Henry VI Flashcards
What year did Henry V die?
1422
How old was Henry VI when he became King of England?
9 months old
When did Henry VI become King of France?
1431
Who were Henry VI’s parents?
Henry V and Catherine of Valois (Charles VI’s daughter)
What year did Henry VI gain control over the government?
1437
When did Henry VI marry Margaret of Anjou?
1445
Why was Henry’s marriage to Margaret of Anjou a mistake?
England lost the French territories of Maine and Anjou
Margaret bought no dowry to the marriage
Margaret was unpopular
When did England lose Normandy?
The Battle of Rouen, October 1450
What happened after the loss of Normandy?
England hosted an influx of refugees who had settled in Normandy but are now homeless
Reduction in trade
Increase in French naval attacks on the English coast
When was Cade’s Rebellion?
1450
What were the reasons for Cade’s Rebellion?
To achieve political reform
Unfairly levied taxes
Taxes that had been increased due to mismanagement of Crown lands
The impartial administration of justice and favouritism in court
Aimed to restore the government, not remove it
Blamed his ‘evil advisers’
How many men did Henry VI take to Cade’s Rebellion?
10,000
Where were the King’s men ambushed and slaughtered?
Sevenoaks
Who were murdered during the revolt?
Lord Say and William Crowmer
How many days did the revolt last for?
4
What did Margaret of Anjou promise to the rebels if they dispersed?
A pardon
Where was Cade killed?
Sussex
What happened to Cade’s body?
His head was set on a spike in London
The four quarters of his body were sent to Blackheath, Salisbury, Norwich and Gloucester
What did the rebellion demonstrate?
The King’s inability to cope in a crisis
Highlighted the extent at which his government had failed
Where was the Duke of York during Cade’s Rebellion?
Ireland
When did the Duke of York return to England?
September 1450
Did York return to clear his name?
Cade had used the name Mortimer which had been York’s mother’s maiden name
In the rebel manifesto there had been a call for the King to take advice from York rather than Suffolk
Did York return to get his loans repaid?
In 1450, York had to sell land to make ends meet
He was owed £26,000 by the government
He hadn’t been paid his wages as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Did York return to protect his position?
Somerset had acquired the position of the king’s chief adviser when York felt it should rightfully be his position
Returned to protect his position as heir presumptive
Did York return to remove Somerset?
York felt Somerset was responsible for the loss of Normandy and with it, much of York’s property
Did York return to bring justice and end corruption?
September 1450 - York made a public statement calling for the traitors to be brought to justice and at the same time asserting his loyalty to the Crown
He offered his personal assistance to help solve the problems of law and order and the household
Did York return to take the throne?
A man was hanged in Ipswich for plotting to put York on the throne
If he had been harbouring hopes of becoming king in 1450, he kept them to himself
When was the Act of Resumption passed?
1450
What did the Act of Resumption do?
Made it possible to recover most of the grants of land that the King had rewarded his favourites over the last decade
Why did the Act of Resumption humiliate the King?
Undermined his authority and ability to offer rewards
When was the Battle of Dartford?
March 1452
What did York do in January 1452?
Declared his loyalty to the King and swore an oath of allegiance
What did York have to promise?
To never again resort to force in order to pursue his political ends
What were the consequences of the Battle of Dartford for York?
He wasn’t charged for treason or imprisoned
He was to remain isolated from court for 18 months
Why was the Battle of Dartford unsuccesful?
Lack of support from nobility
Open letters forewarned the King of York’s arrival
London remained loyal to the King
When was the Battle of Castillon?
17th July 1453
Where was the Battle of Castillon?
Gascony
Who was the Battle of Castillon between?
France and England
Who led England to the Battle of Castillon?
Earl of Shrewsbury
Why did England lose the Battle of Castillon?
England was outnumbered and vulnerable
What happened to Shrewsbury?
He died at Castillon
When did France retake Bordeaux?
19th October 1452
When did Henry VI enter his first state of catatonic schizophrenia?
August 1453
When was Prince Edward born?
13th October 1453
What were the rumours surrounding Prince Edward’s birth?
He was the product of an affair because of Henry’s mental state
When was the first Battle of St Albans?
22nd May 1455
How many people were on either side of the Battle of St Albans?
7000 Yorkists
2000 Lancastrians
What was York’s demand at the Battle of St Albans?
The punishment of the Duke of Somerset
How long did the Battle of St Albans last?
30 minutes
What position did York resume after the Battle of St Albans?
Chief advisor to the King
When was the Battle of Blore Heath?
23rd September 1459
Who led the Yorkists at the Battle of Blore Heath?
Earl of Salisbury
How many people were on either side of the Battle of Blore Heath?
5000 Yorkists
10,000 Lancastrians
How long did the Battle of Blore Heath last?
4 hours
Who won the Battle of Blore Heath?
Yorkists
When was the Battle of Ludford?
12th October 1459
How many people were on either side of the Battle of Ludford?
22,000 Yorkists
45,000 Lancastrians
What happened at the Battle of Ludford?
No fighting
The sight of Henry VI deterred people
People either switched sides or ran away
Lancastrian victory
When was the Battle of Northampton?
10th July 1460
Who returned to England from Calais in 1460?
Warwick and Edward, Earl of March
What happened at the Battle of Northampton?
Heavy rainfall
Lancastrian guns failed to fire
Lord Grey of Ruthin defected to the Yorkist side
Buckingham, Shrewsbury, Egremont and Beaumont died
Who won the Battle of Northampton?
Yorkists
What happened after the Battle of Northampton?
The Yorkists captured Henry VI
Queen Margaret and Prince Edward escaped to Harlech Castle
When did the Yorkists re-enter London with Henry VI?
16th July 1460
Where did the Battle of Wakefield happen?
Sandal Castle
Who joined Margaret of Anjou at the Battle of Wakefield?
Earl of Devon and the Duke of Somerset
Who spent Christmas at Sandal Castle and later died there?
York, Salisbury and Rutland
When was the Battle of Wakefield?
30th December 1460
Who led the Lancastrians at the Battle of Wakefield?
Northumberland, Somerset and Clifford
What happened to the Duke of York after the Battle of Wakefield?
His head was put on display in York with a paper crown
Edward, Earl of March, was now the Duke of York and heir to the throne
When was the second Battle of St Albans?
17th February 1461
How many people were on either side of the second Battle of St Albans?
10,000 Yorkists
14,000 Lancastrians
What happened after the second Battle of St Albans?
Edward, Earl of March became Edward IV
When was the Battle of Towton?
29th March 1461
How many people were on either side of the Battle of Towton?
40,000 on either side
What happened at the Battle of Towton?
Snow and rain blew into the faces of the Lancastrians
Yorkists re-used misfired Lancastrian arrows
The Duke of Norfolk arrived late with 4000 Yorkists
Lancastrians fled
The bloodiest battle on English soil
What happened after the Battle of Towton?
Henry fled to Scotland with Margaret and Prince Edward
Lancastrian power was broken
When was Henry VI reinstated as King?
1470
When was the Battle of Barnet?
14th April 1471
How many people were on either side of the Battle of Barnet?
10,000 Yorkists
15,000 Lancastrians
Who was killed at the Battle of Barnet?
Warwick
When was the Battle of Tewkesbury?
1471
How many people were on either side of the Battle of Tewkesbury?
3500 Yorkists
6000 Lancastrians
Who won the Battle of Tewkesbury?
Yorkists
What happened after the Battle of Tewkesbury?
Henry VI was placed in the Tower of London where he died of mysterious circumstances
Margaret of Anjou was captured
Somerset attempted to seek refuge in Tewkesbury Abbey but was executed 2 days later
The house of York seemed undefeatable
