Was your ancestor a Tudor rebel at the Bayham Abbey Uprising?

What was the significance of the Bayham Abbey uprising?

Today (4 June 2025) marks the 500th anniversary of the Bayham Abbey Uprising (1525), a remarkable story of courage which saw over 100 men from the surrounding villages of Kent and Sussex, with painted faces and armed with makeshift weapons, swords and clubs, storm the abbey. The cause of their dismay? It's closure by Cardinal Wolsey.

Viewed by historians as a foretaste of the turbulent years of religious reform to follow, Bayham Abbey’s suppression and the subsequent protest is an indication of the esteem in which monastic houses were held.

This was not just a spiritual matter however - as the abbey was also a significant employer. The rioters and the men who took part in the uprising were predominantly local tradesmen, including shoemakers, labourers and farmers.

Are you descended from one of the rebels?

English Heritage, the charity that now cares for Bayham Abbey, is now launching a search for those with family connections to the protestors.

What were the names of the Bayham Abbey Uprising protesters?

Read on to discover their names, parishes of residence and the occupations they had five centuries ago.

How to learn about Medieval ancestors

Grab yourself a copy of the July 2025 issue of Family Tree, out 9 June, and available to order now. In there is the first in our series of articles to help you trace medieval people and places from 1485 back to 1066. It's the ideal guide for keen family and local historians.

About Bayham Abbey today

Today, Bayham Abbey stands as an impressive ruin, built from golden local sandstone, with much of the 13th to 15th-century church, the refectory range, and picturesque 14th-century gatehouse remaining.

Can you visit? Yes Bayham Abbey is open to the public daily for free.

There are also several objects relating to Bayham Abbey’s dissolution and uprising within English Heritage’s collection, which the charity hopes to bring out for visitors to see during the commemorative event this summer.

Precious Medieval stained glass

Amongst these is the abbey’s stained glass, one of the most important collections of medieval window glass from any monastic site in England.

Abandoned after everything of value at the abbey had been removed to be sold (including the lead holding the windows together), these fragments of glass are in a remarkably stable condition and still translucent, showing a vibrant display of patterns and colours.

Meanwhile, perhaps the most unusual piece of Bayham’s collection is its pair of ankle shackles, suggesting that Bayham may have had a prison on site for the punishment of badly behaved members of the community.

Learn more

For details about Bayham Abbey visit here. 

For the first in Family Tree's guide to help you trace people and places 1066-1485 visit here.