The end of the Yorkist Dynasty, 1486–1499

WOTR

How Henry solidified authority

Acts of Attainder:

• 138 attainders during his reign

• Reversed some to reward loyalty e.g. Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey was given back lands he had been stripped of after Bosworth

• By the end of his reign, Henry controlled 50% of the land in England

Legal/ Financial Control:

• Made nobles swear against retaining at his first court 1485 but this was difficult to enforce and acted as regulation rather than ban

• Star Chamber was a royal court established by Henry VII to deal with cases of corruption, rebellion, and disorder involving the nobility and gentry - used bonds and recognisances as tools

• £200,000 from bonds and recognizances over the course of his reign using ‘council learned in the law’

• 1491, Henry extracted £10,000 from the Earl of Northumberland as a bond, ensuring his loyalty

Use of Marriage Alliances:

• Henry married Elizabeth of York, uniting the warring houses of Lancaster and York

Wardship:

• Could control heirs under 21

• Thomas Howard of Surrey given the role of guarding several estates

• Death Earl of Westmorland (Richard III supporter) in 1492 → his heir, Ralph Neville, was still a minor as a result, Henry VII took control of the Earl of Westmorland’s estate

Lovell and Stafford Revolt

1486

Causes:

• Key nobles e.g. Thomas and Humphrey Stafford perceived Henry as illegitimate and feared repercussions for their loyalty to Richard III (Historical indication of potential involvement at Bosworth) - in sanctuary at Culham Abbey)

• Lovell had been a Chamberlain to Richard III and feared retribution/ loss of titles (In “sanctuary” at Colchester abbey from fear)

• Henry VII was still consolidating power - perceived weakness

Events:

• Lovell attempted to raise support in Yorkshire, targeting Henry VII’s progress in the North + The Staffords tried to incite a rebellion in Worcester.

• Sent forces under Jasper Tudor (Duke of Bedford) and Sir Richard Edgecombe to suppress the uprising. - offered pardons to deserters

Outcome:

• Lovell fled when royal troops approached—he found refuge with Margaret of Burgundy (sister of Edward IV and Richard III) in Flanders. + Humphrey Stafford executed but Thomas pardoned.

• Easy suppression showed Henry’s competence and demonstrated the importance of his intelligence network

• Act of Attainder passed against Lovell and his supporters

Why it failed:

• No figurehead/ pretender like later rebellions

• Henry offered pardons and was popular with many Yorkists due to marriage to EoY

• WOTR had made people war weary

• Henry’s quick response

Lambert Simnel

1487

Causes:

• John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln had been Richard III’s heir - stripped by Henry (although reconsolidated into regime)

• Francis Lovell had lost his position as minister under Richard

• Henry VII had yet to establish control in Ireland (Chroniclers referred to him as “uncrowned King of Ireland”) - Earl of Kildare had flourished under Richard and feared marginalisation

• Margaret of Burgundy had lingering family loyalties - “Last political weapon of the house of York” - Michael Hicks

• Many Yorkists viewed Edward, Earl of Warwick (nephew of Edward IV and son of George, Duke of Clarence) as the rightful heir.

Events:

• Lambert Simnel, a boy from Oxford trained by priest Richard Symonds, claimed to be Edward, Earl of Warwick and was ‘crowned’ as Edward VI in Dublin

• 2000 German mercenaries (Margaret’s) + 4500 Irish soldiers + additional Yorkists from North of England landed in Lancashire

• Henry’s army of 12,000 outnumbered the rebels 8,000 (Lead by de la Pole and Lovell) and won decisively under Jasper Tudor at the Battle of Stoke Field

Outcome:

• John De La Pole killed + Lovell Fled + Lambert Simnel spared due to young age (10)

• Parliament passed Acts of Attainder against 28 rebels

• Henry paraded the real Edward of Warwick through London to disprove Simnel’s claim.

• Strengthened the Council Learned in the Law

• Henry dispatched Richard Edgecombe (A trusted lieutenant) to Ireland to maintain order

Why it Failed:

• Poor organisation of varied troops (German mercenaries poorly integrated)

• Henry’s noble support (Earl of Oxford and Jasper Tudor) and competent action

• Rebel’s weak claim → little domestic support because many Yorkists e.g. Northumberland and Westmorland had been reconsolidated with Henry after Bosworth

Yorkshire Uprising

Causes:

• 1489, Henry VII imposed a tax of £100,000 in North to fund war in Brittany

• North had been hit with a poor harvest in 1488 and were suffering economic hardship

• Other regions e.g. Lancashire had been exempt from taxation due to defending Scottish border - Yorkshiremen believed they were treated unjustly

• Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland was disliked for aggressive tax enforcement + lack of sympathy for locals

Events:

• A mob beat Henry Percy to death

• Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (recently released after being arrested at Bosworth) was sent to crush the rebels

• Punished leaders but avoided alienating the population by using diplomacy, imprisoned and fined many rebels but no mass execution

Outcomes:

• Henry only raised 27k of the 100k aim - showing reluctance to enforce taxation

• Thomas Howard was appointed Lieutenant to the North (Former Yorkist now tied to Tudor stability)

• Reinforced the validity of non-tax measures to raise royal revenue

Why it failed:

• Not led by powerful nobles, but rather by local peasants and minor gentry e.g. John Chamber a yeoman

• Did not seek a regime change so had no major rallying point outside of Yorkshire

• Easy to present them as criminal disobedience rather than political action

• Lack of organisation made it easy for them to be repressed militarily

Attempts to maintain the Yorkist cause

Margaret of Burgundy:

The Earl of Warwick:

• Son of George Duke of Clarence (Edward IV’s brother) - had a strong claim to the throne

• Imprisoned in the tower of London after Bosworth

• Impersonated by Lambert Simnel in 1487

• 1499 executed for allegedly conspiring to escape with Perkin Warbeck who was being held there also (May have been framed to eliminate his dynastic threat)

The Pretender Perkin Warbeck:

• Came to Prominence in Burgundy 1490 where he was tutored by Margaret and supported in his claim of being the younger ‘prince in the tower’

• 1491 - publicly declared himself ‘Richard Duke of York’

• Initially supported in France until treaty of Etaples

• 1493, Henry cut off trade with Burgundy → 1494, Warbeck recognised as rightful King of England by Holy Roman Emperor

• 1495, failed invasion (his 300 men quickly defeated) → Fled to Ireland gaining some support but driven out by Poyning’s (Soldier under Henry) forces

• 1495-96, Warbeck was accepted by James IV of Scotland and used a small Scottish force into Northumberland → failed to gain local support and was forced to flee (Polydore Vergil says Henry mobilized troops immediately) → lost Scottish support after peace was negotiated (Treaty of Ayton 1497)

• 1497, Warbeck landed in Cornwall, gathering 6000 troops hoping to exploit discontent of the Cornish rebellion of the previous year → Fled when met with King;s army and imprisoned in the tower of London

• Executed in 1499 for plotting to escape with Earl of Warwick.

Trade/ Economy

Trade and the Economy:

• Increased annual crown income from ~£52,000 (1485) to ~£142,000 by end of reign through use of the ‘chamber’ system (royal household) rather than the exchequer (too bureaucratic)

• Improved trade e.g. Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489) - Anglo-Spanish trade and Intercursus Magnus (1496) to encourage Burgundian trade after ending the embargo

• 90% of exports = woollen cloth (Overreliance?)

Control of Regions

Control of Regions

Northern England:

• Appointed loyalists as governors e.g. Earl of Surrey in the North after Yorkshire uprising 1489

• Council of the North to enforce law and royal proclamations + Oversaw local Justices of the Peace

Wales:

• Used loyal subjects and connections from his Welsh heritage (Born in Pembroke Castle)

• Jasper Tudor (Uncle) oversaw Wales and Marches

• 1493, council of Wales re-established in Ludlow castle - symbolically housed Henry’s son Arthur as a child

• Sir Thomas (Welsh born noble) made chamberlain of South Wales for support at Bosworth - had local support from heritage

Ireland:

• Ireland, especially the Pale, was ruled by Anglo-Irish nobles, not the English crown. Most powerful were: Fitzgeralds of Kildare - supported both Lambert Simnel (crowned) and Perkin Warbeck (given refuge and support)

• In 1494, sent Sir Edward Poynings as Lord Deputy - ‘Poyning’s Law’ - Irish parliament required English permission to meet + legislation had to be approved

• 1496, Henry reinstated Kildare as Lord Deputy due to pressure of discontent but he swore loyalty to Henry - direct rule had failed but peace was achieved

Scotland:

• Politically independent and sometimes allied with France through the Auld Alliance

• Welcomed Perkin Warbeck + supported an attempted coup in 1495-6

• Prepared for war with Scotland through taxation in 1489 → Yorkshire uprising → Peaceful solution with Scotland

• 1492 Treaty of Ayton → Peace and non-support for future pretenders