Great Rumour

The Great Rumour was a protest movement that emerged in south-east and south-west England during 1377.

During 1377, protests began to break out in south-east and south-west England.^[1] Rural workers organised themselves into protest groups and refused to work for their lords, arguing that, according to the Domesday Book, they were exempt from requests for feudal labour services.^[2] This argument depended on the legal concept of ancient demesne, and their belief that the Domesday Book was an accurate reflection of early land tenure agreements.^[3] Unsuccessful appeals and petitions were made both to the law courts and to King Richard II.^[4] The events of the Great Rumour closely resembled much of the subsequent Peasants' Revolt of 1381.^[5]

References

1. Faith 1987, p. 43
2. Faith 1987, p. 44-46
3. Faith 1987, pp. 52-53
4. Faith 1987, p. 69
5. Faith 1987, pp. 69-70

Bibliography

• Faith, Rosamond (1987). "The 'Great Rumour' of 1377 and Peasant Ideology". In Hilton, Rodney; Alton, T. H. The English Rising of 1381. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 43–73. ISBN 9781843837381.