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Kett' Rebellion in 1549
In 1549, the year of Kett's Rebellion, the King of England, Edward VI, was an eleven-year-old boy. The real power was in the hands of Protector Somerset, an ambitious man but with a reputation for reform and some sympathy for the poor. It was a time of change, uncertainty and unrest. The government had introduced Protestant reforms in the church, prices were rising and taxation was increasing. Furthermore the country was at war with France and Scotland. But in Norfolk, the chief causes of hardship and discontent were economic and social. Here there was much rent raising, but above all the enclosure of common land by the local gentry, which threatened the livelihood of many of the peasantry.
There had been widespread disorders and rioting in many counties during the Spring and Summer of 1549. This mainly took the form of destroying the hedges and fences recently erected by local landlords. However it was only in Norfolk that the peasantry discovered a leader of outstanding quality. The name of Robert Kett is inseparably linked with the rebellion in Norfolk.
In 1549, Robert Kett was 57 years old, a relatively old age for the 16th Century. He was the fourth son of Tom and Margery Kett whose family had lived in the area since the Norman Conquest. Though a tanner by trade, by 1549 he was one of the main landowners in Wymondham, owning three manors in the area with a yearly income of £50. He was also closely associated with the Abbey Church at Wymondham . He was a pillar of the local community, married with five sons, prominent in agrarian, commercial and religious life, secure, prosperous and law abiding. Yet he became the leader of a movement whose main activities threatened the property owing, relatively prosperous class which he himself represented.
Why Kett became the champion of the poor common people is unclear. Perhaps he was moved by their plight; perhaps it was a vision of a better Norfolk; perhaps it was the long-standing rivalry with John Flowerdew which flared up again in 1549. Certainly the people of Norfolk had found a leader with remarkable gifts. Kett made it clear that he was not rebelling against the government in London, but that he was disillusioned with the local government in Norfolk, and it was this which he sought to reform. His petition to Edward VI was politely phrased and throughout the rebellion he acted with restraint and moderation. He refused to accept that he was a rebel and naively believed that the government in London would support his desire to reform the local government in Norfolk. However, by Tudor standards Kett was a rebel and a traitor and met his end later that year.
For six weeks from 9 July 1549, Kett dominated the affairs of the county of Norfolk. He led an orderly march to Norwich, then England's second city. He established an orderly camp on Mousehold Heath where he was joined by about 20,000 men from all over Norfolk. He displayed firm leadership throughout the dramatic and stirring events of the rebellion. He obtained free access to Norwich and involved the city authorities in his programme of reform. He led a successful attack on the city on 22 July 1549, defeated one royal army on 1 August 1549 and severely mauled another, which was larger than the first, on 24 - 25 August 1549. The final defeat came at the Battle of Dussindale on 27 August 1549 when nearly 3,000 of Kett's men were killed. Kett himself was captured the next day. Robert Kett and his brother William were taken to the Tower of London and imprisoned while awaiting trial. They were found guilty of treason on 29 November 1549 and then taken back to Norwich. William Kett was hanged at the West Tower on Wymondham Abbey and Robert Kett was hanged at Norwich Castle on 7th December 1549.
However, 400 years later in 1949, a commemorative plaque was placed at the entrance to Norwich Castle including the words " ...in reparation and honour to a notable and courageous leader in the struggles of the common people of England to escape from a servile life to the freedom of present conditions."
Robert Kett- Local Hero
A History of Kett's Rebellion in 1549
Who was Robert Kett?
Robert Kett was born in Wymondham in 1492, the fourth son of Tom and Margery Kett. The Kett family was an ancient one of Danish origin which can be traced back to Godwin Kett in the 12th Century. The Ketts had been prominent in the life of Wymondham for several generations before Kett was born. His great-grandfather, Richard Kett had property in Dykebeck and a tenement in Chapelgate. Dykebeck He was also involved in the Guilds, being Alderman of the Guild of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. Robert's father, Tom, acquired property in Middleton in 1492 and he farmed or rented land at Forncett, Tacolneston and Silfield as well as leasing land from Wymondham Abbey. He was a butcher by trade and like many of the Ketts, part of the Guild community in Wymondham. There exists a receipted bill by the Brotherhood of our Lady's Light, for the burning of candles at his funeral.

Robert Kett married Alice Appleyard of Braconash about 1519. They had five sons. Robert was a tanner by trade, but also a substantial landowner in the area. Furthermore, he was a leading figure in Wymondham's religious life, being a member of the Guild of St Thomas the Martyr and the Watch and Play Society as well as a Server in the Abbey church. His brother William, one of his chief supporters, was a butcher and grazier, having land at Forncett. He was also a mercer and had two shops in Chapelgate, near Becket's Chapel and two properties in Damgate.

He was an active churchman too, having responsibility for certain ornaments and the candles in the Abbey church. The two brothers therefore were substantial pillars of the Wymondham community.
Robert Kett's Lands and Properties.
Robert Kett seems to have been very active in the land and property market where competition was particularly keen at this time. A 19th century writer, the Reverend Henry Nevill, Archdeacon of Norfolk, claimed in a lecture given in 1857 that Robert Kett lived in a house known as Dykebeck. Between 1530 and 1548, at a time when much land changed hands, Robert was involved in many transactions including about 90 acres of land and six properties. At various times during this period he held lands at Browick, at Silfield, at Suton, at Tyfford Bridge near the Lizard and at Tyffin Meadow. When Wymondham Abbey was dissolved in 1539, its lands were sold off and Robert was one of several local figures who purchased ex-Abbey lands in 1540 and again in 1547. He also owned various properties in Wymondham, principally on the north side of Becket's Chapel , somewhere in Middleton, in Ton Green and at According to the inquest held at the Guildhall in Norwich on 13 January 1550 after his execution, his property consisted of the Manor of Wymondham, some lands belonging to the Hospital of Burton Lazars in Leicestershire, two tenements at Cakewyk Field and Gulville Manor. His property was confiscated and Gulville Manor was granted to Thomas Audley. In 1551 Audley sold Gulville Manor to Sir John Clere for £306, 13 shillings and 4 pence. Robert Kett's son, William, was given a re-grant of some of his fathers lands which had been confiscated including Westwode Chapel which had belonged to Robert's brother William.Cavick.

Why did Robert Kett get involved?
It is interesting to speculate on Kett's motives. Why did such a wealthy, comfortable, respected and elderly figure become the apparently willing leader of a group of rioters, who in time became members of a great popular movement? Perhaps his involvement in the guilds with their concern for good order, decent conduct and social justice (principles which prevailed for most of the time that Kett's followers were encamped on Mousehold in July and August 1549), partially explain his dramatic departure from a life of tanning, farming, enclosing, property investing etc. Perhaps it was his religious convictions and sense of moral outrage at the callous disregard of many of the great landowners of the county of Norfolk for the plight of the 'poore commons'. Perhaps it was the provocative action of an old rival, John Flowerdew. Perhaps be believed (wrongly) that the King's Government would support a self-evidently just cause - the reform of a corrupt Norfolk society. Or was it sheer impulse? Did Kett also get caught up in the heady and exciting atmosphere of that summer's day? We will probably never know for certain. However, the personal beliefs and feelings which led him to make his decision were of historic importance. The amalgam of his strong charismatic personality and the discontented peasantry, made all the more determined by the actions of John Flowerdew, transformed a disorderly mob into a great demonstration.

How it started.
On 6 July 1549, a large crowd began to gather in Wymondham to commemorate the appointment of Thomas a Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury. It was also the occasion of an Annual Fair in the town - two days and nights of festivities, including mystery plays, processions and pageants, together with plenty to eat and drink. It was a time for merrymaking, but an opportunity for talk, and more ominously, for bitterness and bad feeling about enclosure to come to the surface. In the surrounding countryside there were a number of particularly unpopular landowners whose enclosing of common land was especially disliked by the many smallholders in the area. At a time when land was scarce, such men depended on the customary rights of grazing their animals on the common, as they lacked sufficient land of their own for this purpose. It would not take much to stir them into action. Between 7 - 8 July 1549, some action certainly occurred!
Firstly, groups of the most discontented went to nearby Morley and pulled down fences which Master Hobart had erected to enclose part of the common there. Then they set off for Hethersett and began similar action against John Flowerdew. Flowerdew was quick to point out that Robert Kett was also guilty of encroaching on the common land, near the Fairland, at Wymondham. He offered 40 pence to the mob to go and pull down Kett's fences. Then came the great surprise. Rather than resisting the fence breakers, Robert Kett joined in and helped them uproot his own fences, at the same time offering to lead them in protest. He returned to Hethersett with them where there was a confrontation with his old adversary, John Flowerdew. As a result the remainder of Flowerdew's fences were destroyed. At some stage during these hectic events Robert Kett made a speech at his house indicating his readiness to be the leader of the peasantry. An unruly mob had found a leader. Next day, 9 July 1549, a crowd assembled under an old oak tree on the common outside Wymondham. Here Robert Kett is reputed to have made another rousing speech in which he said
"I refuse not to sacrifice my substance, yea my very life itself, so highly do I esteem the cause in which we are engaged."
Then he set off to Norwich. Robert Kett sitting under the Oak
Robert Kett- Local Hero

Diary of Events in 1549

20 June 1549 Fence levelling at Attleborough by men of neighbouring villages against John Green, Lord of Wilby Manor, who had enclosed part of Attleborough Common.
7 July 1549 Religious festival in Wymondham commemorating Thomas a Beckett. Fences levelled at Morley,
8 July 1549 John Flowerdew bribes some peasants to pull down Robert Kett's fences. Kett joins in.
9 July 1549 Kett begins march to Norwich
10 July 1549 Sheriff of Norwich tries unsuccessfully to disperse Kett's followers.
11 July 1549 Kett resists an other attempt to persuade him to go home.
12 July 1549 Corbet's dovecote at Sprowston destroyed. Kett arrives at Mousehold and sets up camp.
21 July 1549 Royal Herald arrives from Norwich and offers a pardon, which is rejected. Norwich closes its gates to the rebels.
22 July 1549 Kett attacks and captures Norwich. Mayor Codd taken to Mousehold.
31 July 1549 Earl of Northampton arrives with royal army to crush the rebels.
1 August 1549 Kett defeats Northampton's force in battle of St.Martin's Plain. Kett occupies and garrisons Norwich.
5 August 1549 Kett tries to capture Yarmouth, but fails.
17 August 1549 Rebels from Suffolk try to take Yarmouth - again unsuccessful.
21 August 1549 Earl of Warwick arrives at Cambridge.
22 August 1549 Earl of Warwick arrives at Wymondham with large army.
23 August 1549 Warwick stays the night at Intwood.
24 August 1549 Warwick breaks in to Norwich, captures and hangs some rebels, but loses much of his artillery, which is captured in Bishopgate.
25 August 1549 Kett tries to regain control of Norwich. Fighting throughout the day but Warwick just survives these attacks.
26 August 1549 Rebel attacks continue but seems to be losing force. 1100 German mercenaries (Landknechte) arrive. Kett leaves Mousehold for Dussindale.
27 August 1549 Battle of Dussindale. Rebels defeated. Between 2,000 and 3,000 of Kett's men killed.
28 August 1549 Kett is spotted at Swannington and brought back to Norwich.
29 August 1549 Service of thanksgiving in St. Peter Mancroft church in Norwich.
7 September 1549 Warwick leaves for London.
9 September 1549 Kett is imprisoned in Tower of London.
26 - 29 November Kett is tried for treason and found guilty.
1 December 1549 Kett arrives back in Norwich and imprisoned in Guildhall.
7 December 1549 Kett hanged at Norwich Castle. His brother William hanged from the west tower of Wymondham Abbey.
January 1550 Inquest and confiscation of Kett's property.

Robert Kett & John Flowerdew
Becket's Chapel & Wymondham Abbey
Drawn by Anne Hoare
When Wymondham Abbey, along with all the other religious houses in England, was closed down by order of King Henry VIII. Somewhat unusually, the King retained ownership for ten years after the suppression using one John Flowerdew as his Agent. Under him much was destroyed, including parts of the church which the townspeople had raised money to purchase from the Crown and retain. Flowerdew's high-handedness and self-interest contributed to the Kett Rebellion of 1549, a local uprising against the religious and social changes which were being imposed upon the country. It was led by Robert Kett, a wealthy tradesman of Wymondham, who was hanged at Norwich Castle. His brother William was hanged from the west Tower of the Abbey.

A celebration of the 450th Anniversary of Kett's Rebellion in 1549 and its leader Robert Kett, around the weekend of 9th, 10th and 11th July 1999 in Wymondham, Norfolk in the United Kingdom.
The Kett '99 Celebrations in July 1999
Some pictures of the Kett '99 Celebrations
Some News about Kett '99
The Kett '99 Commemorative Medal
The Kett Visitors Book

Written by Graham Barrell