alexander Kaufman does great service to the teaching and study of the Jack Cade Rebellion. His collection of thirty-two primary documents, encompassing medieval and early modern chronicles, official documents, personal correspondence, bills of complaint, and popular literature, is an invaluable resource. Acknowledging that the original languages of the documents-Latin and Middle English-are not taught in the numbers they once were, Kaufman offers translations in present-day English. This feat will, doubtless, broaden access to the study of Jack Cade, especially within the disciplines of history, law, and literature. -- John Marshall, University of Bristol What emerges from Alexander Kaufman's collection is the image of a socially diverse rebellion which included yeomen, esquires, gentlemen, land labourers, and even constables. For the first time, all the major historiographical, legal, and literary sources relating to Jack Cade's Rebellion can be found in one easily accessible, extremely well-researched volume. This book, compiled by Kaufman-who is already a well-established expert on the topic-is likely to become and remain the standard work on the events of 1450 in the years to come. It will be indispensable for scholars, students, and even general readers wishing to learn more about that turbulent year in English history. -- Stephen Basdeo, The American University in London at Richmond Hill Alexander Kaufman has diligently researched his material and selected these extracts carefully. The documents in this scholarly anthology conjure up the lively and turbulent sociopolitical world of mid-fifteenth-century England, providing avenues for further exploration of the revolt and its contexts. With Kaufman's analysis, these accounts also offer insights into how Jack Cade and his revolt were developed in cultural imagination during the years after the events. -- Lesley Coote, University of Hull By bringing together-for the first time-translated primary sources on Cade's rebellion, Kaufman has performed a valuable service for scholars and researchers. The modern English translations, supported by Kaufman's scholarly commentary and notes, also make the sources available to a wider readership. This volume will be an invaluable source for anyone interested in late-medieval England or medieval social movements. -- Michael Evans, Delta College
