Cornish Flashcards
When did the rebellion take place?
Between May and June 1497
Who were the leaders?
The original leader was a blacksmith named Michael an Gof
Later leaders were Thomas Flamank, and then Lord Audley, a discontented Somerset minor noble
How many rebels marched to London and how?
5000
They weren’t stopped
What happened to the rebels?
They were defeated at Blackheath
What were the consequences?
All leaders were executed
Henry levied large fines on the country
What was the main cause of the rebellion and why?
The raising of a subsidy to resist the expected invasion by Scotland
The Cornish refused to contribute to the defence of the northern part of the kingdom to suppress an invasion which offered little threat to them
What were the subsidiary causes?
Henry issued new regulations on tin mining and suspended the privileges of the Stannaries (the local court and Parliament)
How many rebels reached the outskirts of London?
15,000
Give 7 reasons for why the rebellion failed:
Didn’t garner support outside West Country
Didn’t intend to overthrow the King.
Their army was not professional or well-equipped
Cornish were too different to attract support in the South of England
The Cornish had no cavalry, artillery, or even good weapons and armour to face a professional army
They had no support from any nobles with resources
There was no sympathy for the rebel cause among Londoners
What did Henry VII do as punishment?
Raised £15,000 in fines from Cornwall and the counties along the rebel route
What did Parliament do and what was the consequence of the tax?
Voted £120,000 in the form of one subsidy and a double portion of fifteenth and tenths taxation
The burden fell more heavily on Cornwall and was three times the amount demanded by Henry in any earlier year
What happened in May 1497?
Encouraged by Flamank, an orderly army of commons marched north to Wells in Somerset, where they acquired as their only leader of any significance the impoverished Lord Audley, a local lawyer
What happened on 16th June 1497 and who did they surprise?
15,000 strong, the rebels reached the outskirts of London and encamped on Blackheath
Henry VII
Why did the rebels raise no support?
Devon was traditionally hostile to the Cornish, Kent failed to rise in support, and the Londoners refused to open their gates to them
What was Henry VII’s response?
Marched hastily south with an army of about 8000 men, gathering more men on the way until he had 25,000
What did Henry VII do?
Played for time and waited in Wallingford and sent for reinforcements
When did support collapse?
On hearing of Henry’s response
What happened on 14th June 1497?
The two sides met at Blackheath
1000 rebels were killed in the battle and the rest quickly fled
Why were the rebels easily defeated?
The royal army of 25,000 outnumbered the rebels and the cavalry and archers made short work of the rebels
What was worrying and what was the reason for this?
The rebels were able to march as far as Kent before facing opposition
Henry had directed his attention to Scotland and Warbeck
What had the rebellion shown Henry?
He couldn’t afford a serious campaign against Scotland which affected the way he handled pretenders since the people were not prepared to finance a major war in defence of the dynasty
What did Audley do?
Bought in support from other gentry who were angry at Henry for excluding them
What did the rebels do?
Encapsulated all social classes and showed skill and determination
What did the decision to march on London give Henry VII the chance to do?
The chance to claim that the rebels sought to overthrow him and cause insurrection
What happened when the rebels reached Somerset and what did it show?
They were joined by a wide cross-section of the local population
A united opposition to Tudor policies
What did the rebels do hearing on Henry’s advance?
Retreated to Cornwall, showing that their intention had never been to challenge the Henry VII
What did Flamank do?
Persuaded rebels to raise support in Kent
What was Henry VII’s mistake?
The success of the rebels’ tactics caught him exposed and unaware in London having dispatched the bulk of his forces to the north
He expected that the rebels would be easily dealt with by local families
