Lambert Simnel: 1486-87 Flashcards
Who was the leaders of the rebellion?
Richard Symonds (Oxford priest), Irish Earl of Kildare (crowns Simnel king in Dublin), Earl of Lincoln
What was the main cause of the rebellion?
DYNASTIC - Attempt by Yorkists to place a pretender on the throne
What is the subsidiary cause of the rebellion?
Yorkist faction unhappy with treatment by Henry VII - especially loss of lands and hope of preferment
What was the location of the rebellion?
Ireland + invasion of England through Lancashire
What was the duration of the rebellion (and from what months)?
One month (April 1487 - June 1487)
What was the level of threat, and why?
High – despite lack of significant support from commons in England. Yorkists have Irish military aid. Sufficient funds to hire a mercenary army. Rebellion took place early in Henry’s reign so few actively supported him. The Battle of East Stoke was pretty closely fought.
What was the outcome in terms of support?
6,000 - 8,000 troops. 2,000 German mercenaries +
4,500 Irish (light infantry) +
A much smaller force of Yorkists
What happened to the leaders at the end of the rebellion?
Simnel is captured – spared, but his status as pretender made clear by being given job in king’s kitchen.
Symonds escapes execution but is imprisoned for life.
Lovell escapes never to be heard again
Why did Henry VI have an unstable claim to the throne?
Before the end of the War of the Roses, there had been several rounds of dynastic upheaval and the throne had repeatedly changed hands. So Henry VII, moreover, had a very weak claim to it.
What was Henry VI’s greatest advantage over the Yorkists that practically secured his crown?
his greatest advantage over the Yorkists was that almost all of the claimants on the Yorkist side were dead.
Who was Richard Symonds and what role did he play in the rebellion?
Richard Symonds was an Oxford priest, and teacher of Simnel, who saw that Simnel resembled Edward, Earl of Warwick, (one of the missing princes in the tower) Richard III’s nephew and arguably legitimate heir and claimant to the throne.
Who supported Simnel’s claim to the throne, and what did he do to help?
Earl of Lincoln (John de la Pole) ; Yorkist heir in Richard III’s reign. He sent Simnel to Dublin to keep him out of Henry VII’s reach.
When was Simnel sent to Dublin (capital of Ireland)?
January 1487
Who crowned Simnel as Edward VI in Dublin?
The Earl of Kildare, ruler of Ireland at the time
What was the Earl of Lincoln doing whilst Simnel was busy in Dublin?
Raising support in Flanders. Went to Margaret of Burgundy’s (Duchess) court.
Who did Lincoln meet at Margaret of Burgundy’s court, who later joined him and his cause?
Viscount Lovell (leader of the Lovell and Stafford rebellion)
What did Henry do in response to the threat?
He put the real Edward of Warwick on show, but the Yorkist forces landed in the North West (Lancashire).
What did Simnel do to rally support?
Marched through England for two weeks
Who refused to support the rebellion, and led Henry’s troops instead?
The Earl of Northumberland, the leading Yorkist noble in the north
What was the final battle between Henry and the rebels called?
The Battle of Stoke Field
When was the Battle of Stoke Field?
June 1487.
How many men did Henry have?
12,000 men
What secured Henry’s victory?
John de la pole (Earl of Lincoln), leader of German mercenaries, and Earl of Kildare were murdered.
Why was the rebellion non threatening?
- Simnel was a clear imposter, and was only 12 years old so no one found him as a powerful a leader than to Henry.
- Simnel depended on foreign support, a puppet to the Germans and Irishmen
- lack of english support, he raised no more than 1,500 men there in two weeks, despite landing in the Yorkist heartland
- lack of enthusiasm in the North (York) due to exhaustion and poverty – they were devastated by war and most were focused on survival for themselves and their families
- Henry’s treatment of the Yorkist nobility after Bosworth was effective. Few were executed or left without hope, they could only regain power if they proved their loyalty and regain their property.
- Bad behaviour from Irish soldiers
