Y12 Henry VI Flashcards
When did Henry VI become King and how old was he?
1422 aged 9 months.
What makes a good king?
- Important decisions made by themselves.
- Patronage not given unfairly.
- Good military control and lead.
- Good grip on law and order in the country.
- Retention of foreign territories.
- No division between nobles.
Name some of the weaknesses of Henry VI’s rule.
- He became king at 9 months and his throne was ruled by minority government (eg his uncle Humphrey Duke of Gloucester) until he was old enough to rule.
- Loss of land in France - by 1553 all that was left was Calais.
- His father had famously won the Battle of Agincourt against the French and was considered a strong military leader when Henry was not.
- Overly pious.
Who ran the government when Henry VI was still a child?
His uncles (eg Humphrey Duke of Gloucester) and Richard Duke of York.
When was the Treaty of Tours?
1444.
Who negotiated the Treaty of Tours (+bonus: what problems could this have created)?
Suffolk and Somerset
*This could have been a problem as both Suffolk and Somerset were anti-war and many people may have blamed them for the loss of Maine, possibly creating friction with pro-war factions such as York.
What was agreed at the Treaty of Tours?
- Henry would give up Maine in 1446.
- Henry would marry Margaret of Anjou.
When was the marriage of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou?
1445.
What were the problems with Henry’s marriage to Anjou?
- There was no dowry given.
- England had to pay for the wedding.
- No dowry and the groom’s country paying for the wedding was unusual at the time.
- England was already in a lot of debt.
How much debt was England in by 1450?
£372,000.
How much money was owed to Richard Duke of York by 1450?
£38,000.
How much money was owed to Cardinal Henry Beaufort by 1450?
£200,000.
Whose debt did Henry pay back quickly and whose did he ignore?
Paid back Somerset, ignored the debt of York.
Give some examples of Henry VI donating money.
Eton College in 1440 and King’s College London in 1443 and to the priory at Wallington.
When and what was ‘The Great Slump’?
It was an economic depression that lasted from 1455 to the 1470s.
How much had the crown’s income fallen from the reign of Henry IV to the reign of Henry VI?
Crown income during Henry IV’s reign was £120,000.
Crown income during Henry VI’s reign was £45,000.
Fall of £75,000.
According to Hicks, what were the customs revenues in 1421 and then in 1448?
1421 = £40,000 1448 = £28,000
What position did York hold in 1336-1337?
Lieutenant of France.
What position did York hold in 1440-1445?
Governor of France and Normandy.
What position did York get in 1447?
Lieutenant in Ireland.
What position did Somerset get in 1447?
Governor of France and Normandy.
When did Humphrey Duke of Gloucester die?
1447.
What did Somerset do at Caen?
He surrendered Caen and paid 300,000 ecus for his freedom as well as giving up all of the English field artillery.
When was Pontoise taken back by the French?
1442.
When did Henry VI surrender Maine to the French?
1448 - 2 years after he was supposed to.
When was the Sack of Fougeres?
1449.
What happened after the Sack of Fougeres?
The fighting between England and France resumed.
Which territories were lost during the French attack on Normandy?
- Rouen.
- Normandy.
- Formingy.
When was Normandy lost?
1450
Which territory was lost at the Battle of Castillon in 1453?
Gascony
Which English territories in France were left by 1453?
Calais
Who was blamed for the losses in France?
Duke of Somerset
When was Suffolk killed and by who?
He was executed by rebels off the coast of Dover in 1450.
Give some of the causes of Cade’s Rebellion.
- Disappointment at the treatment of York as he was placed away from central government (eg placement in Ireland). They wanted him on the King’s council.
- People wanted an enquiry into the losses in France, what caused them and the financial impacts.
- Condemned Henry’s “evil advisors” - referencing Somerset as they believed he was an overmighty subject.
- Thought the King should be responsible for covering his own costs.
- They wanted “true blode of the realme” as household officials.
- They feared punishment for Suffolk’s murder.
- Wanted rid of Lord Saye. who was taking too much money from people (extortion).
What did the Government claim the rebels of Cade’s Rebellion wanted?
To put York on the throne (supported by use of John Mortimer).
Where did Cade’s Rebellion begin?
Kent
How many people were involved in Cade’s Rebellion?
46,000
What name did Jack Cade take and what might this indicate?
John Mortimer, which was the surname of Richard Duke of York’s mother’s maiden name. It may have been saying that they wanted York in more power, or Cade took this name to gain support as many people were annoyed with the treatment of York.
Give the events of Cade’s Rebellion.
- Rebels assembled at Ashford and marched to Blackheath with 2 manifestos: national and local grievances.
- On 13th June, Henry confronted the rebels at Blackheath, and being loyal to him, they withdrew.
- Henry sent his troops after the rebels but many of them deserted him at Sevenoaks.
- Henry agreed to the arrest of Lord Saye and his son in law - they were locked in the Tower of London.
- Henry left London for Kenilworth on 25th June which left London to the rebels.
- On 29th June, the rebels returned to Blackheath with some of Henry’s mutinous troops.
- On 3rd July, the rebels entered London with the intention of being well ordered, but soon became violent.
- Margaret of Anjou offered the rebels a pardon if they dispersed from London Bridge and many took this offer and went home.
- Cade was killed on 12th July for breaking this pardon.
When did Richard of York Return from Ireland?
September 1450
How many men did York have when he came to London to present 2 bills to the King (after Cade’s Rebellion)?
3,000
What were the 2 bills York presented to the King?
Personal and Public grievances.
Name some of the personal grievances.
- Removal of Somerset.
- Debt repaid to Duke of York.
- He would officially be recognised as heir presumptive.
- York would become chief advisor on the King’s council.
Name some of the public grievances.
- The King should pay for his own things.
- Enquiry into the losses in France, what caused them and financial implications.
- 1450 Act of Resumption.
- Increase of control over law and order.
What was granted from the 2 bills York presented to the King?
- York was appointed to the King’s Council.
- Law and order measures were put in place.
What was not granted from the 2 bills York presented to the King?
- Removal of Somerset.
- Appointment of York as heir presumptive.
- Debt paid back to York.
What was the Act of Resumption and when was it passed?
This was when Henry tried to reclaim the patronage he had given out, passed in 1450.
What position does Somerset get in 1451?
Captain of Calais.
When was the Coup at Dartford?
February 1452.
How many men did York have at Dartford?
20,000.
Which nobles did York have the support of at Dartford?
Earl of Devon and Lord Cobham.
Why did York go to Dartford?
He marched against Somerset to ask the King for his removal.
What happened at the Coup at Dartford?
The King was going to grant Somerset’s removal before being persuaded by Anjou to keep him.
What happened after Dartford?
Richard Duke of York was forced to apologise at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
When was Edward Prince of Wales born?
October 1453.
What did the birth of Edward Prince of Wales mean for York?
York lost his position as heir presumptive.
What was the rumor surrounding Edward Prince of Wales’ birth and what happened after this?
That the child was illegitimate and the father was Somerset. To protect him and herself, Anjou sent him to the Tower of London.
What position was taken from Warwick in 1453 and given to Somerset?
Governor of Glamorgan.
What happened after the removal of Richard Neville Earl of Warwick from the position of Governor of Glamorgan?
An alliance between the Nevilles (usually a pro-Lancastrian family) and Richard Duke of York.
When was the Battle of Heworth Moor?
August 1453.
What happened at the Battle of Heworth Moor?
Members of the Nevilles were travelling to York for the wedding of Thomas Neville and Maud Stanhope when they were ambushed by Lord Egremont (brother of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland) and a group of retainers and thugs.
What happened in regards to the Nevilles and the Percys in October 1454 at Stamford Bridge?
Lord Egremont and his brother Sir Richard Percy were stopped by Sir Thomas and Sir John Neville, captured, tried and condemned for trespass.
What did Lord Hunsdon say about the Percys?
“Northumberland knows no prince but a Percy”.
By 1450, how much land did Richard Neville (Salisbury) control in the North East?
50 miles.
In 1447, what position was given to Sir Thomas Percy?
Lord of Egremont.
In 1452, what position was given to William Percy?
Bishop of Carlisle.
When was Henry’s first madness?
August 1453 -December 1454
Who wanted to be regent in Henry’s first madness but who did the nobility prefer?
Anjou wanted to be regent but the nobility prefered York over her and Somerset.
When was York’s first protectorate?
27th March 1454-January 1455.
Who helped York get his first protectorate?
Warwick and the Nevilles.
Name some successes of York’s first protectorate.
- Increased the income of the crown by convincing wool merchants to make loans to the government.
- He made himself Captain of Calais which rallied some of the troops and boosted their morale.
- Reduced the size of the royal household.
- Reduced the expenditure of the royal household from £24,000 it had been in 1450 to £5,194 by 1455.
Name some of the failures of York’s first protectorate.
- He showed favouritism to his supporters eg Courtenay was acquitted for treason for his part in the Coup at Dartford.
- Attendance to his parliament in February 1454 was extremely poor, showing lack of control and support from nobles.
- Law and order around the country worsened.
Where was Anjou sent when York became protector?
Windsor Castle to look after Henry VI.
What happened after Henry recovered from his illness?
- He recognised his son as heir apparent.
- He named York ‘principal royal advisor’.
- Somerset was taken out of the tower.
- Somerset given back the title of Captain of Calais and re-appointed to the King’s council.
- Anjou persuaded the King to exclude York further from the decision making process.
- York and Warwick go to the North to raise an army.
What happened in the lead up to the first Battle of St Albans?
- York had gone North after the end of his protectorate to gather troops.
- He began marching South, but Somerset became suspicious and marched North with troops.
- York sent demands to Henry to give him back the protectorate and to hand Somerset over. Henry refuses.
