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Stafford and Lovells Rebellion (1486)  Leaders: Lord Lovell and the Stafford brothers (Humphrey and Thomas), loyal to Richard III.  Cause: Rejected Henry VII’s rule after Bosworth.  Events: o Lovell went north to ambush Henry; the Staffords raised rebellion in...

Stafford and Lovells Rebellion (1486)  Leaders: Lord Lovell and the Stafford brothers (Humphrey and Thomas), loyal to Richard III.  Cause: Rejected Henry VII’s rule after Bosworth.  Events: o Lovell went north to ambush Henry; the Staffords raised rebellion in Worcester. o Henry sent an army, causing the rebels to disperse.  Outcome: o Lovell fled to Flanders. o Staffords sought sanctuary; Humphrey executed, Thomas pardoned and remained loyal. Simnel Rebellion (1487)  Leader: Lambert Simnel, claimed to be the Earl of Warwick.  Support: o Margaret of Burgundy and Maximilian (Burgundy’s ruler) supported him, raising 2,000 mercenaries. o Simnel crowned as Edward VI in Dublin.  Events: o Rebel army of 8,000 men faced Henry’s 12,000 at East Stoke. o Henry defeated the rebels; the Earl of Lincoln killed, Lovell died.  Outcome: o Simnel captured and sent to work in royal kitchens. o Henry attainted 28 men, but Kildare remained Lord Deputy of Ireland. Warbeck Rebellion (1490s)  Leader: Perkin Warbeck, claimed to be Richard of the York princes.  Support: o Yorkists, France, Margaret of Burgundy, and Scotland. o Warbeck’s movements:  1492: Went to France with 100 Yorkists.  1493: Welcomed by Maximilian in Flanders.  1495: Failed Kent invasion, went to Scotland.  1497: Attempted Cornwall invasion, captured.  Treaties: o Treaty of Etaples (1492): France stopped supporting Warbeck.  o Treaty of Ayton (1497): Scotland withdrew support for Warbeck.  Outcome: o Warbeck executed in 1499, along with the Earl of Warwick. o Warbeck’s failure emphasized Henry’s vulnerability but also his resilience. Suffolk Rebellion (1501–1506)  Leader: Edmund de la Pole, last major Yorkist claimant.  Events: o 1499: De la Pole fled to France, returned but later fled to Maximilian’s court in 1501. o Henry acted decisively due to the deaths of his sons, Edmund (1500) and Arthur (1502). o 1504: Parliament attainted 51 of de la Pole’s supporters.  Outcome: o 1506: Philip of Burgundy sheltered in England, Henry persuaded him to surrender Suffolk. o Suffolk imprisoned in the Tower, executed by Henry VIII in 1513. Yorkshire Rebellion (1489)  Cause: o Resentment over taxes for the Brittany campaign and poor harvests.  Key Event: o Earl of Northumberland murdered by rebels, blamed for desertion of Richard III.  Suppression: o Easily crushed by Earl of Surrey, loyal to Henry. o Henry traveled north, issued pardons and made Surrey Lieutenant.  Outcome: o Henry failed to collect full taxes for the Brittany campaign. Cornish Rebellion (1497)  Cause: o Taxation to fund the campaign against Scotland, which Cornwall resisted due to its distance from the Scottish border. o Poor region unable to bear the tax burden.  Rebellion:  o 15,000 rebels gathered at Bodmin and marched to London. o Warbeck attempted to exploit the rebellion.  Outcome: o Henry withdrew forces from the Scottish border to deal with the rebels. o The rebellion was crushed; leaders executed. o Henry questioned the Crown’s system of maintaining order. o Treaty of Ayton concluded to end Scottish support for Warbeck. Key Themes and Insights: 1. Fragility of Henry’s Rule: Multiple rebellions showed Henry’s throne was vulnerable to Yorkist and other challenges. 2. Henry’s Response: While Henry used military force and executions to suppress rebellions, he also employed strategic diplomacy (e.g., treaties with France and Scotland) to solidify his rule. 3. Yorkist Threat: The continuing threat from the Yorkist claimants, especially through individuals like Simnel, Warbeck, and de la Pole, underscored the instability of the early Tudor dynasty. 4. Economic and Social Tensions: Taxation to finance wars led to unrest in poorer regions, like Yorkshire and Cornwall, highlighting the challenges of governing with limited resources. Henry VII: Religion, Arts & Humanism Church Management  Henry VII strengthened his position by controlling church appointments, ensuring loyalty and education in key posts.  Archbishops and bishops were responsible for church governance, reinforcing royal power.  No open conflict with the Papacy, with Henry’s obedience to Pope Innocent VIII following Bosworth, securing legitimacy for his marriage to Elizabeth and their children.  By 1509, reformist voices were rising within the church. Heretical groups like the Lollards criticized the church's monopoly on knowledge, calling for Bible access in the vernacular, rejection of transubstantiation, and a monarch-led church. Heresy & Reform  The Lollards believed in:  o Bible access for laypeople o Rejecting papal authority, favoring the King as head of the church o Denouncing transubstantiation (the bread and wine in Mass turning into Christ’s body and blood) o Lollard influence was limited, and only a few were executed for heresy (73 tried, 3 burned).  Anticlerical critics sought reform within the church but did not want to undermine it completely. Humanism in England  The European Renaissance spurred a shift towards humanism, emphasizing learning, individual potential, and the study of ancient texts (Latin and Greek).  Humanists: o Criticized church practices like reliance on rituals over prayer and worship o Wanted education and sciences to be part of learning, alongside religion o Did not oppose Catholic principles, but critiqued certain practices, especially the quality of priests.  Erasmus (c.1469-1536): The key humanist scholar of the period. He influenced English thinkers such as John Colet, Thomas Wolsey, and Thomas More. Catholic Doctrine (Pre-Reformation)  Papal Authority: Pope seen as infallible, and the head of the Catholic Church.  Salvation: Achieved through a combination of faith and good works.  Seven Sacraments: Baptism, Unction, Marriage, Confirmation, Holy Orders Eucharist, Penance.  Transubstantiation: The belief that during Mass, bread and wine turn into Christ’s body and blood.  Purgatory: Souls are purified after death through suffering; masses said for the dead to shorten their time in purgatory.  Religious Hierarchy: Priests acted as intermediaries between God and individuals, with the sole authority to conduct Mass and interpret the Bible. Arts & Culture  Architecture: A period of significant church building in the Gothic perpendicular style, especially in places like Lavenham and Long Melford, funded by the cloth trade.  Drama: Mystery plays with religious themes were popular, often staged at church-ale festivals.  Music: Music played an important role in religious services, particularly in cathedrals and churches.  Printing Press: The advent of printing had a huge impact on literacy, especially among the nobles and gentry. It helped spread humanist ideas but remained mostly confined to the literate classes.  Henry VII’s Support for the Arts: Commissioned Polydore Vergil to write a history of England and employed John Skelton to promote his reign through poetry. Education & Literacy  Education Reform: o Song schools and Reading schools: Provided basic education to young children. o Grammar schools: Replaced secondary education, teaching humanities. o King’s College: Founded by Henry VII.  John Colet: Established St. Paul’s School and was an advocate for translating the New Testament into English to make it accessible.  Thomas More: Wrote Utopia, criticizing church practices, and supported Henry VIII in In Defence of the Seven Sacraments. Executed for refusing to accept the break from Rome. Henry VII: Society Structure & Key Events Social Structure  Feudal System: The society remained largely feudal, with landowners and senior churchmen at the top, and those who worked for them at the base.  Population: About 3 million people; 90% lived in rural areas. Towns were small, with Norwich (12,000) and London (60,000) as exceptions.  Professional & Mercantile Classes: The bourgeoisie (merchants, professionals) were becoming more prominent in towns, influenced by economic pressures since the Black Death, which increased social mobility. Nobility  Great Landowners: Nobles' power relied on retaining, where wealthy magnates recruited knights and gentlemen to serve them.  Trust Issues: Henry VII was cautious of nobles and controlled them through bonds and recognisances.  Powerful Families: The Earl of Oxford and Lord Daubeney were trusted military commanders.  Retaining Acts: Passed in 1485 and 1504 to limit nobles' power through retaining.  Knighthood: Sought as a social status marker; about 375 knights in 1490. Gentry & Commoners  Gentry: Top-tier were yeomen farmers with substantial land, followed by husbandmen with less land.  Commoners: Labourers were insecure and dependent on others for income.  Towns: At the top were educated professionals (lawyers), followed by shopkeepers and skilled tradesmen who dominated town councils and guilds. Churchmen  Great Landowners: Bishops and abbots had political roles and sat in the House of Lords.  Lower Clergy: Curates and chantry priests worked with ordinary people at the parish level.  Henry's Appointments: Henry VII appointed John Morton and Richard Fox for their legal expertise, not for their spirituality. Key Dates & Events  1485: Act against Retaining passed.  1489: Yorkshire Rebellion due to taxation for Brittany campaign.  1504: Act against Retaining renewed.  1497: Cornish Rebellion over taxes for the campaign against Scotland. Regional Divisions & Agriculture  Regional Differences: Pastoral farming in the North/West and mixed farming in the South.  Population Distribution: ¾ of the population lived in the southeast.   Agriculture: Farming types were determined by geography; the Black Death had reduced the population, increasing the value of labor and allowing yeoman and farmers to buy more land. Key Case Studies  Giles Daubeney: Supported Henry VII during the Battle of Bosworth and Yorkshire Rebellion. Appointed Lord Daubeney, served at Calais, and helped suppress the Cornish Rebellion.  Sir Reginald Bray: Assisted Henry VII in raising funds before Bosworth and led the Council Learned in the Law. Great Chain of Being  The Great Chain of Being reinforced a hierarchical society ordained by God, with the church promoting obedience and being an ally to the government. Rebellions  Yorkshire Rebellion (1489): Causes: Taxation for Brittany campaign; consequences: Henry couldn't collect the full tax from the North but faced no serious challenges to royal authority.  Cornish Rebellion (1497): Causes: Tax for the Scottish campaign; consequences: The rebels marched to London, but Henry crushed them and executed the leaders. Impact of the Black Death  The Black Death (1348-50) killed up to half the population, reducing the labor force and leading to social mobility as labor became more valuable.  The death toll weakened the feudal system, allowing land to become cheaper and empowering yeoman farmers to purchase more land.