The Conspiracy of Lambert Simnel & E. Lincoln Flashcards
Leading up to the rebellion
One of the most discussed topics Fate of Edward IV’s sons, the so-called princes in the Tower. Other stories
circulated, including the idea that one or both of the boys had escaped or that the younger boy, Richard of York, had been spirited out of the country by his supporters and his place had been taken by an imposter.
Speculation around Warwick- when Henry VII came to the throne, there was considerable speculation about the identity and fate of the young alternative claimant to the throne,
by an impostor.
Henry placed in the Tower as soon as he acceded to the throne, to reduce the risk of a rebellion in his favour. In 1486, there were reports that
the boy had escaped and there were apparently also rumours that, before the boy’s father, the duke of
Clarence, was tried in 1478, he had arranged for the child to be sent to Ireland for safety and placed
another child in his nursery instead.
What did this speculation lead to
This confused conjecture provided plenty of fuel for a possible
pretender to the throne to become the focus of a rebellion.
What happened in February 1487
a boy who was really called Lambert Simnel appeared in Ireland and probably claimed to be Edward, earl of Warwick, although some sources suggest that he instead claimed to be
Richard of York. He was apparently influenced by a priest called Simonds
Irish support
The support Simnel gained from many in Ireland was also largely opportunistic, and included the backing of Thomas Fitzgerald, chancellor of Ireland, his brother, Gerald Fitzgerald, earl of Kildare and the king’s deputy, and Walter Fitzsimons, the Archbishop of Dublin, reflecting considerable dissatisfaction in the Dublin area of Ireland at least,
with the Tudor regime.
Why was support in Ireland so high
This was possibly due to the fact that Edward IV’s father, Richard of York, and
brother, George, duke of Clarence, had previously been lieutenants in the country.
Henry acted quickly to limit the impact of Simnel’s claims and the real earl of Warwick was taken
from the Tower and paraded through the streets of London to prove publicly that he was in Henry’s
custody. This tactic backfired, why?
This tactic backfired, however, as Warwick’s first cousin and another claimant to the throne,
John de la Pole, earl of Lincoln, declared that Simnel was the real Warwick and Henry’s captive was
the pretender.
Who also gave support to the Simnel conspiracy that made it a significant political threat?
Lincoln then headed to Antwerp, where he stayed with Margaret of Burgundy, and she
too gave her support to the Simnel conspiracy, including financial assistance.
What happened when opponents sailed to Ireland
At the end of April, a
group of prominent opponents to Henry VII, including Lincoln and Lovell, sailed to Ireland with a
group of German mercenaries. Once they arrived, the boy was crowned as Edward VI in Dublin, a
parliament was held in his name and new coins minted with his image upon them.
the threat to Henry’s hold on power was now significant. This was made evident on 4 June, when
supporters of Simnel, including Lincoln, invaded
England, backed by between 1,500 and 2,000 German mercenaries and c4,000 Irish light infantry.
Did the Yorkist-invasion get a lot of backing
The Yorkist-inspired invasion received backing from some within England, including two Yorkshire
magnates (both members of the Scrope family) and some Londoners, but this support was very
limited and even places such as the city of York, which had strong ties to Richard III, remained loyal
to the new Tudor regime.
When was the Battle of Stoke and what happened
Henry defended his realm at the Battle of Stoke on 16 June 1487, and was aided in his victory by a strong strategic location, extremely effective archers and the fact that the
Irish troops were poorly equipped. Lincoln was killed during the battle, while Lovell escaped and fled
to Scotland. Simnel, meanwhile, was captured, although he was pardoned his offences (presumably
because of his young age).
