Henry VII: Consolidation - Simnel Rebellion

Question 1

Date

Answer 1

• 1487

Question 2

Main Cause

Answer 2

• Want the House of York to be restored to power

Question 3

Leaders

Answer 3

• Richard Symonds
• Earl of Kildare
• Earl of Lincoln - John de la Pole
• Sir Thomas Broughton - local gentry
• Thomas Geraldine - leader of the Irish

Question 4

Brief Summary

Answer 4

• Lambert Simnel appeared in Ireland in 1487, and was joined by the Yorkist claimant the Earl of Lincoln and 2000 German mercenaries
• This army crossed into England and was defeated at the Battle of Stoke on, 16 June 1487, but the battle was close

Question 5

Longer Summary

Answer 5

• Richard Symonds was a priest from Oxford and he thought his student, Lambert Simnel, looked similar to Richard, Duke of York - the youngest of the Princes in the Tower
• Later decided to pass him off as the Earl of Warwick
• However Henry produced the real Earl of Warwick, who was in the Tower of London at the time
• Simnel was taken to Ireland, centre of Yorkist support, and was proclaimed king in Dublin in May 1487 by the Earl of Kildare
• Supported by Margaret of Burgundy who sent 2000 troops
• Battle of East Stoke took place on 16 June 1487
• King closely won the battle, Lincoln and several Yorkist leaders were killed
• Symonds was arrested and sentenced to life in a bishop’s prison
• Simnel given a position in royal kitchens

Question 6

Reasons for Failure

Answer 6

• Simnel
- Clearly not legitimate
- Only 10 years old, not an inspiring leader

• Foreign support
- Simnel depended on foreign support (Germans and Irishmen) which made it harder to raise domestic support, xenophobia
- Simnel seemed like a puppet for foreign interests

• Yorkist leadership
- Weak after Battle of Bosworth e.g Duke of Norfolk was killed there
- Little incentive to rebel - Henry applied attainders but allowed men to prove their loyalty and regain their property e.g Earl of Surrey

• Exhaustion & poverty
- People were devastated by war and focused on survival and themselves, rather than dynastic fighting and politics
- No common enthusiasm for the cause among all classes
- Two weeks marching raised approximately 1500 men

Question 7

Outcome

Answer 7

• Yorkist leadership
- Lincoln, Broughton and Geraldine were killed
- 28 were attained
- Symonds put in bishop’s prison for life
- Simnel given a position in the royal kitchens

• Henry
- Didn’t have many trusted allies
- Henry VII only had support from earls of Oxford and Derby, the Earl of Northumberland joined Henry’s army but was not trusted so his troops were not ordered into battle