Rebellion

Question 1

how many rebellions were under Henry VII with dates

Answer 1

Lovell Rebellion - 1486
Simnel Rebellion - 1486-87
Warbeck 1491-99
Yorkshire Rebellion - 1489
Cornish Rebellion 1497

Question 2

nature of the Lovell rebellion

Answer 2

Dynatic Rebellion as they wanted the restoration of the house of york

Question 3

who led the Lovell rebellion

Answer 3

It was led by Viscount Lovell, Sir Thomas and Humphrey Stafford

Question 4

where did the Lovell Rebels try to raise an uprising in

Answer 4

Lovell tried to raise a rebellion in Richard III’s old stronghold of Yorlshire while the staffords did the same in the midlands

Question 5

what happened to the Lovell Rebellion

Answer 5

It failed

Question 6

events and outcome of the Lovell rebellion

Answer 6

The rebellion gained little traction because there was no Yorkist pretender to rally around. Henry VII who was in Lincoln when word of the rebellion reached him, hurried to York and sent his uncle Jasper Tudor to pardon every rebel but Lovell himself which drained all the support. Support for the Staffords collapsed when word reached that Henry was on his way south with an army. Lovell escaped, rallied to support Simnel and after Simnel’s defeat escaped to Flanders. Though the Staffords fled to sanctuary they did not escape. Humphrey was exected and Thomas was imprisoned.

Question 7

why did the Lovell rebellion fail

Answer 7

They had a low level of success and posed little threat to Henry, this is due to certain reasons. They lacked a credible alternative as king, and very few of the commoners were willing to rise in support of a noble leader. Lovell and Stafford were only minor nobles, they had no great wealth and no large group of followers on which they could base a rising. Henry already had an efficient intelligence operation which successfully tracked down the rebels when they fled and did not give them time to become a threat. They had no overseas backing and were put down in one month

Question 8

motive for the simnel rebellion

Answer 8

It was a dynastic rebellion as it was an attempt by Yorkists to place a pretender on the throne.

Question 9

what did leading Yorkists realise they had to do with the Simnel rebellion to be successful

Answer 9

Leading Yorkists realised that they needed to change their strategy to be successful. First, they needed a figurehead who would claim to be a Yorkist Prince and that was Lambert Simnel who claimed to be the Earl of Warwick who was imprisoned by Henry

Question 10

who put the simnel rebellion together

Answer 10

The conspiracy was put together by John De La Pole, the Earl of Lincoln who was a potential Yorkist claimant.

Question 11

where was Simnel taken to and why

Answer 11

With Lincoln’s help, Simon was taken to Dublin in Jan 1487 which was mostly Yorkist and out of Henry VII’s reach. He was welcomed by the Earl of Kildare who had him crowned in Dublin as Edward VI

Question 12

where else did Simnel gain support

Answer 12

Lincoln raised support in Flanders from Margeret of Burgundy, there he met Viscount Lovell

Question 13

how did henry respond to the simnel rebellion initially

Answer 13

Henry responded by putting the real earl of Warwick on show but the Yorkist forces had landed in Lancashire.

Question 14

simnel’s army

Answer 14

Simnel’s army consisted of 2000 German mercenaries paid for by Burgundy. 4,500 irish kerns sent by Kildare, Yorkists under the command of local English gentry

Question 15

why did simnel fail despite landing in the Yorkist heartland

Answer 15

The rebels failed to raise enthusiasm for their cause despite landing in the Yorkist heartland, only two years into Henry’s reign and touring widely (simnel marched through England for two weeks). Earl of N. leading Yorkist in the north, refused to join the rebellion and instead led Henry’s forces in the area

Question 16

what battle was fought with the simnel rebels and when

Answer 16

The Battle of Stoke in June 1487

Question 17

battle of stoke 1487

Answer 17

The rebels fought Henry in the Battle of Stoke. The Battle was close, Henry had 12,000 men to the rebels 8,000, but not all were fully committed to Henry’s cause. It was only when Lincoln, the Irish leader and the German commander were killed that it became clear that the rebels would lose. Henry’s victory at the battle of Stoke was very significant

Question 18

battle of stoke significance

Answer 18

It can be argued that it was this battle rather than Bosworth which really brought an end to the war of the roses and Henry’s position became safer though by no means completely secure.

Question 19

outcome of the Battle of Stoke

Answer 19

Lovell escaped, and Simnel was captured and put into the king’s service in the royal kitchen. Many captured Irish troops were hanged but the king choose to punish the other Yorkists leaders with fines rather than arrests.

Question 20

overall reasons why Simnel failed

Answer 20

1. Simnel was only a 12-year-old child and not an inspiring leader
2. He depended on foreign support and this made it much harder to raise support in England as he seemed to be a puppet for foreign interests
3. Yorkist leadership was very weak after Bosworth e.g. Duke of Norfolk was killed there and Henry’s treatment of the Yorkist nobility after Bosworth was effective, few were executed and he used calculated mercy and certain methods to gain loyalists. This limited the number of those desperate enough to rebel and increased force loyalty. For example, Northumberland’s decision to stay loyal despite fighting for Richard at Bosworth
4. Exhaustion and poverty - the North had been devasted by war and most were focused on individual survival, not dynastic fighting, therefore there was no common enthusiasm for the cause

Question 21

arguments that Simnel was not a threat

Answer 21

He lacked support in England as he raised no more than 1,500 men there in two weeks despite landing in the Yorkist Heartland

Question 22

arguments that Simnel was a threat

Answer 22

• The Battle of Stoke was closely fought and lasted for 3 hours - a long time in this period. While Henry had the bigger and more experienced, better-equipped army, it was by no means absolutely certain he would win
• Although the Yorkists had little support from major nobles, the same was true of Henry’s army. His only two big supporters were Oxford and Derby. N. joined Henry’s army but his loyalty was so suspect that he and his troops were never ordered into battle
• Roger Turvey ‘that such a ridiculous scheme almost succeeded shows how fragile was Henry’s grip on the crown’

Question 23

date of the Yorkshire Rebellion -

Answer 23

1489, lasted a month

Question 24

motive of the Yorkshire rebellion

Answer 24

local, economic issues

Question 25

what sparked the Yorkshire rebellion

Answer 25

It was sparked by resentment towards taxation granted by parliament in 1489 to raise revenue (a subsidy of £800,000) in order to finance the involvement of English forces in the campaign in Brittany

Question 26

who led the Yorkshire Rebellion

Answer 26

It was led by Robert Chamber, a gentleman of York and later by Sir John Egremont who was a bastard member of the Percy Family.

Question 27

why did the Yorkshire rebels rebel

Answer 27

They rebelled as they felt Britanny had nothing to do with them and they had a bad harvest in 1488 so having to pay tax was an extra burden for a poor area

Question 28

what did Henry refuse to do in response to the Yorkshire rebels grievances

Answer 28

Henry VII refused to refrain from taxing Yorkshire

Question 29

who was killed in the Yorkshire Rebellion and why

Answer 29

The Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy was asked to collect tax and was assassinated by a group of rebels. His death can be argued to have been a result of a family feud as the rebellion was led by an illegitimate member of the Percy family.

Question 30

events of the Yorkshire Rebellion

Answer 30

The rebels numbering about 5,000 marched south towards Doncaster but retreated a couple of days later and captured York. Henry sent an army of 8,000 led by the Earl of Surrey on 20th May 1489 who reached York and out down the rebellion with ease.

Question 31

outcome of the Yorkshire rebellion

Answer 31

Henry called the lords to help enforce the subsidy, but the scale of opposition to the tax nationally can be gauged by the fact that only 27,000 was raised.

Question 32

how successful was the Yorkshire Rebellion

Answer 32

It was quite successful as an attempt to collect tax was abandoned and there was no widespread retaliation by the king who travelled down north to pardon the rebels, but the North came under stricter control as Henry established a Tudor Council of the North with the Earl of Surrey as chief and Lieutenant.

Question 33

level of threat of the Yorkshire Rebellion

Answer 33

Low - as it had limited support, there was no influential leadership which limited any chance that the rebellion would become widespread and they didn’t march south towards London. Though it did force Henry to pursue diplomatic relations with Brittany

Question 34

date of the cornish rebellion

Answer 34

1497 and lasted about 3 months

Question 35

motives for the Cornish Rebellion

Answer 35

It was a rebellion against the heavy tax which was voted for by parliament to finance an expedition to resist the invasion of Scotland and Perkin Warbeck. Cornwall was traditionally independent and refused to help defend the borders, it was also caused by new regulations issued by Henry on tin mining and suspended the privileges of the stannaries which were local cornish courts and parliament, this hit the cornish economy and their local independence

Question 36

who led the cornish rebellion

Answer 36

It was led by Thomas Flammock, a lawyer and Micheal Joseph a black smith - shows the extent to which it was caused by local/economic issues

Question 37

events of the cornish rebellion

Answer 37

On May 14th 1497, the rebels organised in a group of about 5,000, set out from Bodmin in Cornwall to march on London there they acquired Lord Audley as leader. On June 1497, they became 15,000 in size and reached London and camped outside Blackheath. Henry marched south with an army of about 8,000 gathering more men on his way until he had 20,000.

Question 38

the battle fought between the king and the Cornish rebels

Answer 38

Battle of Deptford Bridge

Question 39

Battle of Deptford Bridge

Answer 39

The rebels were defeated with 1000 killed and the rest fled. The leaders of the rebellion - Audrey, Flammock and Josepth were executed, Henry fined others involved and raised £15,000 ‘the less blood he drew, the more he took in treasure’ Francis Bacon

Question 40

arguments that the cornish rebellion had a high level of threat

Answer 40

15,000 reached the outskirts of London and marched 250 miles away from home which suggests how much taxes were resented. They reached London which was the centre of the government and the country which was quite threatening.

Question 41

arguments that the cornish rebellion had a low level of threat

Answer 41

1. rebels did not attract support in the south of England as they were too different and did not have the influence to achieve their goals.
2. The rebels gained no foreign support although this is not essential for a successful rebellion it meant that there was a lack of money and resources.
3. The rebellion was not an attempt to overthrow the king, it was a rebellion that wanted to force change so neither Henry VII nor his dynasty was directly threatened - although not paying taxes at the request of the king can be argued as a way of threatening his authority.
4. The rebels were poorly equipped and stood no chance against the royal professional army. Though they did not murder a high-profile political figure, their rebellion posed a great threat to the stability of Henry’s rule and questioned his government.
5. By reaching London, they were challenging the security of Henry VII’s regime.
6. The numbers involved as well as the attempt by warbeck to exploit it - increased the threat

Question 42

consequences of the cornish rebellion

Answer 42

The rebellion required Henry to recall his army from the Scottish border in other to suppress the rebels he called for Lord Daubeny to withdraw his troops defending the border. It forced Henry to negotiate peace with James IV as he could no longer afford war since the common people were not willing to finance it

Question 43

date of Warbeck being active

Answer 43

1491-99

Question 44

nature of the Perkin Warbeck rebellion

Answer 44

It was a dynastic threat used by the House of York to create a plausible pretender to rally support around.

Question 45

who was Warbeck

Answer 45

Warbeck was a 17-year-old trader from Tournai in France who was a persistent irritant to Henry VII over the period of 8 years during which he claimed to be Richard the Duke of York.

Question 46

what was Warbeck a tool for

Answer 46

He was a tool of Yorkist and Foreign interests

Question 47

who did Warbeck receive backing from

Answer 47

Maximillian
James IV of Scotland
Margeret of Burgundy
Charles VIII of France
Earl of Desmond of Ireland

Question 48

what did foreigners backing of Warbeck mean for Henry VII

Answer 48

His ability to attract foreign support transformed him from a deluded pest to a potentially serious threat which demonstrated how fragile Henry’s position was considered to be by other rulers.

Question 49

SB Chrimes interpretation of Warbeck

Answer 49

SB Chrimes argues that Warbeck was used as a tool by Charles VIII of France and Margeret of Burgundy to destabilise Henry VII. Charles did it to prevent Henry from supporting Britanny which he wanted to annex and Margeret because she was a major Yorkist supporter.

Question 50

warbeck and France

Answer 50

Charles welcomed Warbeck and took him into the French court and by 1492 around 100 Yorkists had joined him in Paris. This led to the Treaty of Etaples which Henry signed to limit the threat - the treaty ended his support for Britanny in exchange for the French pension and the agreement by the French to expel Warbeck

Question 51

Warbeck and Burgundy

Answer 51

Warbeck fled to Burgundy where he was accepted by Margeret as her nephew. Henry showed how concerned he was by breaking off all trade links with Flanders in 1493, this was bad for the cloth trade which was important to the English Economy.

Question 52

who was involved with Warbeck at home

Answer 52

Henry had a network of spies and they informed him of who was involved at home and abroad, in1495 - a number of attainders were passed due to fear of disloyalty and the most important victim was Sir William Stanley

Question 53

William Stanley and Warbeck

Answer 53

He was Henry’s step-uncle, who was overheard saying that if it could be proven that Warbeck was who he said he was, he would not take up arms against him, He was one of Henry’s most trusted officials, this betrayal worried Henry and he was executed as a result.

Question 54

where and when did Warbeck land in England

Answer 54

Warbeck landed in England in 1495 in Kent and attempted to land an army deal, he failed to gather sufficient local support and his landing was opposed by local forces

Question 55

after landing in Kent where was the next place Warbeck went to

Answer 55

Ireland

Question 56

Warbeck and Ireland

Answer 56

Warbeck sets sail for Ireland where he found it difficult to gain support, Warbeck returned to Ireland again only to be met with the same fate as Henry was working actively to deprive him of backing. For example, the Earl of Desmond who had received Warbeck but offered little support was persuaded to swear loyalty to Henry in 1496 as a result when Warbeck returned to Ireland in 1497, both Kildare and Desmond attempted to capture him, forcing his flight to Cornwall.

Question 57

Warbeckk and Scotland

Answer 57

James IV of Scotland welcomed the opportunity to provoke England and gave Warbeck refuge. He gave his cousin as his wife as well as an annual pension of £1200.

Question 58

james and warbeck invasion

Answer 58

They invaded in 1496 but it was a disaster. Warbeck got no support south of the border this was because the English were horrified by the way the Scots raided and pillaged the countryside. James took advantage of the Cornish rebellion to launch another attack but failed. - Peace treaty with Scotland - Warbeck had to find refuge someplace else

Question 59

where did Warbeck find refuge after Henry’s peace with Scotland

Answer 59

South-west England

Question 60

Warbeck in South-West England

Answer 60

Warbeck set sail for south-west England, he hoped that this traditionally rebellious area would support him but he was disappointed, he landed in Devon and he was driven out.

Question 61

warbeck’s capture

Answer 61

In 1497, he was persuaded to give himself up and made a full confession, he was a foreigner and could be charged with treason under English law so Henry allowed him to remain at court with his bride but Warbeck ran away in 1498 he was recaptured and imprisoned and hanged in 1499

Question 62

argument that Warbeck had a low level of threat

Answer 62

• despite attempting to seize the throne for 8 years he spent less than 50 days on England and Irish Soil and failed to attract the support of an important English or Irish Backer, in stark contrast to the support he received from foreigners
• Warbeck was kept in court rather than in prison after his capture. This suggests that Henry did not see him as a major threat

Question 63

warbeck had a high level of threat

Answer 63

• Warbeck’s threat was his persistence - he attempted 5 invasions and two escapes from captivity
• Foreign backing was substantial until after the debacle in Kent. At one point Max gave his wife as surety for a loan so he could send 6000 mercenaries

Question 64

medium level of threat - Warbeck

Answer 64

Warbeck was active for many years and a more convincing pretender than Simnel.
- He obtained foreign support
- Failed to gain significant support and backing in England

Question 65

historiography of warbeck

Answer 65

The event cannot be written off as a farce which had no chance of success. It proved costly for Henry because the conspirators had an accomplice in the heart of Henry’s government. He was described by historian Christine Carpenter as a conspiracy that revealed Henry at his most vulnerable in a place where he should have been most secure.