Disorder, Riot and Governance in Early Tudor London: Evil May Day, 1517.

The article focuses on the 1517 Evil May Day riot in London, an anti-immigrant disturbance by predominantly young English artisans against foreign craftsmen and merchants, and the extraordinary Crown response to it. Although the riot itself was relatively ordinary and caused limited property damage, King Henry VIII’s government prosecuted the rioters for high treason rather than the usual minor charge of riot, resulting in at least fifteen, and possibly up to forty-three, executions within the city walls. This harsh reaction, driven by the king’s fear and anger and orchestrated by Cardinal Wolsey and royal officials, aimed to assert royal authority and send a warning to the London civic elite, who were seen as negligent or complicit. The riot reflected broader tensions in early Tudor London involving labor competition, immigration, masculine identities, and governance, while the Crown’s severe judicial spectacle underscored the political and diplomatic importance of protecting foreign merchants amid complex international alliances. Despite the brutal suppression, anti-immigrant hostility persisted in London’s social and economic life in subsequent decades.