Challenging the succession, 1485-99 Flashcards
(45 cards)
1
Q
What factions posed a threat to Henry’s throne?
A
- Anti-Ricardian Yorkists (especially the Woodville family) as they could have switched allegiance to rivals. However this did not happen due to Henry’s promise to marry Elizabeth. Yorkists in turn supported the Tudor dynasty
2
Q
What was the nature of the challenge by Lambert Simnel?
- Simnel background
- Simnel training
- Henry’s response to impersonation
- Margaret of Burgundy support
- De La Pole and Lovell trip to Ireland
- King in Dublin
A
- Son of a joiner from Oxford with no royal blood and an imposter
- Simnel was trained by a priest to act like prince and was mistakenly told to impersonate Earl of Warwick
- Henry paraded real Earl in the streets, which doesn’t stop the rebellion from gaining support ; while Pole flees to Burgundy
- Margaret of Burgundy finances the rebellion and uses her power to raise troops (2,000 German mercenaries)
- Sail to Ireland (traditional Yorkist power base), de la Pole and Lovell meet with Irish nobility (sympathetic to aims)
- Irish and English Yorkists crown Simnel as King in Dublin and launch invasion, rebels arrive in North June 1487 and march South (Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland does nothing to stop them, despite his oath of loyalty to Henry)
3
Q
How serious was Simnel’s threat?
- Rebel alliance combination
A
- Rebel alliance was dangerous mix of rival claimants, angry Yorkists and foreign support
- John De La Pole had better claim to the throne than Henry VII and was puppeteering the entire rebellion
- Rebels managed to raise army due to Margaret of Burgundy
- Support from the Irish was crucial in early successes. Rebellion would have been overlooked without their support ; would be difficult for rebels to find base and sustain challenge to the king
4
Q
How did Henry strengthen his throne after Simnel’s rebellion?
A
- 1487 November; calls parliament, passes 28 Act of Attainder (declare guilt without trial) against rebels, member of council given authority to deal with local disorder
5
Q
Who was Perkin Warbeck?
A
- 1491; another pretender emerges in Ireland, uncertainty about background made his claim to be Richard, Duke of York (younger of Princes in the Tower) harder to disprove
- Supported by French King Charles VIII, Margaret of Burgundy, Scottish King James IV
6
Q
How did Henry overcome Warbeck’s challenge?
A
- With more time on the throne, Henry gained security and experience ; was focussed on building a dynasty
- 1489 alliance with Spain
- More resources and power than Warbeck, who was unable to sustain support, invasions in 1495,96 and 97 all failed due to lack of local support
- Even with Cornwall support, Henry was too strong due to established network of spies
- 1495; Henry had troops and defences waiting, with effective chains of command able to coordinate military responses
- Successful use of punishments and rewards, awarded those loyal to him and ruthless towards suspected nobility and gentry
- Stern response from Henry deterred any potential plotters
7
Q
Did Warbeck pose a threat to Henry’s throne?
A
- Received support from foreign powers and evaded capture from 1491-97, under protection of France, Burgundy and Scotland. Henry could only negotiate with such superpowers
8
Q
How serious was the Irish support for Simnel?
A
- Geographically and politically remote
- Good launching pad for invasions of England
- Only way to neutralise threats was to negotiate with Irish gentry and nobility
- Kildare, Yorkish supporter, provided Simnel with troops and base, Henry unable to fight Kildare didn’t have military strength to interfere with Irish affairs
- Though defeated at Stoke in 1487, Henry still had to be cautious and pardoned Kildare ; other Simnel supporters and forced to accept oath of loyalty from Kildare (who was allowed to remain as Lord Deputy)
9
Q
How serious was Burgundy’s support for pretenders?
A
- Margaret was sister of Richard III, tried to restore Yorkist monarch and provided protection and support for Yorkist plotters e.g. John de la Pole, Francis Lovell and Warbeck (provided mercenaries)
- Henry could not easily stop her protecting rivals and was reluctant to use expensive military tactics
- Had powerful weapon of strong trading links between England and Burgundy
10
Q
How serious was the French support for pretenders?
A
- 1485-1492 relations between England and France deteriorated rapidly due to French pursual of Brittany and English attempts to prevent this
- Support Warbeck, Henry launches invasion Oct 1492, Charles immediately agrees to negotiate
- Treaty of Étaples signed, Charles won’t harbour Henry’s enemies, annual pension, stopped possibility of French-backed Yorkist threat
11
Q
How serious was the Scottish support for pretenders?
A
- Support Warbeck who is in Scotland until 1497, James IV plotted against England, provides army
- Invasion is short and unsuccessful 1496
- 1497; grew tired of supporting Warbeck, so Warbeck leaves
- 7 Year Truce of Ayton
12
Q
Where was Henry VII based during Battle of Stoke?
A
- Henry arrived at his base (Kenilworth Castle) on 8th May and marched North to meet rebels at Stoke
- Battle of Stoke on 16th June
13
Q
How strong was the foreign support for Warbeck?
A
- Irish support fails to materialise, King Charles VIII invites Warbeck to France (1492), Henry’s prompt actions mean he is soon not welcome
- Goes to Burgundy, Margaret recognises him as her nephew
- Agents from Burgundy infiltrate England and try recruit supporters 1493-94, Sir William Stanley implicated in plot (Jan 1495 executed)
- James IV tires in support, Warbeck goes to Ireland, fails to gain support, tries Cornwall trying to take advantage of unrest, 300 men, 3,000-8,000 support from Cornwall (no gentry or nobility), driven out by soldiers and citizens, Warbeck moves to Taunton where he is captured
14
Q
Were Warbeck’s initial invasion attempts successful?
A
- July 1495 Warbeck attempts to land in Kent with 300 soldiers, fails to gain support, flees, soldiers executed
- Moves to Scotland, Sept 1496 tries to invade England with 1,400 men, unable to raise support in North, back to Scotland
15
Q
What did Henry VII do to raise funds for an army to fight Warbeck?
A
-1497; Forced to raise taxes to fund army to fight Warbeck, demand results in rebellion (15,000) in Cornwall June, forced to divert troops from protecting North to Kent to defeat rebels (1,000 killed)
16
Q
How did Henry VII treat Perkin Warbeck?
A
- Henry treated Warbeck well, June 1498 tries to escape, arrested , put in Tower, plots/tricked by Earl of Warwick, Warbeck hanged, Warwick beheaded
17
Q
Why was Henry able to defeat the Simnel rebellion?
A
- Henry was able to defeat rebels due to mistakes, little support and decisive actions on his behalf, mercenaries were paid but had no loyalty to cause, Irish nobility stayed in Ireland, no support when rebels reached England due to elite preferring stability and order enabling Henry to gain support, prepared to lead army
18
Q
How serious was Irish support for Warbeck?
A
- Irish was reluctant to get involved with Warbeck, which is why he couldn’t raise Irish military support
19
Q
How strong was Simnel’s army at Battle of Stoke?
A
- Simnel had a strong army of German mercenaries that were well trained and equipped but Irish lacked body armour and suffered many losses enabling them to be easily defeated
20
Q
What was Henry VII mistake regarding John De La Pole?
A
- Henry’s inexperience was exposed as he trusted de la Pole, despite rumours of his involvement, allowing him to attend council meetings
21
Q
What happened to John De La Pole and Lord Lovell during Battle of Stoke?
A
- John de la Pole was killed and Lord Lovell disappeared with no threat made during Henry’s reign
22
Q
What happened to Simnel after the Battle of Stoke?
A
- Simnel (due to age) was put to work in king’s kitchen and later became king’s falconer. This presented Henry’s compassion, as he refused to punish children knowing they were manipulated by his true rivals
23
Q
How did Henry VII eradicate Irish support for Simnel?
A
- Henry did not trust Kildare and sent small force in 1492 against Warbeck
- Henry removed Kildare as Deputy and sent Sir Poynings who asserted English control over Ireland
- Kildare imprisoned until 1496
- Poyning’s Law introduced 1495 prevented Irish parliament being summoned or laws passing without English King’s consent
- Persuaded Irish to pass Act that puts them under direct control of English monarchs, Ireland no longer significant threat to Henry VII and Kildare reinstated as Deputy w/complete loyalty to King
24
Q
Why was Henry VII more prepared for Warbeck’s rebellion?
A
- If Warbeck had arrived while the Kent rebellion was occurring May-June 1497, he may have had sizeable support but he arrived in September when Henry was prepared
- Therefore, the rebellion did not result in Battle like Simnel’s rebellion. Henry had much more experience, Warbeck’s threat never became serious due to loyal nobility who controlled localities and plotters
25
How does Henry VII suppress Margaret of Burgundy's support of Warbeck?
- Henry enforces trade embargo in 1493
| - 1496, signs treaty to stop supporting Warbeck, would lose land if she disobeyed, in exchange of trade ban to be lifted
26
How were the Stafford brothers and Lord Lovell a threat to Henry VII?
- Strong Richard III supporters, Thomas and Humphrey Stafford and Lord Lovell, wanted to restore a Yorkist monarchy and attempted to take advantage of Earl of Warwick escape rumour by raising a rebellion in Midlands
27
How did Henry VII deal with the Stafford brothers?
- Henry immediately tackled the problem by advancing North and Staffords fled due to little support
- Humphrey executed whilst Henry pardoned Thomas
28
Who suppressed Lord Lovell's rising in Yorkshire?
- Lovell tried to raise rebellion in Yorkshire with little support. The revolt was instantly suppressed by Jasper Tudor, causing Lovell to flee to Burgundy
29
What is the date of the Battle of Bosworth?
- 22nd August 1485
30
How many men did Henry VII
| have at the Battle of Bosworth?
- 5000 men
31
How many men did Richard III have at the Battle of Bosworth?
- around 10,000 men
32
Who were the Stanley brothers supposedly allied with at the Battle of Bosworth?
- Lord Thomas Stanley and his brother Sir William were supposedly allied with Richard III
33
What did the Stanley brothers do during the Battle of Bosworth?
- They stood at sidelines, as Thomas was Henry's mother's (Margaret Beaufort) current husband
- Sir William committed troops to Henry ; his troops attack Richard who is killed
34
Why was Henry VII concerned by the nobles after the Battle of Bosworth?
- The nobility had betrayed their king and acted for their interests, which would be a cause for concern for Henry who had a tenuous claim to the throne already
35
How did the concept of 'divine right' strengthen Henry VII's claim to the throne?
- Following Henry's fortune at battle, he was able to present victory as one given from God (divine right), thusly strengthening his claim to the throne in the eyes of the court and subjects
36
What was Henry VII's first step to securing his throne?
- Crowned in a formal ceremony (just months after battle), which would reinforce the idea that he was anointed by God
37
How did Henry VII involve parliament in the consolidation of his throne?
- Summoned parliament who declared Henry their King, unofficially, as a symbol of support for the Tudor monarch
38
When did Henry VII backdate his reign to?
- 21st August 1485
39
Why did Henry VII backdate his reign?
- Henry backdated his reign so those who fought against Henry could be tried for treason
40
How did Henry VII legitimise his marriage to Elizabeth of York?
- Cancelled the Titulus Regius, which declared Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and children illegitimate
41
How did Henry VII consolidate Yorkist support?
- Cemented Yorkist support by marrying Elizabeth of York in January 1486, consequently uniting the feuding factions, as the heir would be both Yorkist and Lancastrian
42
What did Henry VII do to supporters?
- Rewarded supporters such as Jasper Tudor, appointed Duke of Bedford in 1485, but only allowed few individuals to accumulate power to avoid usurpation
43
Did Henry VII use the threat of execution to create fear amongst his council?
- Henry did not execute much of opposition (John De La Pole and Earl of Northumberland freed) in order to maintain peace within his council as a newly appointed King
44
What did Henry VII require the House of Lords and Commons to do?
- Made House of Lords and Commons swear oath to him to ensure loyalty ; have legal standing for imprisonment if treason were to be committed
45
How did Henry VII increase the crowns wealth?
- Increased Crown's wealth through Act of Resumption in 1486
