Topic 3.3 Flashcards
what is the significance of the Yorkists and the Lancastrians?
They were the two families who claimed the throne during the 15th century were both descended from sons of Edward III: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Edmund, Duke of York.
The Houses of York and Lancaster and their supporters became rivals for the throne in the 1450s; this led to the Wars of the Roses, a civil war which disrupted England until 1487.
what house was Henry VII part of?
he was part of the Lancastrian family.
why was John de la Pole significant?
he was heir presumptive because Richard III had no surviving children. (nephew of Richard III and Edward IV) He was a real threat to Henry as a potential figurehead of a Yorkist rising and rapidly became the focus of opposition to Henry in the first two years of the reign.
why was Edward Plantagenet (Earl of Warwick) significant)?
he was also Edward IV and Richard III’s nephew. He was placed in the tower - where he was to spend the rest of his life - though this did not stop him from becoming the focus of plots against Henry.
Who were the Princes in the Tower and why are they considered significant?
Edward and Richard (sons of Edward IV) they were significant because Henry’s enemies attempted to use the princes as a focus for rallying support against the king.
how were the daughters of Edward IV more of heir presumptive?
though they could not themselves rule they could pass their claim to the throne to their children - which made them dangerous to Henry.
who placed Richard and Edward in the tower?
Richard III their own uncle.
why was it significant in society that Richard III locked his own nephews in the Tower?
due to the fact that it shifted the support of the many Yorkists from Richard III to Henry VII.
when was the battle of Bosworth fought?
22 August 1485.
how great was Henry vII’s army?
c.5000 men - Richard III is said to have had about twice this number.
why did Richard III lose the battle of Bosworth?
although his army may have been decisive he lost because of his miscalculation and the actions of some of his leading nobility (Thomas, Lord Stanley, Stanley’s brother, Sir William, and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland).
was Richard III a usurper?
yes - he took the throne from his nephew (Edward V) by locking him in the Tower.
how did members of the nobility betray Richard III?
they did not fight although they were expected to - this because Thomas Stanley married Henry VII’s widowed mother Margaret Beaufort.
what did the Stanleys do instead of fight?
they chose to watch the battle from the sidelines, before Sir William eventually committed his troops in support of Henry.
What were Richard III’s miscalculations that eventually led to his usurpation?
he attempted to kill Henry and he became separated from the majority of his troops as they started supporting Henry.
why was Henry paranoid after the battle of Bosworth?
because Richard’s trusted nobility ended up betraying and ultimately killing him - which meant that the nobility could easily perform in the same way toward Henry VII.
how did Bosworth enhance Henry VII’s position?
during the 15th century it was believed that God’s will dictated events. Though Richard III was considered as a king anointed by God - his defeat was seen as God’s punishment for him for the tactics he used in usurping the throne (imprisoning his nephews).
How was Richard III’s death important for Henry VII?
it was important because it meant that Henry’s potential political rival and focus for Yorkist support was removed.
who were some of the powerful supporters of Richard’s who were killed?
John Howard, 1st duke of Norfolk, and Sir Richard Radcliffe.
how great was the amount of nobles supporting Richard at battle?
less than 1/4 - which suggested that support for Richard was lukewarm at best.
what measures did Henry VII use to secure his throne?
- he had a formal coronation (to prove that he was anointed by God)
- he had his first parliament (where he was declared king)
- he had parliament declare that his reign had begun on the 21 august 1485 (in order to punish the nobles who supported Richard III as traitors and to make Richard the usurper)
- Henry cancelled the titulus regius
- through his carrot and stick approach
- he married Elizabeth of York
what was the titulus regius and why was it significant?
it was passed by Richard III and it declared that Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth of Woodville was invalid. It was significant as it made all their children (including Henry VII’s wife Elizabeth of York) illegitimate.
why did Henry cancel the titulus regius?
he cancelled it because Elizabeth would be considered illegitimate under the law and Henry wanted legitimate children from her to be able to inherit the throne.
why was Henry VII marriage to Elizabeth of York so significant?
because it united the feudal families
and made it less likely for Yorkists to want to overthrow their own bloodline (their kids)
what were some of the ‘carrots’ Henry did to secure his throne?
Henry made his uncle (Jasper Tudor) Duke of Bedford as a result of his lifelong support.
His stepfather (Thomas Stanley) he made Earl of Derby.
Sir William Stanley was given the trusted position of Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household.
Sir Thomas Lovell (a Yorkist who rebelled against Richard III) was made Treasurer of the Household.
What were some of the ‘sticks’ Henry used to secure the throne?
Henry seized the lands of men who had actively supported Richard III
what was the significance of the progress Henry took?
he embarked on a progress to the Midlands and the North, where Ricardian support was particularly strong. -> this indeed was significant because it boosted Henry’s support instead
due to Henry’s fear of the nobles’ retaining what was required of the nobles to do?
swear an oath that they would not retain men illegally.
what was the Act of Resumption of 1486 and its aims?
a way to take back all Crown lands which were granted away since 1455. The aim of this act was to increase the wealth of the Crown and to give Henry more spending power compared to his nobility.
Yorkist supporters of Richard III
Thomas howard - earl of Surrey
John de la pole, earl of Lincoln
lord Lovell
Thomas and Humphrey Stafford
Margaret, duchess of Burgundy
Lancastrian supporters of Henry
Margaret of Beaufort (his mother)
Jasper Tudor, duke of Bedford
John de vere, earl of Oxford
Edward Courtenay, earl of Devon
anti-ricardian Yorkists who supported Henry at Bosworth
Elizabeth Woodville
John morton, bishop of ely
Thomas grey, marquess of Dorset
sir Thomas lovell
sur giles daubeney
nobility with mixed loyalties
Thomas, lord Stanley, earl of derby
sir William Stanley
Henry Percy, earl of northumberland
where did Henry spend his youth?
in exile abroad
who were in exile with henry?
John de vere and jasper tudor
what did jasper Tudor become in Wales as a result of being an immediate relative to Henry?
Chief Justice
what did John de vere become as a result of being close to Henry (were in exile together)
he was prominent in henry’s council and in east anglia
what was Thomas Stanley issued with?
the custody of the Cheshire estates of the earl of Stafford
which hard-line supporters of Richard began to cause problems?
Thomas and Humphrey Stafford as well as Lord Lovell - they hoped to restore a Yorkist monarchy
what rumour was there that was threatening to Henry and quite a tool for stafford brothers and lord lovell?
the rumour that earl of Warwick , a potential rival for the throne, had escaped from the tower and fled to the Channel Islands; agents of the earl of Lincoln were caught smuggling gold and silver out of the country, perhaps to raise an army abroad using the money.
what was plotted by Stafford bros and lovell?
to rebel against Henry
what did Stafford bros do in 1486 and why was it so significant?
they tried to raise a rebellion in the midlands in the name of the earl of Warwick- significant due to the fact that the region was the heartland of the Warwick estates; loyalty to the young earl could have brought out Yorkist support for him.
where was Henry as the bros were plotting?
he was near York at the time and when he heard news of the plotting he began to advance to the midlands
what did the bros do and what consequently happened to them?
they fled, having failed to raise any supports and tried to take refuge in sanctuary again - but they were forcibly removed by Henry -> sir Humphrey Stafford was executed whereas sir Thomas was pardoned.
meanwhile, what was lovell attempting to do?
he tried to raise a rebellion in Yorkshire, exploring loyalties in this region to Richard III.
was there support for the rebellion lovell was trying to raise?
there was little support and the attempted revolt was suppressed by jasper Tudor
what did lovell do after his attempt at rebellion was suppressed?
he fled to burgundy where he was able to find refuge with another key Yorkist - Margaret of burgundy.
threat post-victory at Bosworth
although the attempted plots resulted to nothing there was yet a great sense of threat due to de la pole being implicated in many plots (though he swore loyalty to Henry) and because of lovell being on the loose.
since John de la pole, henry’s main rival for the throne, was not up to risk everything in open rebellion what did the Yorkists do instead?
they found a solution which was a suitable figurehead, a young boy called Lambert Simnel, who could be manipulated and used to focus opposition against Henry
who was Simnel and who was his puppet-master?
he had no royal blood and was an imposter - Simnel was the 10 yo son of a joiner from Oxford who was trained by a priest, Richard Simons, to act as if he was a prince.
who did the plotters make Simnel impersonate and why was it a blunder?
they made him impersonate the earl of Warwick and it was an error because Henry was able to produce the real earl from the tower of london and parade him through the streets.
Simnel gathered momentum in which manner?
John de la pole fled to burgundy where he joined lovell - Margaret of burgundy used her money and power to help Lovell and de la pole to raise troops
how much support was issued by Margaret to de la pole and lovell?
c.2000 mercenaries, led by the experienced Martin Schwartz
after their support from Margaret what did de la pole and lovell do?
the rebels and their troops then sailed to Ireland (a traditional Yorkist power base) In Ireland they met with members of the Irish nobility such as the earl of Kildare, who were sympathetic to their aims.
what did the Irish and English Yorkists do?
they crowned Simnel as king in Dublin and then launched a combined invasion of England
what did Henry Percy do to the rebel army and why was this significant?
he did nothing to stop the rebels, though he was the local lord supposed to be first in line of defence against rebellion.
This was significant because it is the same man who watched Bosworth from the sidelines. - his ambivalence was a worry for the king
this proved that he was more interested in staying neutral and protecting his own interests.
what was a significant mistake Henry made?
as an unexperienced king he failed to scrutinise de la poles behaviour - he trusted him even though there were rumours that he was involved in plots
what did Henry do by April of 1487?
he had been alerted of de la poles involvement and was starting to raise troops to meet the potential challenge.
Henry showed considerable tactical awareness - but in what way?
-ordered the coasts to be guarded (though rebels managed to land)
-as he began to receive intelligence that the rebels would invade from Ireland, Henry gradually moved northwards and westwards, gathering men and supplies as he went
-by may 8th, Henry arrived at Kenilworth castle, which he adopted as his base - here he waited for news of the rebel landing and when he received it he marched north meeting rebels at stoke.
what is the battle of stoke often considered?
the end of the war of the roses.
what happened to rebels’ army?
though the mercenaries were trained and equipped they lacked body-armour and suffered many losses in the battle as a consequence.
what happened to John de la pole and Martin Schwartz at battle?
both killed
what happened to lovell (during/after battle)?
he disappeared and was never seen again
what happened to Simnel?
was captured, but since he was a child, Henry put him to work in the king’s kitchens and later rose through the ranks of the royal household to become the king’s falconer.
were the war of the roses officially over after the battle of stoke?
yes - though it did not seem as such to Henry
why was Simnel a serious threat to henry’s position on the throne?
the rebel alliance that emerged was a dangerous mix of rival claimants, discontented Yorkists and foreign support
was Simnel de la pole’s puppet and if so why was this threatening?
yes, because he had a better claim to the throne than Henry did
what support exceptionally made the threat even greater?
the fact that Margaret of B helped raise an army for the rebels and the fact that Ireland crowned Simnel
why was Irish support so important?
because without it the rebels would not be able to sustain their challenge or be able to find a base from which to launch their rebellion
as Henry made a mistake by trusting de la pole and not imprisoning him what was he to consequently do?
he was forced to fight him which was a much more dangerous and uncertain method of dealing with an opponent than imprisoning them or putting them on trial for treason.
how and why was Henry able to overcome the Simnel challenge?
rebels made mistakes and lacked support and Henry acted decisively once the threat was clear
what was a blunder the rebels made?
claimed Simnel was earl of Warwick
how is the fact that the rebellion lacked support evident?
their army was made by German mercenaries not Yorkist loyalists and earl of Kildare did not accompany the army, preferring to remain in Ireland to wait and see what happened + though Henry Percy did not stop rebels, neither did supporters flock to support the rebel army
how was the challenge by Simnel defeated due to henry’s wise tactics?
- he was prepared to lead an army himself
- reacted swiftly to news of the rebel army and made sure that he was well-placed in the middle of England to make a military strike at the rebel, wherever they appeared
what did his wise tactics and the rebels’ blunders signify?
that Henry was the anointed and rightful king.
what are the acts of attainder?
a method of using an act of parliament to declare someone was guilty without having to put them on trial. All estates could be confiscated under an attainder, but it was reversible for good behaviour
what was the court of star chamber?
a flexible legal court that had been used before the reign of Henry VII to hear cases in that it would not otherwise have been possible to get a fair trial. star chamber had been a royal tool since 14th century for dealing with the nobility and gentry when they used their power to undermine local judicial systems.
how many years was perkin warbeck a great threat to Henry’s position on the throne?
1491-99
where did Warbeck emerge from?
he was a pretender who emerged from Ireland
is Warbeck’s background considerably uncertain?
yes - his contradictory claims made it worse
how old was warbeck when he travelled to ireland and emerged as a threat?
17
who was warbeck impersonating?
richard, duke of york, the younger of the two princes in the tower who had disappeared in 1483
what foreign countries/individuals supported Warbeck?
Charles VIII, king of France
Yorkist Margaret of Burgundy
^ her stepson Philip of Burgundy
^ his father Maximilian, Holy Roman Emperor
Scottish King, James IV
where did warbeck first appear in 1491 and was he granted any support there?
in Cork, people there were enthusiastic but Earl of Kildare was reluctant to get involved directly
when Irish support failed to materialise what did Warbeck and the earl of Desmond do?
they wrote to european rulers in the hope of getting more help
where was warbeck invited and how was he treated?
in France by Charles VIII and was treated like a prince
what happened to warbeck due to henry’s prompt actions?
he was no longer welcome in france
where did warbeck move later and who had accepted him?
to burgundy where he was accepted by Margaret and her relatives
what did margaret do to warbeck that was an essential threat?
she recognised him as Richard duke of York (her nephew)
why was Margaret so enthusiastic towards warbeck’s emergence?
because she was determined to remove henry VII as king and to restore a yorkist monarchy + it was an opportunity for her to create a figurehead to act as a focus for opposition
what did agents from burgundy do?
they were able to infiltrate england and there were cases of men trying to recruit supporters for warbeck in1493-94. These men were generally rounded up and put on trial
what did sir William Stanley do to Henry in 1493?
he betrayed him as he agreed with Sir Robert Clifford that Clifford would go speak to Warbeck
what happened to William Stanley as Clifford informed Henry of what happened?
he was tried and convicted of treason and was executed the following month
why was William Stanley’s betrayal so significant?
because he had daily personal access to henry as he was Chamberlain of the king’s household
what did warbeck attempt to do in 1495?
he attempted to land a deal in kent, with a small force of 300 soldiers
what happened when warbeck failed to gather any local support?
he fled leaving the few men who had waited for him to be captured, tried and executed.
what did warbeck do after his failure in kent?
he moved to scotland
why was James IV so determined to support Warbeck?
because england was scotland’s traditional enemy
why was the fact that warbeck was in scotland an advantage for warbeck?
because he was out of henry’s reach and he was able to launch an invasion from across the border
what did warbeck do in 149- and why did it fail?
he tried to invade england with a small force of 1400 men but like simnel he was unable to raise much support in the north - as a result he retreated back to scotland.
as a result of warbeck’s threat what was henry to do and what did that result to?
he had to raise taxation to fund an army in order to fight warbeck and as a consequence a rebellion was provoked in cornwall in 1497
how many rebels were protesting against the taxation?
15,000
what did the rebels do and what happened to them?
they marched to london and lost since they were poorly equipped and c.1000 were killed
how was henry effective at dealing with the cornwall rebellion?
he changed his plans rapidly, and diverted troops intended for defence in the north
what kind of victory did henry win at cornwall?
a decisive one
what did the distraction in cornwall reveal about henry’s position?
it showed his weakness
what happened when warbeck left scotland for ireland?
he failed to gain any support so left for cornwall
what happened when warbeck was in cornwall?
he aimed to take advantage of the recent unrest in the region to provoke a rebellion aganist the tudor dynasty
what happened to warbeck’s army and did he gain any support in cornwall?
his army from 1400 shrunk to 300 - he attracted c.5000 men from cornwall but they were not members of the nobility of of the gentry of the south west
what happened at cornwall?
the city came close to falling but the rebels were driven out by soldiers and citizens
where did warbeck and the rest of his rebels go to after their loss at cornwall?
Taunton where they were trapped by advancing royal forces led by another of Henry’s supporters from his fays in exile, Giles Daubeney.
how was henry to treat warbeck at first (when he was caught)?
he was going to treat him well - since he considered him as being the unfortunate puppet of more powerful men and women
why did Henry not treat Warbeck well?
because he tried to escape in1498 from the tower and because in 1499 he plotted with Warwick
what happened to Warwick and Warbeck?
they were charged with treason and were executed the first with a noble death (beheading) and the latter with hanging
what did the deaths of Warwick and Warbeck mean?
it completed henry’s triumph over pretenders; they also served purpose of reassuring his main foreign ally, Spain, which was nervous about entering a marriage alliance with the son of a king who still faced challenges to his dynasty
how did Henry VII use his children?
he used them to create foreign alliances which helped enhance the prestige of the tudor dynasty in the eyes of important foreign powers
what was the Medina del campo?
the treaty included an agreement that neither Spain nor England would support each other’s enemies. This neutralised any potential support that Spain might give to pretenders to the English throne. A marriage alliance was also agreed between Arthur and the daughter of the rulers of Spain Catherine of Aragon.
what was one way in which Henry managed to triumph over Warbeck?
he had more power and resources
Henry had troops and defences waiting for Warbeck in Kent
Henry had mostly effective chains of command - he was able to coordinate a military response as Warbeck challenged the town of Exeter which allowed Henry to send reinforcements to the earl of Devon and to drive Warbeck towards taunton - where he would be trapped.
how did henry’s ‘carrots’ (rewards) help him defeat Warbeck?
he ennobled Courtenay for helping Henry in exile and for supporting him at the battle of Bosworth - this made Courtenay loyal to Henry and as a result he prevented Warbeck from gaining momentum as he was in Exeter
how did henry’s ‘sticks’ (punishments) help him defeat Warbeck?
he had a spy system active at court (he caught his step-uncle betraying him) and used bonds and recognisances to make his nobility obey
what is a bond?
a written agreement to guarantee good behaviour. a person signing a bond would agree to pay a certain amount of money if they broke the terms of their bond
what is a recognisance?
a way to deal with someone who had already misbehaved. they were required to pay an agreed sum if they broke the law again; they were also required to find friends and family who would vouch for them by agreeing to pay a fine if the subject of the recognisance continued to cause trouble.
what did Henry issue Thomas grey, marquis of Dorset, that ultimately made him remain loyal?
he was given a recognisance of £1000 and he had to find friends to pay £10,000 - he helped to put down the 1497 risings in Cornwall
why was the support Ireland issued Simnel so important?
-ever since its separation from the mainland of England it was geographically and politically remote
-a good launching pad for invasions of England
-English influence was only really felt in the pale and Dublin
-anglo-irish rulers (such as earl of Kildare) were very powerful and ruled their territories almost independently from England
-kildare provided Simnel with troops and a base from which to launch an invasion
why was the support Ireland issued to Warbeck so important?
because the earl of Kildare was influential and powerful - it made Henry exceptionally paranoid (Kildare was however reluctant to get involved in Warbeck’s campaign)
who was Margaret of burgundy related to?
she was the sister of Richard III and Edward IV
how did Margaret use her powerful position?
she used it to try and restore a Yorkist monarchy as a form of revenge for what had happened to her brother
why was Margaret of burgundy so threatening to Henry VII throne?
-because she offered protection and active support to a series of Yorkist plotters, including John de la pole, lovell, and Warbeck.
-provided Yorkists with mercenaries
-used close family connections with Maximilian (holy Roman emperor) to try to improve Warbeck’s challenge
what was the trade embargo henry enforced?
a ban on trade where England refused to export its goods to burgundy or import Burgundian goods.
why did Henry enforce the ban on trade?
because it was the best way to pressure burgundy without sending an army
how did the trade embargo back fire?
Philip retaliated by putting his own embargo on english goods
how was there a rapprochement between burgundy and England?
because of the fear Philip and Maximilian felt as a result of Charles VIII (in intervening in the Italian wars) they decided that their relationship with England was to improve as they did not want their war effort in Italy to be hampered by economic weakness caused by the trade embargo.
what was the intercursus Magnus?
a treaty where both sides agreed to lift the trade embargo, Margaret agreed to stop supporting warbeck and was threatened with the loss of her lands. Henry also agreed to not support enemies of burgundy and to join the anti-french alliance known as the league of Venice - Henry didn’t have to join the war
what was the relationship between France and England?
they were traditional enemies
what was the auld alliance?
an agreement between France and Scotland - if Scotland was attacked by England then France would come to Scotland’s aid, vice versa
why was France quite threatening in terms of geography?
the proximity between the countries would have been relatively easy to mount an invasion
why did anglo-french relations deteriorate?
because of the fate of the independent duchy of Brittany -> the French wanted to invade the country once their duke had died and this led Henry to defend it through 3000 troops and later 6000 troops. these troops did not distract France and they managed to absorb Brittany
what did France do that was threatening to England?
annexed Brittany and welcomed Warbeck
what did Henry do in 1492 as a result of French support for warbeck?
he launched an invasion of France as he wanted to inconvenience Charles VIII enough to make him rethink his support for Warbeck
what did Charles VIII do as a result of having to deal with the war in Italy?
he immediately decided to negotiate with England which was what Henry wanted all along
what was the treaty called?
treaty of Etaples
what did the treaty include?
- Charles agreed not to harbour henry’s enemies - warbeck was no longer welcome in france
- Henry was to get an annual pension (50,000 crowns per annum)
what did the treaty of Etaples mean to Henry?
- it meant that Henry had stopped the potential threat of a French backed Yorkist challenge and he had also enhanced his financial position - which was of great importance to Henry
what was Scotland to England?
another traditional enemy
how did Henry face a double threat from the conflict with Scotland?
there would be a Yorkist rebellion in the north coupled with an invasion by Scotland to support a rival claimant
how did relations between England and Scotland deteriorate?
James III was killed by rebels as a result of wanting to form an alliance with England
who took the throne once James III was killed and what was the new king to do at the beginning of his reign?
James IV (15 yo son of James III) he had to deal with brining his own country under control
what did James IV do that was threatening to Henry VII?
welcomed Warbeck in Scotland and was prepared to arrange a marriage between the pretender and one of his own cousins - lady Catherine gordon
due to the threat from Scotland what else was worrying to Henry?
the rulers of Spain were becoming reluctant to the Medina del campo treaty
how was Warbeck’s invasion of England in 1496?
short-lived and unsuccessful
how did Henry neutralise the threat from Scotland?
he and parliament agreed to a grant of taxation and also Henry wanted to negotiate with James IV of marrying his daughter Margaret
what was the truce of Ayton?
a treaty of peace for the two sides and the marriage of James IV and Princess Margaret
