Henry vii - consolidation of power

what years were the war of the roses ?

1455 - 1487 , between house of York and Lancaster

when did Richard III usurp?

1483, which destroyed unity in house of York. followed by unsuccessful rebellion of the duke of Buckingham .

importance of Margaret of Beaufort

• gave birth at 14

• married three times including lord Stanley , who supported Henry at battle of Bosworth, and played a key role in securing her son's claim to the throne. Her marriage alliances and political connections significantly contributed to Henry VII's consolidation of power.

• direct route to king’s ear - key in Richard III conspiracies

when was the battle of Bosworth

22 August, 1485. however, Henry pre-dated his reign to the 21st, which meant anyone who fought for Richard were traitors.

Henry had 5,000 men

Richard has 10,000 men (largest army in living memory)

why was henry’s claim to the throne weak?

• illegitimate line (John of gaunt’s third wife)

• from his mother, a woman

• mainly accepted because people didnt like Richard

why didnt people like Richard iii

princes in the tower - Edward V and Richard, duke of york

how did Henry secure his claim to the throne?

• predated his reign

• married Elizabeth of York - untied houses

• crowned himself on 30 October, then first parliament on 7 November

• made Yeomen of the Guard (copy France // looked like a king // also protected him from enemies when England didnt have an army or police force)

• detained earl of Warwick who had a big claim to throne - 1485

• parliament passed acts of attainder

• Henry had tonnage and poundage for life

when did Henry marry Elizabeth

18th January, 1486

when was Arthur born ?

September 1486

why did Henry crown himself before marrying Elizabeth

showed that he was king in his own right, and didnt need to marry her to be king. This emphasized his legitimacy and authority as the ruler of England, independent of his marriage.

what were acts of attainder ?

landowner guilty of rebelling against monarch

= heirs disinherited

=could lose land, title and sometimes head.

viscount Lovell and Staffords

• easter 1486

• lovell = uprising in heartland of north riding of Yorkshire (where support for Richard would’ve been strongest)

• stafford = raise force against Henry in midlands

• Lovell managed to escaped but Humphrey was executed. his brother Thomas was spared

Lambert Simnel

Yorkists needed a figurehead for the rebellion and financial support.

-simnel impersonated the earl of Warwick, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London (some thought he was dead)

-run by Yorkists like John de la pole (nephew of PiT), he had made peace with Henry originally but began to conspire in 1486

• earl of Lincoln (John de la pole) fled to Netherlands where Lovell was, to Margaret of burgundy

• Simnel became king Ireland (may 1487)

• Henry gave the duke of northumberland power over the north to neutralise Richard’s old power base.

• army led by earl of Oxford to victory at BoS

showed Yorkist discontempment for Henry

how many mercenaries did Margaret give John de la pole ?

2000

what were the year and numbers at battle of stoke field?

Henry = 12000

simnel = 8000

1487

perkin warbeck

claimed to be the duke of York

was a threat because he could attract international patronage

-1490 = moved to Ireland but didnt have backing form earl of Kildare

-1492 = went to Charles VIII in France // NOVEMBER the treaty of etaples was signed which removed Warbeck from French support.

-1493 = hid at Margaret of Burgundy’s court (taught how to be a Yorkist) // archduke Philip took control of burgundy and wasn’t allowed to harbour Warbeck. Henry imposed a trade ban when warbeck didnt leave // went to Maximillian

-1494= Henry found plot involving Stanley

-1495 = fled to Ireland but kicked out // FEB Stanley killed // went o Scotland where warbeck hid for two years. married king’s cousin

-1496= launched an unsuccessful invasion on England

-1497 = truce of ayton between Scotland and England signed -couldnt harbour warbeck / fled to Ireland but denied. // joins the Cornish rebellion but arrested

-1498= arrested

-1499= warbeck and earl of Warwick killed for accusation of plotting

who was the earl of Suffolk ?

Edmund de la pole

had been punished for his brothers (Lincoln) actions = pay £5000 to inherit some of father’s lands

what did Suffolk do in 1499

killed someone and fled to burgundy, but then came back

what did Suffolk do in 1501

fled with Richard de la pole to Maximilian, who had promsied to always help the de la poles.

-Philip used insecurity of Suffolk to get trade consessions from Henry

Henry responded with a trade ban - 1505

1513 = soffolk killed by Henry viii

when was the Cornish rebellion

1497

what caused the Cornish rebellion

the demand for extraordinary revenue to fight the Scots (perkin warbeck)

• didnt want to as they were too far away for it to matter

when did the Cornish march to blackheath

16 June - met by kings’ forces, led by lord daubeney .

1000 killed

how did Christine carpenter describe henry’s reaction to the Cornish rebellion ?

‘alarming’ for the king

Yorkshire rebellion

1489

• caused by parliamentary campaign in Brittany

• killed earl of northumberland in April

• defeated outside York by the earl of Surrey, who became lieutenant in that area

how did polydore Vergil describe earl of northumberland’s death?

he was a victim of resentment against taxation

killed in retaliation to abandoning Richard on the battlefield at bosworth

concequences of Yorkshire rebellion

parliaments tax reduced from £100,000 to £27000