Chapter 1 - Consolidation of Power

Question 1

How did Richard III gain the throne?

Answer 1

• Edward IV died - young son Edward V = king
• Richard - uncle - ‘helps’ rule
• Usurps the throne because - Ed IV backed out of an arranged marriage so claims his son is illegitimate
• Edward V put in tower (princes in the tower)
• Richard = King Richard III

Question 2

Who had better claims to the throne than Henry?

Answer 2

• Richard III
• Elizabeth of York
• Earl of Warwick
• De la Poles (Suffolk, Lincoln, Richard)

Question 3

What was Henry’s claim through his mother?

Answer 3

• Descendent of Edward III through Lancaster line
• Was from illegitimate child of a third marriage - out of wedlock
• Was through the mother - lines never run through women

Question 4

What was Henry’s claim through his father?

Answer 4

• Son of Henry V’s wife and second husband

Question 5

Who did Henry have as allies in Britain?

Answer 5

• Lord Thomas Stanley - step father
• Sir William Stanley - step uncle
• Earl of Oxford - mate

Question 6

When was the Battle of Bosworth?

Answer 6

• 22nd August 1485

Question 7

How was Richard prepared for the Battle of Bosworth?

Answer 7

• 15,000 men
• Refused to flee during the battle

Question 8

Who was the Earl of Northumberland?

Answer 8

• Led Richard’s rear guard - about 7000 men
• Didn’t join the battle - ‘couldn’t cross the marsh’

Question 9

What was Henry’s army like?

Answer 9

• 5000 men
• Led by Oxford - crushed Richard’s vanguard to drop morale of Richard’s army

Question 10

How did the Stanleys help in the battle?

Answer 10

• Had 6000 men between them
• Joined the battle as the standard fell to help Henry
• William later crowned him
• Had only wanted to back a winner - only William properly joined the battle

Question 11

How did Henry consolidate his power publicly?
(4 things)

Answer 11

• Pre-dated reign to day before Bosworth - anyone who had fought for Richard = traitor
• Publicly rewarded supporters - knighthoods etc
• 30th Oct - coronation - before 1st parliament (7th Nov) to show he was king from hereditary right not just bc parliament said so
• Detained the Earl of Warwick

Question 12

How did he consolidate his reign in politics?
(3 ways)

Answer 12

• Key council appointments - Sir William Stanley = Lord Chamberlain, Sir Reginald Bray = Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Acts of Attainder - declared landowners guilty of rebelling against a monarch - to Yorkists who fought at Bosworth - property forfeit to crown - inc revenue
• Tonnage & Poundage - revenue from imports and exports

Question 13

How did he ensure his dynsaty?

Answer 13

• Jan 1486 - married Elizabeth of York - merges houses - inc claim
• Sep 1486 - have son - Arthur - heir secured

Question 14

Who was Margaret of Burgundy and why was she so bothered?

Answer 14

• Sister to Edward IV & Richard III
• Opposed Henry’s Lancastrian rule

Question 15

When was the Lovell rebellion?

Answer 15

• 1486

Question 16

Who was involved in the Lovell threat?

Answer 16

• Viscount Lovell - Richard III supporter - tried o raise support in Yorkshire
• Stafford - tried to raise forces in Midlands

Question 17

How was the Lovell threat stopped?

Answer 17

• Lovell escaped King’s forces - fled to Burgundy
• Humphrey Stafford - executed
• Thomas Stafford - pardoned
• Low support - easily dealt with

Question 18

When was the Lambert Simnel threat?

Answer 18

• 1486 - 7

Question 19

Who was involved in the Simnel rebellion?

Answer 19

• Lambert Simnel - fake Earl of Warwick - crowned king in Ireland in 1487
• Earl of Lincoln - John de la Pole - York claimant

Question 20

How did Henry deal with the threat?

Answer 20

• Displayed the real Warwick in London
• Lincoln fled to Burgundy and joins Lovell
• Reinstates Northumberland - neutralises Richard’s power base and stops the Howard family

Question 21

What was the battle of Stoke field and how did it occur?

Answer 21

• 1487
• Lincoln persuades Margaret to send mercenaries - land in Cumberland - try to gain support in Yorkshire - people reluctant
• Henry goes to battle - led by Oxford - Lincoln killed
• Mild treatment of rebels and bonds of good behaviour introduced

Question 22

When was the Perkin Warbeck threat?

Answer 22

• 1491-9

Question 23

What did Warbeck do?

Answer 23

• Claimed to be Richard Duke of York

Question 24

Where did Warbeck go and when?

Answer 24

• 1491 - impersonating in Ireland
• 1492 - France - court of Charles VIII
• 1493 - Burgundy - nobility training
• 1495 - attempts to land in Kent - Fiasco
• William Stanley revealed as traitor and helping
• 1496 - Scotland - James IV - border raid on Eng for Warbeck - James married Henry’s daughter - no support anymore

Question 25

How is Warbeck eventually dealt with?

Answer 25

• 1497 - eventually captured but allowed to stay at court
• Tries to escape
• Captured and executed with Warwick who is accused of trying to escape with him

Question 26

What was the Suffolk threat?

Answer 26

• Suffolk and Richard - de la Poles - better claimants to the throne

Question 27

What happened to Suffolk?

Answer 27

• 1498 - fled to Flanders
• 1501 - returns but flees again to emperor Maximilian - as long as Margaret was against Henry he was safe
• 1506 Treaty of Windsor - better relations - Maximilian gave up Suffolk - was imprisoned
• Later killed by Henry VIII

Question 28

What happened to Richard?

Answer 28

• Was in exile
• Died in French forces in Pavia 1525