Topic 1 - Henry VII government and threat to his throne

two sides of the Wars of Roses

House of Lancaster (red rose)

House of York (white rose)

how many years did Wars of Roses last?

32

Princes in the Tower (1483)

Richard III imprisoned his two nephews (Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury) in the Tower of London and proclaimed himself King after their father Edward IV died → rumoured Richard murdered them although they were declared illegitimate

Henry land at Milford Haven (7 Aug 1485) significance

2 weeks before Battle of Bosworth, timed to exploit Welsh connections

Battle of Bosworth (22 Aug 1485)

York King Richard III (army of 10-15,000) defeated by Henry Tudor (army of 5,000) annd Sir William Stanley who intervened into battle at last min

Henry's maternal claim to throne

Lady Margaret Beaufort connected Henry to Royal House of Plantagenet via Lancastrian line started by John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster (great great great grandfather)

Henry's maternal claim to throne

Lady Margaret Beaufort connected Henry to Royal House of Plantagenet via Lancastrian line started by John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster (great great great grandfather)

Henry’s welsh ancestry significance in securing throne

• royal connections strengthened legitimacy to establish tudor dynasty

• recruited Welsh soldiers to help him win at Bosworth

• allegiance with magnate Rhys AP Thomas provided military support - rewarded to encourage loyalty from other nobles

tudor propaganda at Kings college chapel

• greyhound symbol of his mother

• dragon highlights Welsh descent

• tudor roses with crowns to illlustrate as royal symbols

Henry's aims as King

• unite Houses of York and Lancaster (merge white and red rose to create tudor rose embodied by first son Arthur)

• enhance personal protection (yeomen of guard)

• rebuild crowns financial statuss (fine nobles)

how did Henry secure position

• signed parliament documents stating he is King (21 Aug 1485) day before Bosworth

• prevented claims he is usurper who stole from annointed King

• married Elizabeth of York (1486)

Yorkist claimants to throne

John de la Pole, Earl oof Lincoln

Edward, Earl of Warwick

Lovell and Stafford conspiracy (1486)

• Henry on royal progress to York → aim to secure support and illustrate power

• Lord Lovell and Stafford brothers availed of ecclestial sanctuary and conspired to ambush

• discovered early on

• Royal army offer rebels pardon or death

• Lovell fled to Flanders

• Staffords attempt sanctuary but sent to Tower of London → Humphrey executed and Thomas pardoned

• Henrys progress remains unhindered

• limited threat but embodied remaining Yorkist oppositition

Lambert Simnel (1486-7)

• attempt to impersonate Edward Earl of Warwick

• supported by priest Symonds (raised support in Oxford + Ireland)

• Margaret of Burgundy offered mercenaries

• Henry paraded real Earl of Warwick through London to prove fraud

• rebels denied offer of pardon

• Royal army of 12,000 outnumbered Lincolns 8,000 men at Battle of Stoke

• Symonds life imprisonment

• Simnel turnspit in Royal kitchen, then falconer

• 28 nobles who fought at Stoke attained

East Midlands battle (1487)

early Yorkist resistance against Henry where John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln and his army died

2 ways Henry establish permanence in his reign

• architecture

• money (coins with King and tudor rose → 20p still has tudor rose)

taxation rebellions: Yorkshire (1489)

• taxation to aid Brittany in its struggle against France seen as uunjust

• parliament granted subsidary of £100,000 - little actually raised

• other northern countries exempt from tax

• Earl of Northumberland suppoort tax → killed by Yorkists

• royal authority weak in north → appointed Earl of Surrey and army -- success!

Perkin Warbeck (1491-9)

• claimed to be Richard of York (despite resemblance to Edward, Earl of Warwick)

• persuaded by John Attwood

• foreign support (i.e Charles VIII of France, Margaret of Burgundy (acceptts as nephew), William Stanley, Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian, James IV of Scotland)

• attempts to limit ^ 1492 Treaty of Etaples (France), Magnus Intercursus treaty (Maximillian), clause to deny help to eachothers enemies

• cost Henry £13,000 over 8 years

• Warbeck lived at court with young Scottishh bride, escaped, recaptured (1498)

• humiliated by sitting in stocks twice

• De facto act (1495)

• Warbeck and Warwick rumoured to be plotting escape

• captured, confessed, beheaded

taxation rebellions: Cornish (1497)

• exploitative tax to fund war against Scotland (James IV aim to aid Warbeck + invade north)

• rebels grievances intensified by political marginalisation

• 15,000 rebels assemble in Bodmin

• numbers decline near London in fear of Royal army

• main anger towards councillors i.e Morton and Bray blamed for taxes

• Henry assembled army of 25,000 at Blackheath

why does Henry need to control nobility?

• avoid abuse of power

• they have wealth + power

• retainers

• reduce risk of rebellions/overthrow

how did Henry control nobility

• execution (i.e William Stanley - betray Henry, Yorkist livery collar with white roses and £10,000 for army, Earl of Warwick, Humphrey Stafford)

• trusted individuals given power (i.e Earl of Surrey Cornish rebellion

• spy networks (discovered betrayl of William Stanley)

• financial punishments (Act of Attainder - confiscates land)

• limiting retainers

• De Facto Act (1495)

• bonds and recognisances

Henry VII central government: strengths

• Lord Chancellor, Lord Privy, Lord treasurer (+5 others) gave regime stability → Henry kept them in power for long

• Henry reduced threat posed by nobility through Acts of attainder, bonds and recognisances → financial obligation to crown

• Council learned in law led by Empson and Dudley helped enforce financial rights and collect debts

Henry VII central government: weaknesses

• reliant on a small group of councillors

• reliant on financial obligations

• council learned in law hated → associated with financial exploitations and royal blackmail