Common Sources used

Question 1

John Blacman, A Compilation of the meekness and Good Life of King Henry VI

Latin Chronicle

Answer 1

• Part of a campaign to protray Henry as a saint (propaganda reasons for Henry VII, who needed a descendant worthy of Lancastrian blood)
• Very personal since Blacman was Henry’s chaplain for a while
• Is critical by ommission, doesn’t mention Henry as a ruler and turns his public vices into private virtues (e.g. favouring his friends = charity)

Question 2

John Capgrave, the Liber de Illustribus Henricis

Latin Chronicle

Answer 2

• Capgrave was a friar
• He focused on Henry’s saintly qualities but found very little positives about his ability to rule.

Question 3

Benet’s Chronicle

Latin Chronicle

Answer 3

• Well-informed on meetings of parliament, meetings of the royal council and the movement of the king’s household.
• Probably first hand knowledge of Cade’s rebellion
• Pro - Yorkist

Question 4

Chronicon Angliae / Giles’ Chroncile

Latin Chronicle

Answer 4

• Anonymous latin chronicle probably written by a clerc
• It seems to be an independent minded account of Henry’s reign from 1437 (e.g. no sympathy for York after the Dartford Coup)

Question 5

Annales Rerum Anglicarum

Latin Chronicle

Answer 5

Seems better informed on certain issues than other chorniclers

Question 6

John Whethampsted and the St Albans Registers

Latin Chronicle

Answer 6

• John was the abbot of St Albans and influenced the registrars before he left
• St Albans was well situated geographically for recieving news of developments from London
• It was generally pro-yorkist, but not uncritically so

Question 7

Crowland / Croyland Chronicles

Latin Chronicle

Answer 7

• Pro-Yorkist persepective
• Seems quite well informed about certain aspects of the period

Question 8

Polydore Vergil, Anglica Historia

Latin Chronicle

Answer 8

• Was dubed the Tudor History of the Wars of the Roses, its writing was encouraged by Henry VII
• Blames York for the outbreak of the War of the Roses

Question 9

The Brut and the English Chronicle

Vernacular Chronicles

Answer 9

• Firmly Pro-Yorkist
• The Brut is less detailed but the English Chronicle has lots of detalis about Cade’s rebellion (which it talks about quite independant-mindedly), the political manouvres resutling in the First battle of St Albans, The Loveday and a detailed account of the battles fought in 1459-61 and their significance

Question 10

The London Chronciles (including Gregory’s Chroncile, Bale’s Chronicle and the Short English Chroncile)

Vernacular Chronicle

Answer 10

• Usually Anonymous and Pro-Yorkist
• Well informed on issues in or surrounding London

Question 11

Harding’s Chroncile

Vernacular Chronicle

Answer 11

• The First version was written by a former soldier and presented to Henry
• The second was dedicated intitially to York and then to Edward IV and is more Yorkist in tone

Question 12

Chronicle of John Warkworth

Vernacular Chronicle

Answer 12

• Critical of Edward IV
• Shows more interest in the North of England than most chroniclers

Question 13

Chronicle of Jean de Waurin

Vernacular Chronicle

Answer 13

• pro Yorkist
• He was a burgundian (Edward married his sister to Charles the Bold of Burgundy, and later escaped there himself in 1471, pointing toward a pro Yorkist stance)

Question 14

Chancery Patent Rolls

Official Record

Answer 14

Are good at telling who benefitted from royal patronage, who didn’t and recording what pardons were granted

Question 15

Exchequer Archives

Official Record

Answer 15

Good on the state of Lancastrian finances

Question 16

Records of the Court of the King’s Bench

Official Record

Answer 16

Criminal records of lawelessness, riot and rebellion

Question 17

Parliamentary Records

Official Record

Answer 17

Tell a fair amount on what was done in parliament

Question 18

Pro-Yorkist Propaganda

Answer 18

• Cade’s rebel’s manifesto, June 1450
• A public bill issued by York complaining that justice wasn’t being upheld, October 1450
• A manifesto issued by York from Shrewsbury complaining about Somerset, February 1452
• The Yorkists ensured that a letter justifying their role was entered on the parliament role in the aftermath of St Albans
• Warwick’s manifesto calling for better enforcement of the law, 1459
• There was a comprehensive list of Henry’s shortcomings as King issued from Calais which Warwick is also probably responsible for

Question 19

Government Sponsored Lancastrian Propaganda

Answer 19

• York’s public oath of allegiance to Henry at St Paul following the Dartford Coup (10 March 1452)
• The long recital of York’s treacheries since 1450 which precluded the act of attainder passed by the Parliament of Devils (Coventry Parliament).