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Jack Straw (probably the same person as Rackstraw) was one of the three leaders (together with John Ball and Wat Tyler) of the Peasants' Revolt or Great Rising of 1381, a major event in the history of Britain.
Little is known of the three leaders. It has been suggested that Jack Straw may have been a preacher, but his name may suggest a link to thatching. Some have suggested that the name may have been a pseudonym for Wat Tyler or other peasants' leaders.
According to information in the church of St Mary in Great Baddow, in Essex, England, Jack Straw led an ill-fated crowd from the churchyard to one of the risings.
The British politician John Whitaker Straw (born 1946) adopted the name Jack Straw after the rebel leader.
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