Henry VII's Consolidation of Power

Question 1

How did Henry VII consolidate his power?

Answer 1

• Dated his reign to 21st August 1485, the day before the Battle of Bosworth, so that anyone on the Yorkist side could be designated a traitor
• Publicly rewarded his key supporters (e.g. gave 11 knighthoods)
• Detained the Earl of Warwick, who could be seen to have a greater claim to the throne
• Arranged for his coronation to take place before his first Parliament meeting so that he could demonstrate that his right to the throne was hereditary, not just because Parliament sanctioned it
• Married Elizabeth of York and exploited propaganda of the union of the York and Tudor houses - went on to have an heir Arthur

Question 2

What happened during Viscount Lovell’s uprising?

Answer 2

• Easter 1486: Lovell and Humphrey Stafford were key supporters of Richard III
• Lovell tried to raise rebellion in Richard’s heartland the North Riding of Yorkshire
• Simultaneously, Stafford tried to raise forces in the Midlands
• Lovell escaped, Stafford executed: significant because of how little support there was in traditionally Yorkist areas

Question 3

What happened during the rebellion of the Earl of Lincoln?

Answer 3

• Lambert Simnel was figurehead: passed off as the Earl of Warwick
• John de la Pole, the Earl of Lincoln, put together the conspiracy - he was a potential claimant himself
• In response, Henry displayed the real Earl of Warwick in London - led Lincoln to flee to the court of Margaret of Burgundy
• Lovell and Lincoln persuaded Margaret to support Simnel and pay for a force of mercenaries to invade England
• Henry reinstated the untrustworthy Earl of Northumberland to power the North: helped neutralise Richard’s old power base and ensured that the traditionally Yorkist Howard family wouldn’t join the rebellion

Question 4

What happened at the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487?

Answer 4

• Henry gathered a group of advisors and met with the other army
• Lincoln’s army was defeated and he was killed, as they’d been unable to add sufficient followers to the army of mercenaries

Question 5

Why was the Battle of Stoke Field significant?

Answer 5

• Truly brought to an end to the Wars of the Roses
• Henry had overcome challenge due to his shrewdness and hard work, the organisational and military skills of his key supporters, and the willingness of landowners to help his cause
• Began to use bonds of good behaviour to ensure well behaved land owners who may otherwise face financial ruin

Question 6

Who was Perkin Warbeck and why was he a problem?

Answer 6

• Cloth trader from Flanders
• In 1491, began to impersonate Richard, Duke of York in Ireland
• After a brief appearance at the court of Charles VIII in France, fled to the court of Margaret of Burgundy, where he trained as a potential Yorkist prince
• Attempt to land in England in 1495 was a fiasco - he then fled to the court of James IV of Scotland: could have ended up being very dangerous as they had an accomplice high up in Henry’s government - Sir William Stanley, who was Lord Chamberlain (shows Henry’s vulnerability according to historian Christine Carpenter)
• In 1496, small Scottish force crossed border on Warbeck’s behalf but quickly retreated - his interests were sacrificed when James agreed a marriage contract with Henry
• Finally tried to exploit the uncertainties created by the Cornish Rebellion in 1497 but was unsuccessful