Thomas Baker, an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

landowner, was one of the leaders who initiated the

Peasants' Revolt The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Blac ...

of 1381. Thomas Baker's holding was "Pokattescroft alias Bakerescroft" in

Fobbing Fobbing is a small village and former civil parish in Thurrock, Essex, England and one of Thurrock's traditional (Church of England) parishes. It is located between Basildon and Corringham, and is also close to Stanford-le-Hope. In 1931 the pa ...

. This holding still exists, although by the time of the 19th-century

tithe map The term tithe map is usually applied to a map of an English or Welsh parish or township, prepared following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836. This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods. The map and its accompanying schedule gave ...

it had become known as Whitehall Six Acres Randal Bingley, ''Hanged on the 4th of July'' (in Panorama - the Journal of the Thurrock Local History Society, 1996)

Role in the Revolt

The Peasants' Revolt was triggered by incidents in the

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

villages of

and Brentwood. On 30 May, John Brampton attempted to collect the poll tax from villagers at Fobbing. The villagers, led by Thomas Baker, a local landowner, told Brampton that they would give him nothing and he was forced to leave the village empty handed. Robert Belknap, Chief Justice of Common Pleas, was sent to investigate the incident and to punish the offenders. On 2 June, he was attacked at Brentwood. By this time the violent discontent had spread, and the counties of Essex and

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

were in full revolt. Soon people moved on

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in an armed uprising.Maurice Hugh Keen, ''England in the Later Middle Ages: A Political History'' (Routledge, 1975)

Death

For his role in the uprising, Thomas Baker was

hanged, drawn, and quartered To be hanged, drawn and quartered became a statutory penalty for men convicted of high treason in the Kingdom of England from 1352 under King Edward III (1327–1377), although similar rituals are recorded during the reign of King Henry III ( ...

on 4 July 1381 at

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It ...

. Randal Bingley, ''Fobbing, Life and Landscape'' (Pheon Heritage in association with Thurrock Council Museum, 1997)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Thomas English revolutionaries Year of birth missing 1381 deaths People from Fobbing Peasants' Revolt Executed people from Essex 14th-century English landowners English rebels People executed under the Plantagenets by hanging, drawing and quartering