Perkin Warbeck 1491-7

Warbeck was a young Frenchman who was persuaded to impersonate first the Earl of Warwick and then Richard Duke of York [one of the princes in the tower]. Warbeck was first supported by the Desmonds in Ireland and then by Charles VIII of France, who wanted to stop Henry VII supporting Brittany, which he was trying to take over. Warbeck was also supported by Margaret of Burgundy [the sister of the Yorkist Edward IV], by Maximilian, the Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Netherlands, over the cloth trade in Flanders and by James IV of Scotland who was insecure and wanted to get Berwick back from England.

Causes:

Dynastic/Factions: see Lambert Simnel profile
Foreign Policy: Warbeck was a young Frenchman persuaded to impersonate first the Earl of Warwick and then Richard Duke of York [one of the princes of in the tower], as front to their attempt to re-establish Yorkist dominance. Warbeck was first supported by the Desmonds in Ireland, and then by Charles VIII of France, who wanted to stop Henry VII supporting Brittany, which Charles was trying to take. Warbeck was also supported by Margaret of Burgundy [the sister of Yorkist Edward IV], by Maximilian, the holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Netherlands, over cloth trade rivalry in Flanders, and by James IV of Scotland, who was insecure and wanted to get Berwick back from England.

In 1491, Warbeck first spotted in Cork and trained as a pretender. Gained little support, so went to France – sent away by Charles VIII after the treaty of Etaples (1492) - went to Burgundy, 1492. 1494, with Maximilian in Netherlands. 1495, English parliament rounds up Yorkist plotters; Warbeck’s landing in Deal in Kent is a fiasco. Warbeck flees to Ireland, where Waterford is besieged. Warbeck flees to Scotland. Warbeck and Scots invade England – no support from the English- another fiasco. James makes a deal with Henry (Ayton 1497). 1497 Warbeck flees to Cornwall via Ireland. West Country gives almost no support to Warbeck, Warbeck surrenders, confesses and is pardoned. [Executed in 1499 with Warwick]

Dangerous: in that Warbeck had support at various times from all of Henry’s powerful neighbours. The real Richard of York could not be shown as he had been murdered in the tower [?].
Not dangerous: in that none of the foreign countries gave Warbeck adequate support, and he gained almost no support each of the three times he got into England. Warbeck himself was not very determined. Henry’s navy disrupted his efforts. Overall very little real danger of Warbeck taking Henry’s throne.

Henry, anxious to make friends abroad and to cut of Yorkist support, made several treaties: 1492, Treaty of Etaples with France had a clause denying help to each other’s enemies. Henry strengthened the 1489 Treaty of medina Del Campo with Spain. He made the Magnus Intercursus treaty with Maximilian, resuming cloth trade with Flanders. He married his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland. In 1506 a treaty with Philip of Burgundy/Netherlands caused Philip to give up Edmund de la Pole [the leading Yorkist] into captivity in England, where he was executed in 1513.
In England, although parliament passed the De Facto Act of 1495 to reassure ex-Yorkists, saying service to the Yorkist Kings had not been treason, others [e.g Stanley} were executed. Sir James Tyrell allegedly confessed to the murder of the princes of the tower [on orders of Richard III] before he was executed, thus clearing Henry of suspicion. Overall, no big changes in government cause by rebellion.