Henry VII Consolidation

Question 1

When did Henry VII become King?

Answer 1

22 August 1485

Question 2

How did he become King?

Answer 2

He beat Richard III’s forces at the Battle of Bosworth

Question 3

Why was Henry’s position weak?

Answer 3

• He had no claim to the throne
• He had made many enemies in his takeover
• He had not been brought up to rule
• Regarded as a usurper
• Earl of Warwick and Earl of Lincoln potential claimants to throne

Question 4

How did he consolidate his throne?

Answer 4

• Predated reign from 21 August 1485, day before Battle of Bosworth (anyone who fought against him at battle would be a traitor)
• Outwardly rewarded many of his supporters (conferred 11 knighthoods)
• Detained Earl of Warwick (Edward IV’s nephew - had claim to throne)
• Made key appointments in Council and household (Sir Reginald Bray and Sir William Stanley)
• Arranged coronation for 30 October 1485 before first meeting with Parliament on 7 November (made his right to throne appear hereditary and not by Parliament’s will)
• Acts of Attainder against Yorkists who fought at Battle of Bosworth (their property was forfeited to the crown - increased royal income)
• Henry granted tonnage and poundage for life (right to raise revenue from imports and exports)
• 1486 married Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV (became King without this connection, also ended War of the Roses)
• Birth of Prince Arthur 1486

Question 5

Lovell and the Staffords

Answer 5

• Easter 1486
• Minor rising against Henry, led by key supporters of Richard III
• Midlands and North Yorkshire
• Lovell escaped King’s forces
• Humphrey Stafford captured and executed, brother spared
• Little enthusiasm from Yorkists for rising
• Easily suppressed

Question 6

Lambert Simnel

Answer 6

• Simnel was being passed off as Earl of Warwick, who was crowned as King of Ireland in 1487
• Plot put together by John de la Pole, who was a claimant himself
• Henry exhibited real Earl of Warwick in London, caused John de la Pole to flee
• Lovell and John de la Pole both fled to Margaret of Burgundy and persuaded her to support Simnel’s claim and pay mercenaries to invade England
• Henry reinstated Earl of Northumberland to protect North, but rebels landed in Cumberland
• Battle of Stoke Field 1487, between John de la Pole and Henry. Pole killed.
• Henry mild with punishments for those who had attempted to fight against him
• Began to use bonds and recognisances

Question 7

Perkin Warbeck

Answer 7

• Irritant to Henry for eight years
• Claimed to be Duke of York in 1491
• Attracted patronage from foreign rulers, displaying how other rulers saw Henry’s position as fragile
• Appeared at court of Charles VIII of France
  1492 fled to Margaret of Burgundy
• Attempted to land in England 1495 with help of Lord Chamberlain, but Henry made aware
• Warbeck fled to James IV of Scotland
• 1496, small Scottish force crossed into England by Warbeck’s orders, but quickly retreated
• Henry offered to marry off his daughter Margaret to James, so Warbeck failed
• Final attempt 1497 in exploiting Cornish Rebellion, but forces crushed and was surrendered to King
• Warbeck allegedly tried to escape with Earl of Warwick, so were both executed 1499