The material culture of rebellion in Kent, 1450–1451

This article takes inspiration from recent work which brings the concerns of the ‘material turn’ into dialogue with the historiography of late medieval politics and revolt. Using Cade’s rebellion of May–July 1450 and its sequel in Kent as a case study, the article is an attempt to discover what results when an investigation of late medieval revolt commences with a focus on objects and possessions. Two main areas are considered: the goods taken from the rebels via forfeiture to the crown, and the goods the rebels themselves took from their opponents. The conclusions drawn for each area contrast in interesting ways. The role of objects in the repression of revolt was relatively restricted, since forfeiture played hardly any role in Cade’s revolt proper, and was targeted selectively at a small group in the post-Cade risings. By contrast, giving attention to insurgents’ spoliation of their enemies helps us to appreciate hitherto neglected aspects of these important disturbances.