What motivated the Yorkists in 1460? Flashcards
what are the 3 main theories for the motivations of the Yorkists in 1460?
- Restoration
- Dominance of Government
- Ambition for the throne
What are the 2 main reasons that restoration could be considered the motive of the Yorkists in 1460?
- oaths to coppini
- wrongful attainder
what evidence is there that the Yorkists oaths to coppini suggest they were motivated by their restoration in 1460?
- March 1460: Coppini met with Warwick at Calais
- 25 June: Calais lords wrote to Coppini at length; recited the injustices to which they’d been subject and besought his justice and intercession. Swore to God and Coppini as legate that they were loyal, faithful, and devoted to Henry VI. Assured him of York’s compliance and asked him to accompany them.
- 4 July: Coppini wrote at length to Henry VI in their support
why did the Yorkist lords believe they had been wrongfully attainted, perhaps meaning they were motivated by their restoration, in 1460?
- the Yorkist lords seem to have beleieved that their closeness in blood to Henry VI allowed them to act in ways that would have been treason for others
- therefore they believed that they had been wrongfully attainted and deserved restoration
what evidence is there that the yorkists considered their attainder wrong, and were therefore motivated by restoration in 1460?
- royal council began overturning forfeitures imposed by attainders before new parliament met
- first act of October 1460 parliament was annulment of all acts of 1459 Coventry parliament; the bill claimed that annulment would be no loss, as few acts in that parliament had been made for the good of the king or his realm
- second day of October 1460 parliament, too soon for formual annulment to have occurred, the receiver of Middleham was ordered to pay his revenues to Salisbury; the command, warranted by Henry VI, explains that Salisbury had been declared a traitor through acts of evil persons, but that Henry VI had seince discovered his error and caused it to be proclaimed in every county that he was not a traitor
what was one of the first proclamations issued by Warwick, after the Battle of Northampton?
21 July: proclamation publicised by Warwick, announcing sever penalties for murderers, thieves, and others who prejudiced reestablishment of good order.
how did Yorkists gain dominance of goervnment so quickly after Northampton?
- 1 Aug: Henry VI arrived at Canterbury on pilgrimage; Yorkists found Henry VI to be completely pliable
how did the Yorkists control the household after Northampton, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government?
- Late July 1460: Henry VI’s household cleansed of Lancastrian courtiers and servants
- induction of serjeants, yeomen, esquires, and knights, who had no previous experience there as their loyalties were Yorkist
how did the Yorkists cleanse HVI’s household late July 1460, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government?
- Henry VI became surrounded by men he had not chosen and were intended to be his keepers, not companions; household was a Yorkist institution controlling a monarch
- Lord Beauchamp allowed to retain his position as stweard; Sir Walter Sculle (Welsh marcher landowner) new treasurer of the household
- 30 July: Salisbury appointed king’s chamberlain; granted him control over access to the king and influence over the appointment of servants
give 2 examples of yeomen etc introduced to the household after Northampton, by the Yorkists, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government
- 26 August: Robert Clavenger made a yeoman of the chamber
- 9 October: Nicholas Suthecotes made serjeant-at-arms
how did Yorkists control the state after Northampton, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government
- 25 July: Bishop George Neville became chancellor of England
- 28 July: Viscount Bourchier became treasurer of England, Robert Stillington (Archdeacon of Wells) claimed privy seal
- penetrated below senior levels: Thomas Vaughan became master of the king’s ordinance, Bishop Lowe became master of the mints
- Yorkist-dominated parliament, after July 1460 when he was released from Chester Castle, helped John Neville secure his wife’s inheritance (she had previously been a war of Queen Margaret)
how did Yorkists control the king’s council after Northampton, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government?
- principal members, aside from the officers, were Archbishop Bourchier, Warwick, Salisbury, Sir John Wenlock
- former Lancastrian councillors continued to be consulted: dean of St Seurin, prior to the hospital of St John of Jerusalem, Lord Dudley, Lord Stourton, Lord Beauchamp; all prepared to work with the Yorkists
how did Yorkists control english lands after Northampton, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government?
- in more than half a dozen shires, prospective appointees relieved from collecting the traditional revenues
- 1 Dec: Warwick and Salisbury received the stewardships of the northern and southern parts of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Lancashire
when were Yorkists conciliatory after Northampton, perhaps suggesting they were motivated by dominance of government?
- a few former household servants (e.g. John Penycock) were pardoned
- alien community treated generously as Yorkists may have to rely on them for loans in future - 25 August: Italians, largely denounced by Lancastrian regime, pardoned and a number of foreigners received letters of denizenship
what evidence is there that the Yorkists were motivated by ambition for the throne?
- new regime not in control of provinces and depended for its authority on possession of Henry VI, offering none of the guarantees needed against reprisals
- All Yorkist professions of loyalty were directed at the king, not the prince
- in July it was rumoured the Yorkists intended to make a son of York’s the king, and claim Edward of Wales was not Henry’s son
