Robert Kett
(1492-1549)
yeoman farmer and farmer
Died aged c. 57
Wikidata WikipediaRobert Kett (c. 1492 – 7 December 1549) was the leader of Kett's Rebellion. Kett was the fourth son of Thomas Kett, of Forncett, Norfolk and his wife Margery. He is thought to have been a tanner, but he certainly held the manor of Wymondham in Norfolk. With his brother William he led the men of Wymondham in their quarrel with a certain John Flowerdew, tearing down the enclosure fences Flowerdew had erected on the Hethersett common, and having thus come into prominence, he headed the men of Norfolk when they rose in rebellion in 1549 owing to the hardships inflicted by the extensive enclosures of common lands and by the general policy of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, then Lord Protector. A feast held at Wymondham in July 1549 developed into a riot and gave the signal for the outbreak. Leading his followers to Norwich, Kett formed a camp on Mousehold Heath, where he is said to have commanded 16,000 men, introduced a regular system of discipline, administered justice and blockaded the city. He refused the royal offer of an amnesty on the grounds that innocent and just men had no need of pardon, and on 1 August 1549 attacked and took possession of Norwich. John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, marched against the rebels, and after his offer of pardon had been rejected he forced his way into the city, driving its defenders before him. Then, strengthened by the arrival of some foreign mercenaries, he attacked the main body of the rebels at on 27 August. Although Kett's men were faced with a trained soldiery, the battle saw fierce fighting and lasted most of the day: but Kett's men were ultimately defeated and Robert and William Kett were seized and taken to London, where they were condemned to death for treason. On 7 December 1549 Robert was executed at Norwich, and his body was hanged on the top of the castle, while that of William was hanged on the church tower at Wymondham. The Kett line still survives to this day. Wikisource has original text related to this article:Kett’s Demands Being in Rebellion
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Commemorated on 3 plaques
In 1549 AD Robert Kett yeoman farmer of Wymondham was executed by hanging in this castle after the defeat of the Norfolk Rebellion of which he was the leader In 1949 AD - four hundred years later - this memorial was placed here by the citizens of Norwich in reparation and honour to a notable and courageous leader in the long struggle of the common people of England to escape from a servile life into the freedom of just conditions
Norwich Castle, Norwich, United Kingdom where they was hanged
Seeking a fairer society in Norfolk, Robert Kett supported by his brother William, led a rebellion of more than 15000 people in 1549. The rising was crushed and over 3000 died. On 7th December1549 Robert was hanged for treason at Norwich Castle and William from Wymondham Abbey's west tower. This plaque was erected in 1999 to remember the man and his struggle for a more just society in Norfolk.
Church Street, Wymondham, United Kingdom where they led a rebellion
Bishop Bridge 1340 The only surviving medieval bridge in Norwich. Robert Kett and the Earl of Warwick's troops fought a battle on the approach to the bridge in 1549.
Low wall on side of bridge facing Riverside Road, Norwich, United Kingdom where they fought (1549)