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Cornish Rebellion 1497 - Coggle Diagram
Cornish Rebellion 1497
causes
The Cornish had no great love for English governments. They felt they should be treated differently from the rest of the country.
Henry wanted an army to deal with Perkin Warbeck who had been welcomed into the court of James IV of Scotland.
Taxes were raised within a section of the country which saw no immediate threat from Scotland. For the Cornish - this problem seemed far too remote.
1492 when £56,311 was paid in taxation, Parliamentary grants exceeded £31,000.
In one subsidy and two fifteenths and tenths, parliament granted the King £120,000. This was for more than what had been paid in any other year of his reign.
The Cornish were encouraged to revolt by Bodmin lawyer, Thomas Flamank. Flamank guided the rebels to direct their anger against the ‘evil advisers’ of the government; Cardinal Morton and Sir Reginald Bray.
events
The Cornish were led by Flamank and Michael Joseph An Gof, a blacksmith from the Lizard area, clergy and well-established Cornish gentry joined them.
Devon seems to mostly have remained aloof perhaps because of its traditional antagonism to the Cornish but prominent Somerset gentry and clergy aided the rebels, judging by the royal fines afterwards.
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At Wells the rebels gained the support of Lord Audley a discontented nobleman who was accepted as the leader. Many sympathised with their protest and once more the fines after the rebellion suggest many joined them. It was the most frightening variety of a rebellion as it appealed to a range of individuals from different classes.
On the edge of battle, many men decided to desert the rebel cause and only about 10,000 were left to face the King’s army which was said to have numbered around 25,000 men.
Following a brief encounter with Daubeney’s men at Guildford, the rebels marched round the south of London and the king gathered forces at Henley and was joined by Daubeney.
Henry had planned his counter attack against the rebels meticulously sending archers round the back of the rebels. Henry wanted a quick victory. Daubeney gained the Deptford bridge but was taken prisoner. Bizarrely enough, the rebels released him almost immediately.
After some fighting, the rebels who were ‘ill armed and ill led, without horse or artillery’ were ‘cut to pieces and put into flight’. The King entered the city over London bridge and was received by the mayor with cheer.
An army was used by the King to crush the rebels. 1,000 rebels were killed. Rebels were heavily fined. Henry would not collect this type of tax from Cornwall again.
outcome/ response
Many of the rebels died on the field. Audley was executed and Flamank and Joseph were hanged, drawn and quartered.
Henry cancelled an order that their dismembered bodies should be exhibited throughout Cornwall through fear of rumours that the country was still ‘eager to promote a revolution if they were in any way provoked’.
In the aftermath though, Henry did proceed to fine all those involved with systematic severity.
He took from the Cornishmen and Devonians £15,000 and more from the counties the rebels passed through easily on their way to London during the rebellion.