The Battle of North Walsham ended the last major armed resistance of the English Peasants' Revolt of 1381.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 or 26 June 1381
- Location
- Near North Walsham, Norfolk, England
- Rebel leader
- Geoffrey Litster, called 'King of the Commons'
- Royal/Church commander
- Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich
- Outcome
- Decisive defeat of the peasant rebels
- Aftermath
- Litster captured and executed by Despenser
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the summer of 1381, the Peasants' Revolt spread across East Anglia, with local rebels under Geoffrey Litster rising against the established order. Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich, mobilised his retinue and gathered additional aristocratic support, moving through East Anglia towards Norwich and then to North Walsham to confront the insurgents.
At North Walsham, Despenser's heavily armed forces met the rebel peasants in open battle. Medieval chronicles differ on the exact course of fighting, but the rebels were decisively defeated. The bishop's professional military force overwhelmed the insurgents, bringing organised armed resistance in East Anglia to an end.
Following the battle, Geoffrey Litster was captured and executed under Despenser's orders. The defeat marked the final significant military resistance of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, effectively ending the rebellion in East Anglia. The fate of the broader rebel army remains disputed among contemporary records and later histories.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich.
Side B
1 belligerent
Geoffrey Litster.