The best name in human history

One of my favourite 'this has to be a joke, doesn't it' moments from history comes from the Peasant's Revolt of 1381.

After the Black Death in 1348 in which about half (yes, half) of those in England died over a period of about six months to a year, the changes in labour supply meant that labourers could charge more for their work. Steep wage inflation followed. This led to some emergency legislation from 1349 to 1351 that attempted to fix wages at the levels they were prior to the plague. It also became a crime to not work or to break an existing contract.

In the decades that followed, discontent grew amongst the peasantry. Constant and insanely expensive (and mostly unsuccessful) attempts to invade France only added fuel to the fire, with a new "poll tax" introduced that was basically what we might call these days a 'whip-round' of the entire population being the final straw.

Note: The poll taxes were bloody ridiculous, by the way. The last of them was a flat rate for all people over the age of 15, meaning the gentry paid next to nothing in relative terms, while the peasants were hung out to dry.

So, in 1381, they finally revolted after new tax commissioners were created with extraordinary powers to interrogate local villagers in attempts to find those refusing to pay.

Who was the first recorded act of violence against in the Peasants Revolt of 1381? A revolt driven by a refusal to pay taxes?

William Payable.

Bill Payable.