The Downfall Of The Yorkist Monarchy (1483-86) Flashcards
Richard, Duke of Gloucesters usurpation if the throne
- 9th April 1483: Edward IV dies, leaving his son, Edward V as heir
- on his way to London, him and Earl Rivers meet Gloucester and Buckingham at Northampton
- the day after, Rivers, Richard grey & Thomas Vaughan are arrested by Gloucester and Edward’s household is disbanded and he’s taken into custody of Gloucester and Buckingham, who protest their loyalty, claiming their actions were against traitors
- 4th May: original date planned for Edward’s coronation, but it was deferred
- 10th May: Gloucester appointed Lord Protector
- 19th May: Edward moved to the tower of London
- Lord Hastings, Archbishop Rotherham of York, Bishop Morton were arrested and Hastings immediately executed without trial, others imprisoned
- 16th June: Richard, Duke of York is removed from sanctuary and placed in the Tower of London
- bastardy of Princes was preached by Ralph Shaa
- 24th June: Rivers, Richard grey, Thomas Vaughan executed
- 25th June: end of Edward V’s reign
- 26th June: Gloucester elected as king by a meeting of estates
- 6th July: coronation of Richard III
Issue of the Princes in the Tower
- by 19th May Edward V had been moved to the Tower and he was joined by Richard, Duke of York on 16th June
- the next few weeks they could be seen playing in the grounds of the tower, but after July 1483, they were never seen again
- while it is not confirmed, it’s believed by contemporaries that Richard had killed them
- however, some believe it was Buckingham, but its possible Buckingham acted on the kings orders
Richard III’s position as usurper
- some contemporaries state Richard justified his usurpation stating that Edward IV’s sons were rumoured to be bastards, others suggest he was the real heir of Richard, Duke of York
- it was unsurprising that the remaining Woodville’s opposed him on the throne, but also many leading gentry opposed him, especially in the South
- in expected opposition, Richard began a royal progress following his coronation on 6th July: he progressed through the Thames valley onto Gloucester and continued onto the Duchy of Lancaster estates, arriving in York on 29 August. There he invested his son Edward as Prince of Wales
The emergence of Henry Tudor
- lived in Brittany since 1471 under protection of the Duke of Brittany
- his claim to the throne was tenuous, but Richards usurpation made him the biggest rival for the crown
Dissension among Yorkist nobility
- Richards usurpation effectively divided the Yorkists elite
- many of the elite showed their support to Richard III, Norfolk perhaps the most loyal, and while there were others like Lord Stanley, Northumberland and Buckingham, their loyalties were certainly not assured
- it quickly became apparent that there were many who while not outrightly opposing him, certainly did not come out in support
- lack of support was a clear response to the bloodletting of the usurpation
- in following months opposition, including Margaret Beaufort, Queen Elizabeth, and Marquess of Dorset came out
The Buckingham rebellion (Sep-Nov 1483)
possible motives:
- anger of usurpation and rumours about the Princes
- Buckingham promised earldom of Herefordshire, but letter patent never issued
- wanted to be a ‘kingmaker’, placing Henry Tudor on the throne
what happened:
- Richard was expecting trouble and asked for 2000 Welsh bills (weapons) to be sent to him
- uprising began in Kent on 11th Oct, followed by Sussex and Surrey, Norfolk contained these rebels there
- by 18th Oct further armies had formed in Devon and Cornwall led by Marquess of Dorset and another
- another army gathered in Berkshire and Wiltshire
- West only became involved in November
- overall coordination was poor and localised groups needed leadership, but Buckingham was unable to provide it
- Eastern rebels were left to Norfolk and Richard went South and ultimately West with success
- 15th Oct a storm prevented Buckingham from crossing River Severn so he fled into Shropshire hoping for support for Thomas Lord Stanley but did not receive any
- Henry Tudor left Brittany (31st Oct) but foul weather scuttled him and he landed of Plymouth with only 2 ships, but on arrival realised he was too late and rebellion was over so he returned to exile
- Buckingham captured and executed 2nd Nov
outcomes:
- Richard had to rely increasingly on men he knew he could trust
- had to build a base of support in the South so placed Northern supporters in South
- Henry had shown he was aiming for throne
- he declared he intended to Marry Elizabeth of York to unite the two houses, which increased support
- some Southerners fled England to join Henry in Brittany
The reign of Richard III
Support for Richard:
- key supporters: Norfolk, Viscount Lovell, Lincoln
- questionable supporters: Lord Stanley, Northumberland
support for Henry Tudor:
- Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, Buckingham, Duke of Brittany
- Elizabeth planned with Margaret to marry her eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York to Henry Tudor to unite the two houses
- Dorset, Edward Woodville, Edward Courtenay, Devon, Bishop of Exeter all fled to Brittany after Buckingham rebellion
northern plantations:
- due to the number of Southerners disaffected, the confiscated estates were largely given to members of Richard’s Northern household:
- Sir Richard Radcliffe, Sir Marmaduke constable, Sir Robert Percy, Lord Weville and Lord Fitzhugh
- this backfired and ensured complete loss of sympathy for Richard in the South
1483 Act of Parliament:
- known as the Titulus Regius
- lords subscribed to new oath of allegiance to Richard
- was major piece of propaganda justifying Richard as king
council of the North:
- Lincoln became leader of the North, which angered Northumberland, but Westmorland benefited
foreign policy:
- Richard contemplated invasion of Scotland, but cancelled when news of Henry Tudor planning another invasion arrived
- Richard agreed 3 year truce with James II’s envoy
- he then turned to Brittany attempting to negotiate surrender of Henry Tudor but Henry learned of this and escaped to France
problems with succession:
- Richards only son, Edward, Prince of Wales died April 1484
- no possibility of Anne producing another heir and 16th March 1485 she died too
- many were suspicious of her death and rumours circulating that Richard planned to Marry Elizabeth of York
- Richard named John de la Pole, earl of Lincoln as heir, who was his nephew
The battle of Bosworth (22nd Aug 1485)
- Henry Tudor landed at Milford Haven 7th Aug
- Richard sent summons to lords, gentlemen, sheriffs and commissioners of array
- Richard’s commanders also called their men to arms
- following his proclamation as king, he repealed Richard’s proclamation as it had declared Elizabeth of York illegitimate so he did this so he could marry her
- they got married 18th Jan 1486 and it was deeply significant due to its aim to unite the political supporters of Tudor and York
- soon after on 18th Sep Henry’s first heir, Arthur was born
- Norfolk ordered his men to assemble 16th Aug at Bury St Edmands
- Rhys ap Thomas and Walter Herbet were flanking invaders giving impression of fighting, but in reality they were joining Henry
- Henry’s force was then greatly enlarged by classmen from North Wales
- he then entered England on 15th Aug and demanded surrender of Shrewsbury
- Richard was outraged at capture of Shrewsbury but other Yorkists seemed to be dragging their feet
- forces met 22nd August 1485
- Richard charged the troops towards the rear and was nearly successful, but the Stanley’s stood on the sidelines, clearly rebelling
- Richard nearly made it to Henry but William Stanley intervened to same him
- Richard was killed and his body was dragged behind a horse naked back to Leicester Abbey
aftermath:
- Henry VII dated his reign from 21st Aug, so those who opposed him at Bosworth were traitors
- he was then coronated on 30th Oct
- following his proclamation as king, he repealed Richard’s proclamation, as it declared Elizabeth of York illegitimate, meaning he could not marry her
- the got married on 18th Jan 1486, and it was deeply significant with its aim to unite the political supporters of Tudor and York
- not long after, on 18th Sep, Henry’s first heir, Arthur was born
