simnel

Emerged in winter of 1485 when rumours circulated about the fate of the Earl of Warwick (Son of George, Duke of Clarence). Many thought that after his arrest and detention by Henry, he must have died in captivity as he had not been seen.

An Oxford priest Richard Symonds, claimed that 10-year old Lambert Simnel, the son of an organ maker, resembled to the missing princes. Symonds decided to pass Simnel off as the younger prince, Richard of York. Then decided that Simnel should impersonate the Earl of Warwick, as there was interest by Yorkist nobility, including John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln.

Funded by sympathetic Yorkists, Symonds took Simnel to Ireland. Ireland, centre of Yorkist’s support since the 1450s. The Lord Deputy, Earl of Kildare, didn’t believe that Simnel was who he claimed. The Earl and other prominent Irish leaders, Walter Fitzsimons, archbishop of Dublin, took advantage of the new king. They were motivated by:

• Anger: Henry’s failures to confirm Kildare’s position as Lord Deputy of Ireland or to acknowledge Watler Fitzsimons’s position as Irish archbishop
• Ambition: wanted greater power and the opportunity to govern Ireland
• Greed: hope of winning substantial concessions in land

Simnel proclaimed as king in Dublin. Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, offered her support to Simnel. She sought revenge to the death of Richard, brother, at the battle of Bosworth. She sent money and a force of 2,000 German mercenaries to Ireland. The Irish crowned Simnel king Edward VI in a ceremony held Dublin in 1487. They had no crown, borrowed a coronet from a statue of Virgin Mary.

Henry was aware of Simnel only in January 1487. Elizabeth Woodville and sons by former marriage were put under house arrest and deprived of lands. Some minor nobles with Yorkist connections were declared traitors. Henry reinstated Earl of Northumberland, led major portion of Richard’s army in battle of Bosworth, was to power the north, Richard’s main power base. This neutralised the north and ensured the Yorkist Howard family had no intentions of joining the conspiracy as Northumberland was one of their descendants. Henry reinforced coastal defences in East Anglica. However, rebels landed on the North-west coast in Cumberland and crossed the pennies in order to drum up support in Richard’s heartland in the North Ridings of Yorkshire. The Yorkist gentry of the North Ridings were reluctant to commit themselves to the cause.

The real Earl of Warwick was exhibited in London to expose Simnel. Lincoln joined Lovell in Flanders at the court of his aunt, Margaret of Burgundy. In May, Lincoln, Lovel and Schwarz arrived in Ireland, where they joined Kildare. Lincoln knew Simnel was an imposter, but offered his support and took over the leadership. He wanted to dethrone Henry and put himself forward for the throne

4 June 1487, Lincoln and army landed in Lancashire and marched through the Pennies, then turn south. There was lack of support as they feared Irish troops, who had a reputation for plunder and carnage.

Henry gathered a group of advisers in south and Midlands. Henry meet the rebels at East Stoke on 16 June 1487. Henry had 12,000 to Lincoln’s 8,000. Henry was not confident, as he remembered how Richard had been double-crossed at Bosworth and feared the same fate.

After 3 hours of combat, Yorkist’s forces were defeated. Lincoln, Lovel, Schwarz and Kildare’s brother (chancellor of Ireland) died with half the army. Simnel and Symonds were captured, Symonds was given life imprisonment.  Simnel became turnspit in the royal kitchen, then promoted to King’s falconer as a reward for good service. He could afford to be generous to Simnel because Symonds was in prison and ringleaders were dead. In Henry’s 2^nd parliament, discussed the survivors of Stoke, 28 of them were to be attainted and their lands were to be confiscated.

Significances: End of the Wars of the Roses. Henry’s position became safer. Development of using bonds of good behaviour to ensure well-behaved landowners who might otherwise face financial ruin.