Henry VII - Pretenders to the throne & Rebellions

Lovell & Stafford, Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck

Lovell and Stafford 1486

Lovell and Stafford 1486

After Bosworth, Lord Francis Lovell was attained. He then sought sanctuary with Sir Humphrey Stafford.

Lovell tried to raise a rebellion in Yorkshire while Stafford did the same in the midlands.

Planned to capture the king with no real claimant to the throne. Henry sent his uncle Jasper to crush the rebellion which he did with ease. Henry pardoned every rebel apart from the leaders. Lovell escaped, Humphrey Stafford was executed, and his brother Thomas Stafford was imprisoned.

How serious of a threat?

No foreign support whatsoever

Very little support within England.

Lack of loyal leadership

Henry was able to overcome the threat due to it’s lack of support. Overall a small threat but crucial in the way henry dealt with it as it was the first rebellion of his reign.

Lambert Simnel 1487

Simnel pretended to be the Earl of Warwick, who had a claim to the throne. Simnel was supported by John de la Pole, the Earl of Lincoln and was crowned as King in Ireland.

The real Earl of Warwick was paraded outside the tower of London were he was imprisoned.

Henry VII and the Earl of Lincoln fought at the battle of stoke. Lincolns army was funded by Margaret of Burgundy. Henry won and Lincoln was killed, Simnel was sent to work in the royal kitchens.

How serious of a threat?

There was foreign support from Ireland and Margaret of Burgundy.

Enough support to raise an army in England.

Decent leadership to lead an army, though Lambert Simnel was only 10 years old so only a figurehead.

Henry was able to crush the rebellion as he had a bigger army of 12,000 compared to rebels 8,000.

Overall only a threat due to the support it warranted but their claimant to the throne was totally false. Henry’s dealings of lambert show that he is not a total monster as he doesn’t execute the boy yet the no punishments could inspire other to pursue rebellion.

Perkin Warbeck 1491

Warbeck claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, the younger of the princes in the tower. In Ireland. Warbeck then went over to France but after the Treaty of Etaples was signed he had to flee to Margaret of Burgundy.

Warbeck attempted to land in England in 1495 but was quickly defeated and fled to James IV in Scotland.

Sir William Stanley, Lord Chamberlain was an accomplice of Warbeck’s and a threat to Henry.

1496, a small Scottish force tried to cross the border but quickly retreated. Henry offered marriage of one of his daughters, Margaret to James IV of Scotland. Cementing an alliance between the two countries.

In a last ditch effort to take the throne Warbeck tried again after the Cornish Rebellion but his forces were crushed in 1497 and Warbeck surrendered. Warbeck was allowed to stay at court until he tried to leave and was eventually executed after being imprisoned in the tower.

How serious of a threat?

Lots of foreign support from Ireland, France, Scotland and Burgundy.

Support in England from the Lord Chamberlain.

Leadership was persistent in attacking and gathering support.

Henry overcame this threat by allying with Scotland through marriage. Overall a quiet serious threat as many foreign rulers backed Warbeck and he was relentless in attack.

Yorkshire rebellion 1489

Northumberland and Yorkshire couldn’t pay taxes.

Rebels were hanged and the money wasn’t collected.

Cornish Rebellion 1497

A tax rebellion caused by Henry’s attempts to raise money to defend the north against possible Scottish rebellion - Perkin Warbeck.