1491-97 Perkin Warbeck Flashcards
Outline Warbeck’s rebellion
Perkin Warbeck claimed to be Richard, Duke of York - one of the Princes in the Tower. He won support from some nobles and, at times, foreign powers. However his attempted invasion in 1497 ended in defeat in the West Country. He was captured and executed in 1499
Who did Warbeck pretend to be?
Richard, Duke of York who had likely been murdered when Henry seized the throne
Which foreign powers did Warbeck have support from?
France, Burgundy, and Scotland
Where did Warbeck’s rebellion take place?
Cork 1491
Kent 1495
About a mile south of the Scottish border 1496
Cornwall 1497
Which foreign leaders did Warbeck have support from?
Emperor Maximilian James IV of Scotland Margaret of Burgundy Charles VIII of France Earl of Desmond (Ireland)
What happened in 1495 at Deal?
Landing at Deal in Kent is a fiasco. No local support – Kentish forces rout Warbeck’s army and he doesn’t even land himself
Outline the Scottish invasion in 1496
Scottish invasion is backed by James IV. It is poorly resourced and ends after a week when the north fails to rise in support and an English army approaches. This Scottish invasion forces Henry to raise the tax which was the cause of the Cornish Rebellion
Why was Warbeck’s claim to be the Duke of York so threatening to Henry?
Henry’s position was vulnerable as the Duke of York had a stronger claim than he did
Which nobles were involved in Warbeck’s rebellion?
Lord Fitzwater
Sir William Stanley
How did Henry deal with Warbeck initially?
Initially Henry used his spies in European courts which kept him informed of the movements of Warbeck
What pre-emptive action was taken by Henry to deal with Warbeck?
Pressure was put on foreign powers not to support him and Stanley was executed for supporting Warbeck
How did Warbeck’s rebellion impact the government?
The challenge of Warbeck affected Henry’s relations with Burgundy, France, and Scotland. Henry signed the Treaty of Étaples with France and the Treaty of Ayton with Scotland to prevent their support for pretenders. He put a trade embargo on Burgundy
Why is Warbeck’s rebellion considered to be a moderate threat?
Warbeck was active for many years and a more convincing pretender than Simnel. He obtained support from France, Burgundy, Ireland and Scotland. His great failure was to fail to generate significant backing in England, all his backers, whether kings or Cornish commoners, had motives other than believing in Warbeck as king
Which nobles were involved in the suppression of Warbeck?
Earl of Devon
Lord Daubeney
Willoughby de Broke
Why did Warbeck’s rebellion fail?
Warbeck depended entirely for others for his power – he was vulnerable to changes in their plans
Eg loss of foreign support after failed attempts to invade Kent and from Scotland
Support in Cornwall was due to ongoing resentment in aftermath of 1497 Cornish rebellion
Henry was much more firmly established on the throne – most nobles saw little point in risking all for Warbeck.
Not a single major English figure, or even member of the gentry, backed Warbeck
Henry’s intelligence service was very efficient. It found out who Warbeck really was and neutralised potential supporters with bonds before the landing in Kent
