Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/669

The Risings in the English Hfonastic Tozcns 659 Turning now to the history of another great municipal uprising which took place in the year 1327, we find at Bury St. Edmunds, in Suffolk, that almost similar occurrences to those at St. Albans took place, During the half-century preceding this revolt there had been three violent but unsuccessful attempts on the part of the burgesses to win self-government, and to control the jurisdiction in the town.' Now once again in the beginning of the year 1327 a fresh, and even more seriou.s, revolt took place. As at St. Albans agents sent from London encouraged the townsmen to revolt. A small number of malcontents assembled themselves together in a tavern in Bury St. Edmunds, in January 1327, and from thence sent out a summons for the rioters to assemble. There were soon three thousand disaffected tenants and villains, gathered from all sides, and the abbey precincts were invaded and plundered. The convent officials, and several of the monks, were seized and im- prisoned, and the rioters took away all the treasures of the abbey, the charters, muniments and papal bulls. Their chief desire was to destroy the bonds held against some of them by the abbot, which amounted in many cases to large sums. Having accomplished this work of destruction they proceeded to the gild-hall and there de- posed their alderman, who had been elected under the abbot's con- trol, and chose in his stead his more resolute brother, John de Berton. The new alderman was neither presented to the abbot and convent for confirmation, nor sworn in by the abbot's seneschal or steward. The gate-keepers of the town, who had been appointed by the abbot, were in like manner deposed and replaced by others chosen by the rioters.^ For several days the disturbances in the town went on increasing, and lawlessness prevailed everywhere. To overawe those who still held aloof from them, and especially the country people, the revolted townsmen erected a block, with an axe attached to it, and declared, precisely as those at St. Albans had done, that anyone refusing to join with them was to be there decapitated.^ The abbot, who had been absent attending Parliament, hastened back to the town to do what he could to quell the disturbance. Hearing of his return, the rebellious townsmen came to him and demanded that he should sign a charter of liberties they had drawn up. They would take no refusal and, finally, the abbot was forced to give in, and the charter was signed. By it the burgesses ^Memorials of St. EdinmuV s Abbey, ed. Arnold, R. S., Vol. II., Introd., pp. '^Miinoriah, II. 329, III. 3S-40. ^Ibid., II. 329, III. 38-39.