Rebellions, conspiracies and the security of Henry VII’s throne Flashcards
Lovell rebellion 1486
• Lovell: councillor for Richard III and former Chamberlain (managed household of monarch), sought to overthrow Henry; supported by Humphrey and Thomas Stafford
• Spies followed Lovell and Staffords after BoB
o Lovell took sanctuary in Colchester Abbey, escaped, raised troops at Middleham (Yorkshire) in bid to overthrow Henry, escaped apprehension from the appointed figures Sir Richard Edgecombe and Sir William Tyler, abortive rising in Yorkshire, fled to Flanders
o Staffords tracked to Culham Church, Oxfordshire, arrested, sent to Tower
Humphrey executed, Thomas pardoned and remained loyal
o Abbot Abingdon had secured sanctuary for Staffords, faced 3000 mark bond allegiance – use for sanctuary for future traitors and rebels denied by Henry, no objection from Pope
• Lovell Rebellion not significant, failure due to lack of support from retainers, lacked a figurehead to be used as claimant
Tretower rebellion 1486
- Wales 1486, Sir Roger Vaughan of Tretower led uprisings, Yorkist supporters conspired to kill King and seize Brecon Castle
- Suppressed and defeated by Sir Rhys ap Thomas
- Major ringleaders punished severely, less significant Tretower supporters punished with comparative leniency
- Very little significance
Simnel conspiracy 1486-87
• 1487 Yorkist plot put forward Lambert Simnel, pretended was the Earl of Warwick
• John de la Pole was plot leader, additional help from Irish chieftains and 2000 German mercenaries
• Real Earl of Warwick immediately removed from Tower and paraded around streets of London
• Little support for Simnel’s army, crushed at Battle of Stoke, 16th June 1487
o Henry’s army 12,000, John’s army 8000 invading via Ireland
• All Yorkist leaders killed:
o John de la Pole
o Martin Schwarz
o Thomas Broughton
o Thomas Geraldine
• Simnel and Richard Symonds only conspirers not killed
o Simnel recognised as pawn, made to work in royal kitchen, later promoted to king’s falconer
o Symonds sentenced to life imprisonment in bishop’s prison
• End result worked to Henry’s advantage
o Made clear England’s favour towards Henry, hated and feared the Irish
o 28 of opposing noblemen attainted and had land confiscated, made Henry richer
o English laws were made valid in Ireland and heavier taxations were made on them as punishment, made Henry richer
Earl of Kildare made deputy, too powerful to alienate completely
o Gained popularity as result of leniency towards Simnel and Symonds
Warbeck conspiracy 1491-99
• 1491 Perkin Warbeck put forward as another imposter by Yorkists
o Claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, younger of two princes imprisoned in the Tower
• 1495 invasion, failed, Warbeck captured and held custody in Royal household until 1498 escape
• Number of Henry’s alleged supporters involved, all executed 1485 (including Sir William Stanley, Chamberlain of the King’s household, was one of Henry’s most trusted officials)
• Other Warbeck supporters:
o Margaret of Burgundy – Edward IV’s sister
o Charles VIII of France – wanted to stop Henry supporting Brittany, was trying to take
o James IV of Scotland – insecure, wanted Berwick back from England
Proposed to marry Warbeck to his cousin, never did
Put in temporary jeopardy Henry’s plans to marry son Arthur to Spanish Princess Catherine of Aragon
o Maximilian of Holy Roman Empire (Austria) and Netherlands – over cloth trade rivalry in Flanders
• 1499 Warbeck invaded again, promptly executed
• Dangerous in that Warbeck at support at various times from all of Henry’s most powerful neighbours
• Not dangerous in that Warbeck’s foreign support was not adequate, little support from English, not a determined character, efforts disrupted by Henry’s navy, very little danger of him taking Henry’s throne
Conspiracies after 1499 (Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk and Richard de la Pole)
• After 1499 Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, most prominent claimant
o 1499 Earl of Warwick was executed – last of the major York claimants to the throne
o Carried legacy of betrayal, brother of Earl of Lincoln who had been killed in the attempted Simnel Rebellion
o Gave an outward appearance of loyalty but angered by Henry’s refusal to elevate him to a dukedom as his father had held
• July 1499 Suffolk disappeared, reappeared at Guisnes, Calais
o Henry feared a foreign-backed invasion
o Persuaded to return to England by Henry, remained outwardly loyal until 1501
• 1501 Suffolk and brother Richard fled to court of Maximilian, Holy Roman Emperor, supporters of York family gathered around Earl of Suffolk in Flanders, knew they were safe under the protection of Maximilian
• Henry had no choice but to act decisively – feeling vulnerable, had lost eldest son Arthur to illness, younger son Henry VIII far from a strong boy, third son Edmund already dead
o Arrested and imprisoned all Suffolk’s relations remaining in England
o January 1504 51 men attainted – largest number in one single action in Henry’s reign
o Sir James Tyrell, former Constable of the Tower, executed – had been Governor of Guisnes when Suffolk had fled there
o Suffolk imprisoned indefinitely until 1513 execution under following reign after 1506 return to England by Prince Philip of Burgundy having seized him from court of Maimilian
• Overall danger presented by Suffolk to Henry regarding being minimal
• Richard de la Pole continuously attempted to gain power up until 1525 death in Battle of Pavia – absolutely minimal effect on Henry
Taxation rebellions (Yorkshire 1489)
• Causes:
o Parliament had voted Henry pay £100,000 to meet costs
o 1489 Yorkshire objected to paying for French war not concerning them, geographically removed – traditionally north funds Scottish wars, south funds French wars
o Northumberland, Westmoreland and Cumberland counties made exempt, unfair
o Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland leading tax commission, unpopular, exacerbating factor
o Protestors suffering effects of 1488 bad harvests
• Sir John Egremont and rebels killed Percy before dispersed by royal troops
o Percy’s death sparked revolt, maybe orchestrated by Henry for Percy’s land / control of north
• Consequences:
o Sir John Egremont escaped to France
o Most Yorkshire and Cornish tax revolt ringleaders rounded up, tried and executed
o 1500 men pardoned
o £27,000 of £100,000 tax collected, discouraged Henry from making further demands of particular county
• Overall less significant than previous conspiracies, far from London, put down easily, required a royal force but no foreign backing
Taxations rebellions (Cornish 1497)
• 1497 Cornish rebellion based around tax demand (like Yorkshire rebellion)
o January 1497 Parliament voted for £60,000 tax to finance campaign against James IV and Perkin Warbeck
• Cornish refused to contribute to tax for northern campaign which, to them, had no impact on Cornwall (like Yorkshire rebellion)
• May-June 1497 15,000 rebels marched to London with Lord Audley as John and Flammock’s acquired figurehead
• Consequences:
o 1000 killed
o Audley, John, Flammock executed
o Others fled
Extent of threat posed by taxation rebellions
• Neither rebellion large enough to carry masses of importance due to their regionalised natures
• Contrasts with Simnel and Warbeck conspiracies
o Yorkshire had Irish and German foreign backing
o Warbeck had French, Scottish, Holy Roman Emperor’s foreign backing
How Henry was able to ensure defeat of rebellions and conspiracies (Simnel 1486-87)
• Henry’s 12,000-strong army, Yorkshire conspiracy feelings quelled by capital punishment of leaders, still made likeable by leniency towards Simnel
How Henry was able to ensure defeat of rebellions and conspiracies (Warbeck 1491-99)
• Henry reacted forcefully:
o Treaty of Étaples between Charles VIII and Henry November 1492 rid Warbeck of French backing
o Trade war with Netherlands (Margaret of Burgundy)
o Earl of Kildare of Ireland dismissed from office
o Sir William Stanley (Henry’s mother’s brother-in-law) executed February 1495 on suspicion of intrigue
• Made Warbeck’s June 1495 landing in Kent a fiasco
• Response to Warbeck’s consequential flee to Scotland, marriage to Scottish aristocrat and 1496 Scottish-supported invasion:
o Neutralised threat from northern border through 1502 Scottish-English James IV-Margaret Tudor (Henry’s daughter) marriage alliance
o James saw advantages for security, abandoned Warbeck
o Seven-year Treaty of Perpetual Peace agreed 1502
How Henry was able to ensure defeat of conspiracies and rebellions (Yorkshire 1489 and Cornish 1497)
• Royal force used, ringleaders (unless able to flee) executed
• Neither tax demand completely implemented post-rebellion
• Henry never asked for as great sums again – didn’t need to
o £30,000 raised through subsidy 1497, again raised £30,000 through subsidy 1504
