Lambert Simnel 1486-87

Two years after the Battle of Bosworth many Yorkist nobles had lost their positions and patronage and so plotted to remove Henry VII and replace him with a Yorkist king. Lambert Simnel was the 12 year old son of an Oxford joiner who was trained to impersonate the Earl of Warwick, a Yorkist claimant to the throne. He was probably the front for the real Yorkist claimant John de la Pole.Dynastic/Factions/Irish issues.

When Henry VII seized the throne in 1485 he had a very weak claim to the throne. He was the leader of the Lancastrian faction and had defeated the Yorkist King Richard III. He attempted to heal the rift between the two factions by marrying Elizabeth of York. He also pardoned many Yorkist supporters. He hoped this would give him more security. However many Yorkist supporters lost their lands and positions as a result of their support for Richard III.
Richard III had allowed Ireland to virtually rule themselves. There was great concern that Henry would change this and take away their freedom.

Lambert Simnel was the 12 year old son of an Oxford joiner. He was trained up to impersonate the Earl of Warwick, a Yorkist claimant to the throne, who was actually in the tower. He was probably the front for the real Yorkist claimant John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln.
In 1486 Simnel was taken over to Dublin where Irish chiefs believed he was genuine and proclaimed him King.
Margaret Duchess of Burgundy and head of the Yorkists abroad sent 2000 mercenaries to Dublin.
Henry VII paraded the real Earl of Warwick in London.
In 1487, the rebels landed in England, but few joined their ranks. They were defeated by Henry’s forces at Stoke, a hard, bloody battle. The Earl of Lincoln was killed, Simnel was made Henry’s kitchen boy.

Dangerous: Henry was new and insecure on the throne. The throne had changed hands 3 times in 3 years – people would not have been surprised if it changed again.
Stoke was a close battle. It could have been lost especially as some troops waited on the battlefield to see who was winning before joining in.

Not dangerous: The English did not support it-They hated and feared the Irish. Simnel was a gentle youth. Warwick was alive and could be shown to be alive.

It was a dangerous rebellion because Henry was new and insecure to the throne. Simnel was proclaimed King and Margeret of Burgundy sent 2000 merceneries to Dublin. With this force they crossed to England. They had hoped more would join their ranks as they marched towards London but few did. The King met them at Stoke where a serious battle saw the defeat of the Yorkist plotters. Simnel a young gentle lad was made Henry's kitchen boy.

Many of the rebels were killed at Stoke. 28 others had acts of attainder passed. Henry married Elizabeth of York. Henry initially pardoned the Irish. He later sent Poyning to crack down on Ireland. This resulted in a loss of their castles and a restriction of the meeting of parliament only when they had the authority of the King. English laws were made valid in Ireland and a heavier taxation was placed on them.
The Earl of Kildare was made deputy in Ireland. Henry knew he was too powerful to alienate completely.