William Grindecobbe motivated at least in part to rebel as a result of the pressures of papal taxation. Along with Wat Tyler and John Wrawe, he was one of the key leaders of the peasants during the revolt of 1381, leading the townspeople of St Alban's on 15 June. He was executed in 1381 along with John Wrawe and John Ball. His trial and execution was overseen by Henry le Despenser. During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, he became well known for his actions against the high lord Thomas de la Mare, Abbot of St. Albans. He led a deputation to King
Peasants' revolt in Palestine accounts by people living in Palestine's towns and villages. By the 20th century, the revolt was also largely absent in the Palestinian collective memory. According to Kimmerling, "the humiliating and traumatic events of 1834 were conveniently erased from the collective memory". During the decades that followed the revolt, the elite classes in Palestine still wanted to maintain healthy relations with the Khedivate in Egypt and the urban population were not keen to glorify a revolt largely led by peasants. This differed from the attitude of the peasantry who continued to hold the revolt's leader, Qasim al-Ahmad, in high regard during