The Perkin Warbeck imposture

• The Perkin warbeck imposture: 1491-1499

  The imposture of a cloth trader from Flanders, who claimed to be Richard Duke of York (One of Edward IV's sons, and one of the two who were 'murdered' in the ToL)
• 1491


  Warbeck began to impersonate Richard Duke of York in Ireland
• 1492


  He fled to the court of Margaret of Burgundy, was trained as a potential yorkist prince, and began to draw English courtiers into conspiracys.
• 1495


  He attempted to land in England in 1495, but was quickly defeated; he fled to the court of James IV of Scotland
• 1496


  He tried to invade England with a small Scottish force; this soon retreated, and James IV agreed to marry Henry VII's daughter, Margaret
• 1497


  He tried to claim the throne by exploiting the Cornish Rebellion; his forces were crushed; Warbeck surrendered; he was treated leniently at first but tried to escape.
• 1499


  He was tried and executed along with the Earl of Warwick
• significance:

  • Patronage from foreign rulers made Warbeck a potentially serious threat and demonstrated how fragile Henry's position was considered to be by other rulers
  • The involvement (in 1495) in the conspiracy of Sir William Stanley showed how vulnerable Henry was even within his own household.