They say that the commons of England would first destroy the king's friends and afterward himself, and then bring the Duke of York to be king so that by their false means and lies they may make him to hate and destroy his friends, and cherish his false traitors.

Despite the well-known anger of the peasants towards the Duke and their efforts to rid England of corrupt high officials the Bill of Complaints dismissed the idea that the rebels were responsible. M. M.

Promised pardons and reforms many of the rebels were instead declared traitors and Cade was killed in a small skirmish on 12 July 1450 near Lewes in Sussex. Cade's power-base was Kent from which he led an army of as many as 5000 against London causing the King to flee to Warwickshire. The revolt arose from local grievances linked to the weakness and corruption of the king's regime.