1377 London riots

The 1377 London riots were riots in London against John of Gaunt's high handed behaviour towards London. They were part of the wider London guild conflicts of the 1370s and 1380s.

Background

In the last years of Edward III, his third son John of Gaunt had become the effective ruler of England. He was unpopular both in London and in the wider country. Edward the Black Prince, Edward's heir, led a reform effort that culminated in the Good Parliament which put in a lot of reforms in the management of the country generally unfavourable to Gaunt, including impeaching his key London ally Richard Lyons and bringing in a new system of electing the Court of Common Council.

However towards the end of the Good Parliament the Black Prince died, leading the way for John of Gaunt to reassert control over government.

Bad Parliament

Part of Gaunt's reaction was to call a new Parliament, known as the Bad Parliament packed with his supporters aiming to repeal the reform measures of the Good Parliament and to reassert Gaunt's control over the government.

Within this Parliament Gaunt proposed on 19 February to replace the Lord Mayor of London, elected by the citizens of London, with a captain appointed by the crown. At the same time he proposed giving the Marshal of England - at that time his ally Henry Percy - power of arrest within the city.

Insulting the Bishop of London

This was also coupled with insulting behaviour from Gault and Percy towards William Courtenay the Bishop of London at the trial of John Wycliffe a few hours later.

In 1377,^[1] Wycliffe's ideas on lordship and church wealth caused his first official condemnation by Pope Gregory XI, who censured 19 articles of De civili dominio.^[1] He was summoned before William Courtenay, Bishop of London, to a convocation on 19 February 1377^[2] at St Paul's Cathedral.^[3] The exact charges are not known, as the matter did not get as far as a definite examination.^{[citation needed]} Lechler suggests that Wycliffe was targeted by John of Gaunt's opponents among the nobles and church hierarchy.^{[4][page needed]} Gaunt, the Earl Marshal Henry Percy, and a number of other armed supporters accompanied Wycliffe.^[2] A hostile crowd gathered at the church,^[3] and at the entrance, party animosities began to show,^{[citation needed]} and there was an angry exchange between the Bishop of London and John of Gaunt^[3] about whether Wycliffe could sit.^[5]

Mural depicting trial of the 19 February 1377. One of The Manchester Murals by Ford Madox Brown. Gaunt is shown demonstrating with William Courtenay while a barefoot Wycliffe looks on. Geoffrey Chaucer is depicted as one of the scribes.

Gaunt declared that he would humble the pride of the English clergy and their partisans, hinting at the intent to secularise the possessions of the Church. The assembly broke up and Gaunt and his partisans departed with their protégé.^[6] Anti-Gaunt riots followed the next day in London. Most of the English clergy were irritated by this encounter, and attacks upon Wycliffe began.

Riots

There were riots in London following day, when Lancaster and Percy had to fly for their lives.

Aftermath

Lancaster failed to prevent the deputation of the citizens, headed by Philipot, from obtaining an interview with the old King, who heard their explanations and gave them a gracious answer. But the Duke was implacable, and the city officers sought to appease him by a somewhat humiliating reparation. The citizens as a body, however, would have nothing to do with it, and though the King, at Lancaster's instigation, turned out Adam Stable as mayor they at once (21 March) chose Brembre in his stead.^[7][8][9]