Jake Cade alias John Mortimer
Jack (Jake) Cade died 1450, an English rebel
Very little is known of his life, but he may have come from Ireland
Sometimes he was called John Mortimer, and claimed he was a cousin of Richard, duke of York
In 1450 he was the leader of an organised uprising (Jack Cade's Rebellion) in the South of England, mainly in Kent
The protests were political, not social
Among the grievances was the Statute of Labourers
This law attempted to freeze wages and prices paid to Farmers
Other grievances were the loss of royal lands in France, and the extravagance of the court
The corruption of the royal favourites, and the breakdown of the administration of justice
The rebels defeated the royal army at Sevenoaks, Kent
They then entered London, executed Lord Saye and Sele who were blamed for the loss of the lands in France
The rebels then went on to ransack several large houses
The government (King?) offered pardon to Cade's men, but not to Cade, and so dispersed them
Cade himself was mortally wounded while resisting arrest
Four Coulsdon men took part in the uprising
One from what is now known as Coulsdon, and three from
Old Coulsdon
The Coulsdon man was John Ruckenham, whose name survives in Rickman Hill
The others were Thomas Bassett the Elder, Thomas Bassett the Younger, and John Bassett
All four men received the Kings Pardon
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