Perkin Warbeck

1
Perkin Warbeck

• Was he a
• real threat?

2
The situation in 1492

• Henry had attacked France and won. Or had he?
• His victory was not decisive and ended in a
  Treaty and a pay off.
• Hardly Henry V!

3
Who Was Warbeck?

• 18 years old
• Born in Tournai in Burgundy
• Went to Ireland in 1491 and the Irish assumed he
  was royal and he bore a marked resemblance to
  Edward IV.
• The Irish assume he is Earl of Warwick, which he
  denies, Richard IIIs bastard son, which he also
  denies but settle on Richard Duke of York.

4
Recognition

• Kildare grudgingly supports Warbeck
• In 1492 Charles VIII asks Warbeck to go to France
  as he is at war with Henry
• He is then recognised as Richard IV by Charles
• After Treaty of Etaples Warbeck is no further use
  and is booted out.

5
Burgundy and HRE

• In 1493 he goes to Burgundy and Margaret
  recognises him as her nephew and trains him in
  courtly manners and custom.
• Henry asks Philip (15 years old and Duke of
  Burgundy) to deal with Margaret but he will not.
  Plans are beginning to hatch for an invasion of
  England.

6

• In 1493 Henry puts a trade embargo on Burgundy
  and moves cloth export to Calais
• Also in 1493 Maximilian becomes Emperor and
  begins to construct an invasion fleet but he has
  trouble getting supplies. He recognises Warbeck
  as Richard IV. Maximilian is distracted however
  by French success in Italy.
• Sir Robert Clifford defects to Burgundy but soon
  return to England for a full pardon
• He implicates William Stanley, Henrys Lord
  Chamberlain, in the invasion plans of Maximilian
  and Warbeck

7

• Henry has Stanley arrested and swiftly executed
  but pays for a lavish funeral
• In 1494 the invasion fleet sails and lands in
  Deal, Kent but the locals soon capture hundreds
  of Warbecks force so he sails on to Ireland.
  Henry executes 150 men that were captured.
• Kildare is now in an English jail and Warbeck
  gets little support in Ireland
• Warbeck then sails to Scotland in 1495

8
Scotland

• James IV recognises Warbeck and marries him to
  his cousin.
• He then launches a huge border raid against
  England. It causes devastation but the northern
  Lords including Northumberland fail to support
  it.
• Charles VIII asks for Warbeck to go back to
  France in exchange for 100,000 crowns but James
  refuses
• By 1497 James was tired of Warbeck and he sets
  off for Ireland again with his wife

9
Ireland and Cornwall

• Kildare is back as Lord Deputy but he offers no
  support.
• James IV signs the Truce of Ayton with Henry
  proposing marriage between James and Margaret.
• Warbeck now sails to Cornwall 3 months after a
  tax rebellion caused by the Scottish raid.
• Warbeck got 3,000 supporters and advanced on
  Exeter but was routedand finally sought sanctuary
  in an Abbey.

10
The End

• Warbeck is captured alive and confesses
• Henry offers to look after his Scottish wife well
  
• 1498. Warbeck and Warwick plan an escape but a
  spy for Henry betrays them. They are both
  executed in 1499.

11
Was Warbeck a Genuine Threat? - YES

• He had been running around for 10 years and Henry
  was unable to arrest him
• He had brought Henrys nobles to battle on
  Scottish border
• Had been recognised and supported by France,
  Scotland, Burgundy, HRE
• Henry had cut off trade with Burgundy for 3 years
  at great expense to England
• He had caused a tax rebellion in Cornwall due to
  pressure from the Scottish raid
• William Stanley, a loyal servant and family
  member had been implicated in a conspiracy
  against Henry
• Warbeck was finally executed

12
Was Warbeck a Genuine Threat? - NO

• His invasion plans at Deal utterly failed
• Ireland and Spain never fully supported or
  legitimised him
• He was used as a bargaining chip when he was
  useful and discarded when not
• He was easily defeated once on English soil
  (Cornwall)
• The Great Powers were far more interested in
  Italy at the time

13
How secure was Henry after 1499?

• Ireland more secure Kildare reined in
• Scotland more secure but it cost marriage to
  Henrys daughter
• Traitors had been rooted out
• North proved loyal under pressure from Simnel and
  Warbeck
• Margaret of Burgundy and Maximilian were unable
  to send a serious invasion force to unseat Henry
  but they had extorted a lot of money from him
  with the threat of invasion
• Henry had been lucky that the Great Powers were
  focussed on Italy
• France ignored the Treaty of Etaples when it
  suited them