Knowledge (XXG)

Away with the learning of clerks, away with it!

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76:, led by a gang from Suffolk and local men who had been involved in the London riots and had returned to spread unrest. The University of Cambridge was staffed by priests and enjoyed special royal privileges, which bred resentment among the lay inhabitants of the town. The Mayor of Cambridge led the rebellion and one of the first major incidents was against the university. The university's library and archives were burnt in the centre of the town. 141:
has questioned whether the tale of Margery Starre's may, in fact, be the stuff of legend. In any case, although part of what Barker has called a "summer of blood" and "a general riot of destruction and death", Starre destroyed property but did not kill anyone, although a later attempt was made on the
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Federico notes that there are many subsequent legal appearances of women, "in the judicial records, chronicles, and poetry produced in the decade following the revolt. These texts depict women as independent leaders and maintainers of rebel bands, as instigators of others' violence, and as
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The story of this woman's violence against texts is not unknown—it has been noted several times in major studies of the revolt—but its significance as part of the much larger story of women in 1381 has been overlooked.
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has suggested that the episode illustrates that Starre and her cohorts did not realise "how little learning is to be found in most official university documents", while the medievalist
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moments of the revolt, Starre scattered the ashes to the four winds, crying out "away with the learning of clerks, away with it!" as she did so, dancing triumphantly with the mob.
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were removed. The university was particularly unpopular in Cambridge because it took a heavy-handed role in the town's policing, and because its scholars received
759: 250:, where they particularly sought what was described as "a certain ancient charter...on which there were capital letters, one gold, the other blue". 237:
described in accounts of the time as the "statutes and ordinances" of the university, although many such documents from prior to this event survive
983: 964: 888: 869: 833: 814: 795: 776: 734: 686: 667: 627: 133:, as much as the oppressive bonds charters represented, and they may have been more generally a symbol of "the establishment". The historian 35: 88: 150:, a "brief notoriety" even at a time of general notoriety, and that her "spirit of jubilant vandalism" pervaded the entire city. 1058: 195: 1043: 228:, had been one of the London rebels' first targets a few days previously; it had been ransacked and razed to the ground. 246:
Firth-Green gives other examples of the rebels' interest in seeking out official documents for destruction, such as at
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Thomas, S. S. (1997). "What the Man of Law Can't Say: The Buried Legal Argument of the Wife of Bath's 'Prologue'".
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has suggested that she reflects the "political dissatisfactions of the age" as represented by Starre in 1381.
134: 1048: 115: 130: 1068: 994: 30:, during which they sacked the university and official buildings and burnt legal documents and charters 87:, "records and writings in the house of justice" and other legal records during the Peasants' Revolt. 168: 111: 173: 181: 138: 67: 23: 945: 753: 172:(c. 1387–1400), who rips pages out of her husband's book and then later makes him burn it, while 147: 1021: 979: 960: 935: 903: 884: 865: 848: 829: 810: 791: 772: 730: 713: 682: 663: 646: 623: 104: 917:"An account of the mutiny of the inhabitants of Cambridge translated from Latin, in Preface" 916: 705: 190: 163: 159: 247: 41:). Starre is generally described as an "old woman", and she has been characterised as a 953: 177: 73: 1037: 929: 769:
The Common People of Great Britain: A History from the Norman Conquest to the Present
119: 92: 80: 999:(Speech). William Matthews Memorial Lecture. London: Birkbeck, University of London 225: 123: 1025: 939: 907: 852: 788:
Bond Men Made Free: Medieval Peasant Movements and the English Rising of 1381
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Starre may not have been averse to literacy itself, suggests the Chaucerian
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A Bibliographic History of the Book: An Annotated Guide to the Literature
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The History and Antiquities of the University of Cambridge: In Two Parts
96: 84: 34:. The call is usually ascribed to Margery (sometimes Margaret) Starre ( 637:
Colmer, D. (1973). "Character and Class in The Wife of Bath's Tale".
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Thomas has suggested that Starre was something of a precursor to
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Federico, S. (2001). "The Imaginary Society: Women in 1381".
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on 15 June and a number of chests containing the college's
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A Crisis of Truth: Literature and Law in Ricardian England
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The Peasants' Revolt: England's Failed Revolution of 1381
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accomplices with their family members in criminal acts".
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was a rallying cry of rebellious townspeople during the
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Chaucer's Approach to Gender in the Canterbury Tales
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Bibliophobia: Hatred of the Book in the Middle Ages
883:(Repr. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 952: 729:. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 107:which effectively exempted them from lay courts. 20:"Away with the learning of clerks, away with it!" 48: 807:Summer of Blood: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 746:The Original Statutes of Cambridge University 639:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 8: 622:. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 438: 91:– which had close links with the unpopular 16:Slogan of the 1381 English Peasants' Revolt 758:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 501: 976:Bosworth Field and the Wars of the Roses 423: 372: 319: 600: 588: 450: 411: 263: 207: 1054:History of the University of Cambridge 826:Writing and Rebellion: England in 1381 751: 620:1381: The Year of the Peasants' Revolt 576: 564: 489: 477: 399: 360: 290: 275: 72:On 15 June, 1381, revolt broke out in 771:. Indiana: Indiana University Press. 552: 302: 7: 864:. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. 537: 525: 513: 462: 384: 348: 336: 83:has noted the popularity of burning 767:Harrison, J. F. C. (January 1985). 662:(2nd ed.). London: Macmillan. 902:. Vol. IV. London: Longmans. 61: 14: 931:The Rising in East Anglia in 1381 122:has described as one of the more 62:The Peasants' Revolt in Cambridge 934:. Cambridge: University Press. 978:. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 110:On 16 June, the mob destroyed 1: 915:Richard Parker, ed. (1721). 660:The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 194:, and their exhortation to " 959:. London: Scarecrow Press. 180:has drawn comparisons with 1085: 698:Journal of British Studies 114:documents on a bonfire in 65: 809:. London: HarperCollins. 224:Gaunt's London home, the 725:Firth-Green (May 2002). 146:. Starre achieved, said 993:Shippey, T. A. (1999). 744:Hackett, M. B. (1970). 142:life of the University 951:Rosenblum, J. (1995). 900:The History of England 881:The Fourteenth Century 786:Hilton, R. H. (2003). 658:Dobson, R. B. (1983). 89:Corpus Christi College 53: 974:Rowse, A. L. (1966). 879:McKisack, M. (1991). 847:. London: Routledge. 790:. London: Routledge. 1059:History of Cambridge 860:Laskaya, A. (1995). 824:Justice, S. (1994). 196:kill all the lawyers 169:The Canterbury Tales 928:Powell, E. (1896). 618:Barker, J. (2004). 591:, p. 177 n.19. 402:, pp. 202–203. 351:, pp. 128–129. 154:In medieval culture 131:Susanne Sara Thomas 1014:The Chaucer Review 845:England, 1175–1425 805:Jones, D. (2010). 681:. London: Tempus. 387:, pp. 85, 87. 985:978-1-34900-040-1 966:978-0-81083-009-7 898:Oman, C. (1906). 890:978-0-19285-250-2 871:978-0-85991-481-9 843:King, E. (1979). 835:978-0-52008-325-7 816:978-0-00721-393-1 797:978-1-13437-467-0 778:978-0-25320-357-1 736:978-0-81221-809-1 688:978-0-75242-965-6 677:Dunn, A. (2004). 669:978-1-59740-548-5 629:978-0-67436-814-9 105:benefit of clergy 1076: 1044:Peasants' Revolt 1029: 1008: 1006: 1004: 989: 970: 958: 946:Full text online 943: 924: 911: 894: 875: 856: 839: 820: 801: 782: 763: 757: 749: 740: 721: 692: 673: 654: 633: 604: 598: 592: 586: 580: 574: 568: 562: 556: 550: 541: 535: 529: 523: 517: 511: 505: 499: 493: 487: 481: 475: 466: 460: 454: 448: 442: 439:Firth-Green 2002 436: 427: 421: 415: 409: 403: 397: 388: 382: 376: 370: 364: 358: 352: 346: 340: 334: 323: 317: 306: 300: 294: 288: 279: 273: 251: 244: 238: 235: 229: 222: 216: 212: 191:Henry VI, Part 3 184:'s followers of 164:The Wife of Bath 160:Geoffrey Chaucer 68:Peasants' Revolt 57: 40: 37: 24:Peasants' Revolt 1084: 1083: 1079: 1078: 1077: 1075: 1074: 1073: 1064:1381 in England 1034: 1033: 1032: 1011: 1002: 1000: 992: 986: 973: 967: 950: 927: 914: 897: 891: 878: 872: 859: 842: 836: 823: 817: 804: 798: 785: 779: 766: 750: 743: 737: 724: 695: 689: 676: 670: 657: 636: 630: 617: 613: 608: 607: 599: 595: 587: 583: 575: 571: 563: 559: 551: 544: 536: 532: 524: 520: 512: 508: 500: 496: 488: 484: 476: 469: 461: 457: 449: 445: 437: 430: 422: 418: 410: 406: 398: 391: 383: 379: 371: 367: 359: 355: 347: 343: 335: 326: 318: 309: 301: 297: 289: 282: 274: 265: 260: 255: 254: 248:St Albans Abbey 245: 241: 236: 232: 223: 219: 213: 209: 204: 156: 70: 64: 59: 56:Sylvia Federico 55: 38: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1082: 1080: 1072: 1071: 1066: 1061: 1056: 1051: 1046: 1036: 1035: 1031: 1030: 1009: 990: 984: 971: 965: 948: 925: 912: 895: 889: 876: 870: 857: 840: 834: 821: 815: 802: 796: 783: 777: 764: 741: 735: 722: 710:10.1086/386239 704:(2): 159–183. 693: 687: 674: 668: 655: 634: 628: 614: 612: 609: 606: 605: 593: 581: 579:, p. 338. 569: 567:, p. 268. 557: 555:, p. 180. 542: 540:, p. 128. 530: 528:, p. 159. 518: 516:, p. 173. 506: 502:Rosenblum 1995 494: 492:, p. 265. 482: 467: 455: 443: 441:, p. 200. 428: 426:, p. 493. 416: 404: 389: 377: 365: 363:, p. 208. 353: 341: 339:, p. 127. 324: 322:, p. 159. 307: 295: 293:, p. 324. 280: 262: 261: 259: 256: 253: 252: 239: 230: 217: 206: 205: 203: 200: 178:Thomas Shippey 174:Dorothy Colmer 155: 152: 79:The historian 74:Cambridgeshire 66:Main article: 63: 60: 47: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1081: 1070: 1067: 1065: 1062: 1060: 1057: 1055: 1052: 1050: 1049:Book burnings 1047: 1045: 1042: 1041: 1039: 1027: 1023: 1019: 1015: 1010: 998: 997: 991: 987: 981: 977: 972: 968: 962: 957: 956: 949: 947: 941: 937: 933: 932: 926: 922: 918: 913: 909: 905: 901: 896: 892: 886: 882: 877: 873: 867: 863: 858: 854: 850: 846: 841: 837: 831: 827: 822: 818: 812: 808: 803: 799: 793: 789: 784: 780: 774: 770: 765: 761: 755: 747: 742: 738: 732: 728: 723: 719: 715: 711: 707: 703: 699: 694: 690: 684: 680: 675: 671: 665: 661: 656: 652: 648: 644: 640: 635: 631: 625: 621: 616: 615: 610: 602: 597: 594: 590: 585: 582: 578: 573: 570: 566: 561: 558: 554: 549: 547: 543: 539: 534: 531: 527: 522: 519: 515: 510: 507: 504:, p. 13. 503: 498: 495: 491: 486: 483: 479: 474: 472: 468: 465:, p. 72. 464: 459: 456: 453:, p. 72. 452: 447: 444: 440: 435: 433: 429: 425: 424:McKisack 1991 420: 417: 413: 408: 405: 401: 396: 394: 390: 386: 381: 378: 375:, p. 96. 374: 373:Harrison 1985 369: 366: 362: 357: 354: 350: 345: 342: 338: 333: 331: 329: 325: 321: 320:Federico 2001 316: 314: 312: 308: 305:, p. 13. 304: 299: 296: 292: 287: 285: 281: 278:, p. 52. 277: 272: 270: 268: 264: 257: 249: 243: 240: 234: 231: 227: 221: 218: 211: 208: 201: 199: 197: 193: 192: 187: 183: 179: 175: 171: 170: 165: 162:'s character 161: 153: 151: 149: 145: 140: 139:Alastair Dunn 136: 132: 127: 125: 121: 120:Juliet Barker 117: 116:Market Square 113: 108: 106: 102: 98: 94: 93:John of Gaunt 90: 86: 82: 81:Barrie Dobson 77: 75: 69: 58: 52: 46: 44: 33: 29: 25: 21: 1069:Battle cries 1017: 1013: 1001:. Retrieved 995: 975: 954: 930: 920: 899: 880: 861: 844: 825: 806: 787: 768: 748:. Cambridge. 745: 726: 701: 697: 678: 659: 642: 638: 619: 611:Bibliography 601:Shippey 1999 596: 589:Laskaya 1995 584: 572: 560: 533: 521: 509: 497: 485: 480:, p. x. 458: 451:Justice 1994 446: 419: 414:, p. 3. 412:Hackett 1970 407: 380: 368: 356: 344: 298: 242: 233: 226:Savoy Palace 220: 210: 189: 167: 157: 128: 109: 78: 71: 54: 49: 31: 19: 18: 1020:: 256–271. 645:: 329–339. 577:Colmer 1973 565:Thomas 1997 490:Thomas 1997 478:Barker 2004 400:Hilton 2003 361:Dobson 1983 291:Barker 2004 276:Powell 1896 182:Shakespeare 135:Edmund King 39: 1381 26:of 1381 in 1038:Categories 553:Jones 2010 303:Rowse 1966 258:References 124:picaresque 118:. In what 112:university 1026:423575825 940:458112570 908:847208551 853:933801920 754:cite book 718:931172994 651:315792363 538:Dunn 2004 526:Dunn 2004 514:King 1979 463:Oman 1906 385:Dunn 2004 349:Dunn 2004 337:Dunn 2004 186:Jack Cade 148:Dan Jones 101:muniments 28:Cambridge 85:charters 32:en masse 1003:23 June 1024:  982:  963:  938:  906:  887:  868:  851:  832:  813:  794:  775:  733:  716:  685:  666:  649:  626:  97:sacked 95:— was 43:beldam 202:Notes 188:, in 144:bedel 1022:OCLC 1005:2019 980:ISBN 961:ISBN 936:OCLC 904:OCLC 885:ISBN 866:ISBN 849:OCLC 830:ISBN 811:ISBN 792:ISBN 773:ISBN 760:link 731:ISBN 714:OCLC 683:ISBN 664:ISBN 647:OCLC 624:ISBN 706:doi 198:". 166:of 36:fl. 1040:: 1018:31 1016:. 944:, 919:. 756:}} 752:{{ 712:. 702:40 700:. 643:72 641:. 545:^ 470:^ 431:^ 392:^ 327:^ 310:^ 283:^ 266:^ 45:. 1028:. 1007:. 988:. 969:. 942:. 923:. 910:. 893:. 874:. 855:. 838:. 819:. 800:. 781:. 762:) 739:. 720:. 708:: 691:. 672:. 653:. 632:. 603:.

Index

Peasants' Revolt
Cambridge
beldam
Peasants' Revolt
Cambridgeshire
Barrie Dobson
charters
Corpus Christi College
John of Gaunt
sacked
muniments
benefit of clergy
university
Market Square
Juliet Barker
picaresque
Susanne Sara Thomas
Edmund King
Alastair Dunn
bedel
Dan Jones
Geoffrey Chaucer
The Wife of Bath
The Canterbury Tales
Dorothy Colmer
Thomas Shippey
Shakespeare
Jack Cade
Henry VI, Part 3
kill all the lawyers

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