Consolidation of power Flashcards
What happened before Henry sized the throne?
-Eng experienced political instability in 15th c -> unsuccessful reign of Henry VI -> 1455-1485 outbreak of the Wars of the Roses between royal houses of Lancaster and York.
How did Henry manage to sieze the throne?
-The unpopularity of Yorkist Richard III -> Battle of Bosworth Aug 1485
-Victory terminated Plantagenet rule
-Grasp of power = insecure
-Virtually no discernible claim
-Many enemies
=essential to est dynasty and ensure any rivals were dealt with firmly
Why was Henry’s claim weak?
- Descended through female line, his mother Lady Margaret Beaufort.
- Beaufort line came from John of Gaunt’s 3rd wife; their son was born before marriage -> illegitimate.
- H7 was Lancastrian claimant only because there was no other suitable candidate.
How was Henry’s reign characterised in the early years?
1.Insecurity and fears of a potential Yorkist challenge.
2.Proclaimed King hesitantly by Lord Stanley (H7 stepfather) -> rewarded with title Earl of Derby.
3. He was cheered on his arrival in London as the unpopularity of Richard III was enough for the public to accept H7.
How was Henry’s character shaped?
-Not brought up to rule - lived in exile in Brittany since age 14 following Yorkist victory at Battle of Tewksbury - many of his relations died or executed.
-Fled to Fr where he lived as a fugitive in the Duchy of Brittany.
-Personality traits = shrewd, calculating, self-restrained.
What was Henry’s main aim and how would he achieve this?
-To consolidate power to keep his throne through political actions and military success.
-He had to reduce power of nobles who had used previous period of instability to enhance their own authority.
-Also had to improve Crown’s financial position and secure recognition of foreign powers.
What were 8 immediate steps Henry took to consolidate his power?
- Dated reign 21 Aug (day before BoB) - anyone who fought Yorkist = traitor.
- Publically rewarded key supporters - e.g. conferred 11 knighthoods.
- Detained Eliz of York (daughter of EdIV), imprisoned E of Warwick (EdIV’s nephew) - BOTH had claim, could be seen much greater.
- Key appointments to Council and household - e.g. Sir Reginald Bray = Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Sir William Stanley = Chamberlain of the Household.
- Coronation 30th Oct (before 1st Parli) - to show his right to throne was hereditary right and not only because Parliament sanctioned it - more than just a public ceremony = signified approval of Ch and God, nobles swore oath of loyalty, rebellion defined as sin against God and crime against state
- Parliamentary Acts of Attainder passed in 1st parli against Yorkists who fought at BoB; property forfeited Crown -> increased crown revenue. Enhanced when parli granted him customs revenue of tonnage and poundage for life
- Married Eliz of York Jan 1486 (daughter of EdIV) -> ensured his taking of crown not due to wife, able to exploit propaganda of Tudor Rose -> union of houses of Lancaster and York.
- Sept 1486 Prince Arthur born - secured male heir = vital
Who was Sir William Stanley?
-Brother of Thomas Stanley, E of Derby and H7 step uncle
-Rewarded with position as Lord Chamberlain after Bosworth
-Gave him considerable political influence and enabled him to develop his landed estate in Cheshire and N Wales
-Real shock when accused of treason
What were the several threats H7 had which made his position insecure at first?
- Many Yorkists (not satisfied by his marriage) STILL regarded him as a usurper
- Several potential Yorkist claimants to the throne
-E of Warwick (EdIV’s nephew)
-E of Lincoln (EdIV’s nephew) - 2 pretenders to the throne. Pretending to be either EdV or younger brother Richard = the 2 murdered princes in the tower
- Margaret of Burgundy, sister of EdIV and RIII, H7 feared her most. She did NOT accept Tudor takeover and as dowager Duchess of Burgundy, she had the funds to support and encourage Yorkist claimants
What was the Viscount Lovell and the Staffords rising in 1486?
Minor rising, focused on traditional Yorkist heartlands of Yorkshire and the Midlands:
-Led by Viscount Lovell (Yorkshire) and Humphrey Stafford and brother Thomas (Midlands)
-Attracted little support and easily suppressed.
-Lovell escaped to Burgundy; Humphrey captured and executed, Thomas pardoned.
Significance -> showed there was little support for a Yorkist rising at this point.
What was the Lambert Simnel conspiracy and the rebellion of the Earl of Lincoln in 1487?
Yorkists realised they needed a figurehead and funds, arranged by Lincoln using Simnel as figurehead:
-Simnel impersonated Earl of Warwick, crowned as King Edward in Ireland May 1487.
-H7 exhibited the real Earl of Warwick in London.
-Lincoln fled to court of Margaret of Burgundy and joined Lord Lovell; persuaded her to support Simnel and paid for a force of mercenaries to invade Eng.
-H had plenty notice that a rebellious conspiracy was being planned - ample opportunity to plan response.
-H7 neutralised Yorkist support in north by reinstating Earl of Northumberland (traditional Yorkist supporter) to power in north as his supporter - a calculated gamble.
-Also reinforced coastal defences in E Anglia
-Rebels landed on NW coast of Eng in Cumberland, tried to muster support in Yorkist heartland of the North Riding of Yorkshire; they failed to attract followers.
What was the Battle of Stoke Field 1487?
-H gathered group of advisors, incl close relatives of former Yorkists, victims of RIII
-2 armies met at E Stoke near Newark in Nottinghamshire
-H = not confident - remembered how RIII was doubler-crossed at Bosworth
-Hw his army, led effectively by E of Oxford, held firm
-E of Lincoln killed in battle having crucially been unable to add sufficient followers to army of mercenaries that landed in Eng
-Victory = significant - brought end to wars of the Roses, rather than BoB
-Overcame with H7’s shrewdness and hard work, key supporters organisational skills and military lship, and willingness of landowners to support cause
-Relatively mild in treatment of rebels, won over some Yorkists who opposed him
-Began to develop policy of bonds of good behaviour to ensure well-behaved landowners who might have otherwise faced financial ruin
What was the Perkin Warbeck imposture?
-Imposture of cloth trader from Flanders - persistent irritant to H7 - claimed to be Richard Duke of York (EdIV son, one of 2 murdered ‘princes in the Tower)
-His ability to attract patronage from foreign rulers transformed him to a serious potential threat - demonstrated H7 considered fragile position by foreign rulers
-1491 Warbeck began to impersonate Richard in Ireland.
-After brief appearance at court of Charles VIII of Fr, 1492 forced to flee to court of Margaret of Burgundy where trained as potential Yorkist prince and began to draw Eng courtiers into conspiracies
-1495 attempted to land in Eng but quickly defeated; fled to court of James IV of Scot.
-Could have proven costly for H7 as conspirators had accomplice - Sir William Stanley
-1496 tried to invade Eng with small Scot force; soon retreated, James IV agreed to marry H7 daughter Margaret - Warbeck’s interests sacrificed
-1497 tried to claim throne by exploiting Cornish Rebellion; forces crushed; surrendered; treated leniently at first (allowed to stay at court) but tried to escape - confined to tower
-1499 tried and executed along with Earl of Warwick.
Explain what happened with the Earl of Warwick?
-Convenient for H7 that Warbeck’s final attempts at conspiracy enabled him to get rid of E of W
-He was in many respects an innocent victim of political manoeuvring’s
-Aged only 10 at BoB - spent most of life in confinement before executed 1499
-Accused of plotting with Perkin Warbeck against H7
What happened with Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk and Richard de la Pole?
-Younger brothers of the E of Lincoln
-Suffolk fled to Flanders 1498 - persuaded to return after short exile but once again fled 1501, this time seeking refuge at court of Emperor Maximillian
-As long as Margaret of Burgundy politically opposed, Suffolk = safe
-Tr of Windsor 1506 = more friendly relations were restored
-Maximillian agreed to give up Suffolk, duly imprisoned in Tower of L, no further action against him
-H8 executed him for treason 1513
-Left Richard de la Pole, nicknamed ‘White Rose’, at large during time in exile
-Killed fighting for Fr forces at Battle of Pavia 1525
Summarise Henry VII’s consolidation of power
-Consolidated power short-term, also concerned with ensuring long-term dynastic stability
-Wanted Eng to believe Tudors had legitimate claim to throne
-Aimed to ensure succession of his line to the throne, ensure law and order by keeping control over nobility who engaged in bitter power struggles, improve crowns financial position and stabilise dynasty by securing recognition from foreign powers
-He enjoyed some success
-How much of it due to his own actions and qualities or a consequence off way Yorkists demoralised after death of RIII is open to debate
-Battle of Stoke did not leave H7 in completely unchallengeable position
-Immediate threat from House of York vanquished and many Yorkists made peace, reluctantly.
-immediate threat from own relative Sir William Stanley had not vanquished, as crisis with Warbeck 1497 made clear
-Certainly was royal leadership, though whether it was ‘unquestioned’ is open to some doubt
