Royal Justice, law and the Peasants' Revolt of 1381

Abstract

This study aims to examine the enforcement of labour laws after the Black Death, revealing the nature and frequency of labour offences in different counties and exploring the underlying causes and authorities' responses. Additionally, it will investigate the forms of peasant dissent against these laws and examine the relationship between this enforcement and the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. Furthermore, this thesis will explore the expansion of royal justice in the latter half of the fourteenth century, the ways in which this expansion occurred, and the errors committed by the crown's representatives in local regions. It seeks to understand the impact on the legal culture of the peasants and how it contributed to growing resentment against royal justice. Finally, the study will analyse the forms of peasant dissatisfaction and how they expressed their grievances, examining the actions and demands of the rebels through historical chroniclers to assess the connection between these demands and the broader context of royal justice.

Date of Award	Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	The Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq
Supervisor	Stephen Kelly (Supervisor) & James Davis (Supervisor)