Heresy
Oldcastle's Revolt
Lollardy might have been on the same road in England as Catharism had been in 13th century France. There's at least some evidence that the movement was grew steadily in the thirty years after Wyclif's death. In England as in France, a key element in survival was support from the lay nobility, and here matters in England took a different course.
One of the chief Lollard supporters in the early 15th century was Sir John Oldcastle. Henry IV had never felt strong enough to move against Oldcastle, but the young Henry V was a devout Catholic and ardent pursuer of heretics. He proceeded almost at once, calling Oldcastle to court. When the man refused, Henry had him arrested, in 1413.
Oldcastle was detained in the Tower of London, but he was rescued and he fled back to his own lands. There, in central England, he raised the standard of rebellion. We can get some idea of the centers of Lollardy by seeing what towns and knights responded to the call.
The rebellion accomplished nothing, for Oldcastle was betrayed, arrested and executed. It did, however, preclude any chance of Lollard beliefs gaining general acceptance in England. Before Oldcastle's revolt, there were moves to bring Lollard reform proposals before Parliament. After the failure of the revolt, not only were no such moves made, Parliament became active in suppressing Lollardy. For the revolt seemed to confirm the accusation that Lollardy meant social disorder and revolution. After this, Lollardy could never be more than an underground movement.