Henry VII- Warbeck and Simnel, 1495-99 Flashcards
(16 cards)
what socio-economic factors contributed to challenges against Henry VII’s reign?
poor crown finances from wars led to economic instability and high taxes, causing rebellions like the Yorkshire (1489) and Cornish (1497)
powerful nobles with wealth and territorial influence could back pretenders or rebel against Henry
why was Henry VII’s claim to the throne considered weak?
his paternal claim was through a tenuous link (grandfathers wives ex-husband)
maternal claim was distant (5 generations back)
he was a Lancastrian usurper and many Yorkists viewed his legitimacy as weak
how did the rivals between the Lancasters and Yorkists contribute to threats during Henry VII’s reign?
the Houses of Lancaster and York had been rivals for decades (Wars of the Roses)
Yorkists oppose Henry’s rule and supported pretenders like Warbeck and Simnel claiming Yorkist bloodlines
what was Henry VII’s strategy to legitimise his reign after usurping Richard III
Henry backdated his reign to before the Battle of Bosworth (21 August 1485) using parliament to declare Richard III the usurper and Henry the rightful king, enabling legal action against Richard’s supporters
who were the ‘Princes in the Tower’ and why were they important
Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, sons of Edward IV, disappeared after Richard III’s usurpation
pretenders claimed to be them (Warbeck and Simnel) rallying Yorkist support to challenge Henry
name two legitimate Yorkist claimants who posed a threat to Henry VII
John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln (nephew of Edward IV/Richard III, heir presumptive under Richard III) and Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick
what were Simnels aims and his legitimacy as a claimant
Simnel impersonated Edward, Earl of Warwick, claiming the throne
he had no royal blood himself and was a puppet for the Yorkist leader John de la Pole, making his claim weak especially after Henry showed the real Warwick alive
who was John de la Pole and what role de he play in the Simnel rebellion
John de la Pole was a Yorkist noble with a strong claim
he used Simnel as a figurehead to oppose Henry but was cautious about risking open rebellion himself
what foreign support did Simnel’s rebellion achieve
Margaret of Burgundy funded Simnel, who raised 2,000 German mercenaries led by the experienced Martin Schwartz
Irish nobility in Yorkist-leaning Ireland supported the rebellion with Simnel crowned in Dublin
describe the military capability and outcome of the Simnel rebellion
the rebel force (8,000 strong, including mercenaries) landed in Lancashire, fought at the Battle of Stoke in 1487
despite mercenary strength, poor Irish troops led to defeat
key leaders like de la Pole and Schwartz died; Simnel captured
what were Warbeck’s claims and origins
Warbeck claimed to be Richard, Duke of York
born in c.1472-74 in Flanders, he traveled to Ireland to make his claim around age 17, a plausible claim given his age matched Richard’s
which foreign leaders supported Warbeck
Charles VII of France
Margaret of Burgundy
James IV of Scotland
what was the scale and success of Warbeck’s support within England
Warbeck struggled to gain widespread English support
his 1495 landing in Kent failed to inspire rebellion
a 1496 invasion from Scotland with 1,400 men was also unsuccessful
he briefly gained 3,000-8,000 in Cornwall (1497) but failed to capture key towns
what internal betrayal did Henry face during Warbeck’s rebellion
Sir William Stanley, Henry’s step-uncle and Chamberlain, was implicated in a plot supporting Warbeck
Stanley was executed, marking a serious security breach close to the king
how did Warbeck’s military attempts end
Warbeck’s attempted invasions failed to gain traction
after the 1497 Cornwall uprising was suppressed, his supporters deserted him
he was captured and his rebellion ended
which rebellion marked the end of the Wars of the Roses
the Battle of Stoke (1487) during Simnel’s rebellion is often considered the final battle ending the Wars of the Roses
