Henry VII consolidating of Authority/Rebellions Flashcards
Why was Henry’s position extremely insecure?
- Many Yorkists were not satisfied by his marriage to Elizabeth, still regarded him as a usurper
- He had a weak claim to the throne
- There were several potential Yorkist claimants to the throne
Who were the potential Yorkist claimants to the throne? (2)
- Earls of Warwick
- Earls of Lincoln, Edward IV’s nephews
How was Henry’s position made even more difficult?
- The appearance of pretenders to the throne who were allegedly either Edward V or his younger brother Richard, the two murdered ‘princes in the tower’.
What did Henry have to fear the most?
- The influence of Margaret of Burgundy, the sister of Edward IV, and Richard III
Why was Margaret of Burgundy such a powerful threat?
- As the dowager duchess of Burgundy, she had access to funds which enabled her to encourage the ambitions of Yorkist claimants
What was the first (minor) rising against Henry
- Few months after he was crowned
- Lovell and Stafford rebellion - Easter 1486
What was the Lovell and Stafford rebellion - Dynastic or Popular (economic)
- It was a dynastic rebellion
Who was the Lovell/Stafford rebellion led by?
- Led by Francis + Viscount Lovell (prospered as key supporters of Richard III)
- And Humphrey Stafford
What did Lovell try to do?
- Tried to raise a rebellion in Richard III’s heartland of support in the North Riding of Yorkshire
- Simultaneously, Stafford tried to raise forces against Henry, drawing upon another area of Yorkist support - Midlands
Who managed to escape from the King’s forces?
- Lovell managed to escape from the King’s forces
- Humphrey’s younger brother and accomplice Thomas were pardoned
Who was captured and executed in the Lovell rebellion?
- Humphrey Stafford was captured and executed
What was so significant about the Lovell/Stafford rebellion?
- There was little enthusiasm at this stage for a Yorkist rising in their traditional Heartlands
- It was poorly funded
- Easily suppressed
What year was the Lambert Simple rebellion?
1486-1487
What did Yorkists realise from the Lovell rebellion?
- Leading Yorkists realised that a change in strategy was needed if they were to be successful in their attempts to get rid of Henry VII
What were the two key aspects that would improve Yorkist rebellions?
- They needed a figurehead who could claim to be a Yorkist prince
- They needed financial support to generate a significant military threat to Henry
Who was the figurehead in the Simple rebellion?
- The figurehead was Lambert Simple
- He was passed off as being the Earl of Warwick
Who was the Earl of Warwick (the real one)
- He had been imprisoned by Henry
What had Simnel been crowned in Ireland? (2) + include year
- Crowned as King Edward V in Ireland in May 1487
Who organised the conspiracy?
- John de la Pole, the Earl of Lincoln, a potential Yorkist himself
What did Henry do in response to the hoax of Earl of Warwick
- Henry had the real Earl of Warwick exhibited in London for all to see
After Henry exposed the Earl of Lincoln, where did John de la pole flee to?
- He fled from Henry VII’s court and had joined the failed plotter Lord Lovell at the court of Margaret of Burgundy in the Netherlands
What did The Earl of Lincoln (JDLP) persuade Margaret to do?
- Persuaded Margaret to support Simnel’s claim and to pay for a force of mercenaries to invade England
What did Henry take the risky gamble of doing?
- Reinstating the rather untrustworthy Earl of Northumberland, who led a major portion of Richard III’s army to the Battle of Bosworth
What was the effect of using the Earl of Northumberland?
- Using the Earl of Northumberland helped to neutralise Richard’s old power base
- It also ensured that the traditionally Yorkist Howard family had no intention of joining the conspiracy, as Northumberland was one of their descendants
What did Henry reinforce in East Anglia?
- Henry reinforced coastal defences in East anglia
Even though Henry had coastal defences in East Anglia, where did the rebels land?
- The rebels landed on the northwest coast in Cumberland
- They crossed the Pennines in order to dump up support in Richard III’s old heartland in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
What was observed about the Yorkist gentry of the North Riding?
- They were reluctant to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the cause, presumably waiting to see who was likely to win
When was the Battle of Stoke Field?
- 1487
- Who did Henry gather for the battle?
- Henry gathered a group of advisors, which included the close relatives of former Yorkists who had been victims of Richard III, in the south and the Midlands.
Where did the two armies meet?
- The two armies met at East Stoke near Newark in Nottinghamshire.