plots

• Lovell and the Staffords

  • the first but minor rising in easter 1486
  • led by Viscount Lovell and Humphrey Stafford, both still loyal to richard III and lovell had been attained
  • Lovell tried to raise rebellion in the North Riding of Yorkshire and Stafford in the midlands- both places of yorkist support
  • both failed and were under sanctuary
  • Lovell escaped, Stafford was captured and executed but his brother and accomplice, Thomas, was pardoned
• Earl of Licoln and Lambert Simnel

  • earl of lincoln, previously a councillor and a yorkist clainmnt by lineage, rebels and flees to his aunt Margaret of Burgundy in 1487
  • he has lambert tutored to impersonate Richard Duke of York (prince in the tower) and later changed to Earl of Warwick to be a figurehead for the rebellion. he is crowned in ireland.
  • he acquired 2000 german mercenaries from MoB and 6000 irish men but can't garner english support
  • Lincoln is then killed in the ensuing battle of stoke, Simnel is captured and put to work in the royal kitchens in 1487
• why lincoln failed- henrys strategy

  • henry reinstated the earl of northumberland who had led Richard III at bosworth, neutralising richard's old powerbase and helping to keep order as a man from a yorkist family gained status
  • henry had notice on the rebellion thanks to his network of informants, so had time to plan his response
  • henry had the real warrick exhibited, showing simnel was a pretender
• Earl of Suffolk/ the De la Poles

  • suffolk fled in 1498 after killing a man and then again with his brother richard the "white rose" in 1501 to Emporer Maximillian
  • henry gave the habsburgs £250000 to try and get them to hand over the de la poles
  • philip of burgundy, Maximillians son, tried to force trade consessions leading to henrys 1505 trade embargo
  • storm and treaty of windsor in 1506, max and philip agree to give up suffolk whos thrown in the tower and later executed in 1513
  • richard later dies in the battle of pavia
• Perkin Warbeck

  • 1491 he begins impersonating Richard Duke of York in Ireland
  • Goes to France and is forced to flee because of Etaples
  • is harbored by MoB
  • 1495 tries to land in england but is defeated thanks to the spy network
  • Stanley, Lord Chamberlain and henrys step father was an accomplice
  • 1496 Scotland invades with Warbeck but is defeated, Warbeck is then kicked out with the truce of ayton and marriage alliance
  • he tries to exploit the cornish rebellion in 1497 but is defeated/surrenders
  • he's kept in court, tries to escape with warwick is towered and is tried for teason and executed in 1499
• was warbeck a threat? yes!


  • he was older and more of a leader than simnel, also taught how to act princely by MoB
  • had foreign aid everywhere, showed how fragile henrys position was. henry's relations with S + F were poor at times, both countries used warbeck to pressurise henry
  • his sheer longevity
• was warbeck a threat? no!

  • there was no noble head for his rebellion
  • all military campaigns failed
  • the aim was to capture henry but he never came close to fighting henry himself
  • couldnt garner english support
  • henry's network of informants meant he was often a step ahead of warbeck
• Lovell and the Staffords- why it failed and significance


  • the rising was significant as it shows how, even at the very beginning of henry's reign there was very little enthusiasm and support for a yorkist rising.
  • it had no foreign support, selfish motives and no noble head so it never escalated into a full on revolt but showed the possibility of regional unrest
• Earl of Licoln and Lambert Simnel, battle of stoke field's significance

  • it was essentially the battle which truly ended the war of roses, rather than bosworth
  • henry's position became safter
  • henry hs been able to show his own skills in military leadership, organisation and hardowk
  • he was also relatively mild in his treatment of rebels, like putting simnel in the Crown kitchens, lessening yorkists resolve to oppose him
• why lincoln was a threat

  • rebel leadership appeared strong, though simnel was clearly an imposter he was a figurehead for the yorkists
  • noble presence gave the rebellion status and leadership
  • the aim was to overthrow henry VII
  • it promised more rebellion in the future
• why lincoln failed/wasn't a threat



  couldn't get english support

  • xenophobia towards irish
  • lovell's uprising failure
  • introduction of bonds and star chamber
  • henry was a good king, nobody had an issue w him
  • people wanted peace after the war of the roses
  • most nobles were loyal
  • no gentry support