Lambert Simnel: 1486-87

Question 1

Who was the leaders of the rebellion?

Answer 1

Richard Symonds (Oxford priest), Irish Earl of Kildare (crowns Simnel king in Dublin), Earl of Lincoln

Question 2

What was the main cause of the rebellion?

Answer 2

DYNASTIC - Attempt by Yorkists to place a pretender on the throne

Question 3

What is the subsidiary cause of the rebellion?

Answer 3

Yorkist faction unhappy with treatment by Henry VII - especially loss of lands and hope of preferment

Question 4

What was the location of the rebellion?

Answer 4

Ireland + invasion of England through Lancashire

Question 5

What was the duration of the rebellion (and from what months)?

Answer 5

One month (April 1487 - June 1487)

Question 6

What was the level of threat, and why?

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

What was the outcome in terms of support?

Answer 7

6,000 - 8,000 troops. 2,000 German mercenaries +
4,500 Irish (light infantry) +
A much smaller force of Yorkists

Question 8

What happened to the leaders at the end of the rebellion?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Why did Henry VI have an unstable claim to the throne?

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

What was Henry VI’s greatest advantage over the Yorkists that practically secured his crown?

Answer 10

his greatest advantage over the Yorkists was that almost all of the claimants on the Yorkist side were dead.

Question 11

Who was Richard Symonds and what role did he play in the rebellion?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

Who supported Simnel’s claim to the throne, and what did he do to help?

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

When was Simnel sent to Dublin (capital of Ireland)?

Answer 13

January 1487

Question 14

Who crowned Simnel as Edward VI in Dublin?

Answer 14

The Earl of Kildare, ruler of Ireland at the time

Question 15

What was the Earl of Lincoln doing whilst Simnel was busy in Dublin?

Answer 15

Raising support in Flanders. Went to Margaret of Burgundy’s (Duchess) court.

Question 16

Who did Lincoln meet at Margaret of Burgundy’s court, who later joined him and his cause?

Answer 16

Viscount Lovell (leader of the Lovell and Stafford rebellion)

Question 17

What did Henry do in response to the threat?

Answer 17

He put the real Edward of Warwick on show, but the Yorkist forces landed in the North West (Lancashire).

Question 18

What did Simnel do to rally support?

Answer 18

Marched through England for two weeks

Question 19

Who refused to support the rebellion, and led Henry’s troops instead?

Answer 19

The Earl of Northumberland, the leading Yorkist noble in the north

Question 20

What was the final battle between Henry and the rebels called?

Answer 20

The Battle of Stoke Field

Question 21

When was the Battle of Stoke Field?

Answer 21

June 1487.

Question 22

How many men did Henry have?

Answer 22

12,000 men

Question 23

What secured Henry’s victory?

Answer 23

John de la pole (Earl of Lincoln), leader of German mercenaries, and Earl of Kildare were murdered.

Question 24

Why was the rebellion non threatening?

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

Why was the rebellion threatening?

Answer 25

• A figurehead to rally round provided by Simnel
  and easy to manipulate
• Clear aim – overthrow Henry VII, potentially
  rule England through puppet of Simnel. Ultimately York House would be restored
• Rebels had foreign support (2000 German
  mercenaries and 4000 – 6000 Irish men)
  -The Battle of Stoke Field was closely fought and lasted for 3 hours – despite Henry having the bigger and more experienced and better equipped army
• it was by no means absolutely certain he would win.
• In the same way the Yorkists had little support from major nobles, so did Henry’s army.
• Henry suffered from poor loyalty, Eg. Northumberland who’s troops weren’t called to battle