Pembroke-born King Henry VII uprisings and financial stability

Here, we take a look at his reign.

Henry declared himself king on August 21, 1485. He did this the day before the Battle of Bosworth Field, which allowed him to be able to accuse anyone fighting for Richard III of treason and confiscate lands and property of Richard III.

Henry VII

His coronation took place on October 30, 1485, at Westminster Abbey and following this, he had Parliament repeal Titulus Regius, meaning that Edward IV’s marriages and children were now valid and legitimate, which meant his wife, Elizabeth of York, was legitimate.

Henry VII used the division and undermining of the nobility to secure his crown through aggressive use of bonds to secure loyalty. Henry kept his Welsh heritage proudly displayed, using the dragon of Cadwaladr – which is now displayed on the Welsh flag – as part of his coat of arms.

Henry VII's coat of arms featuring the dragon of Cadwaladr. Picture: Wikipedia

Over his 12-year reign, Henry VII faced a number of rebellions beginning the year after his coronation, when Sir Humphrey Stafford and his brother Thomas Stafford and Viscount Francis Lovell began plotting an uprising after escaping to Colchester Abbey following the Battle of Bosworth Field.

On May 14, 1486, the King had the Stafford brothers removed from Abingdon Abbey where they had fled to just three days earlier. He had Sir Humphrey Stafford executed but pardoned his younger brother. Viscount Lovell had fled to Flanders by this point.

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This wasn’t the only time that the king spared those rebelling against him. In 1487, a number of Yorkists rebelled in support of Lambert Simnel, a boy they said to be Edward of Warwick – a then 12-year-old who was the son of Edward IV’s brother George – but he was actually imprisoned in the Tower of London after the Battle of Bosworth Field.

When the uprising was quashed, John de la Pole, earl of Lincoln who led the uprising, was killed but surviving rebels including Gerald FitzGerald, 8th earl of Kildare who provided troops to the rebellion, and other Irish nobles who were part of the uprising. He also pardoned Simnel and gave him a role as a servant in the royal kitchen.

Henry VII was adept at getting money from his subjects for things including war with Scotland and France, but instead of using the funds for the purposes, they went into his own personal fortune. He did though restore the fortune of a bankrupt exchequer and kept the same financial advisers throughout his reign to ensure financial stability.

He also improved tax collection with ruthless taxation. Nobles would pay more tax than those who were less well-off, and he increased the wealth of the country with the acquisition of land through the act of resumption 1846.

He also established the pound as a standard of weight.

During his reign, Henry VII worked on establishing peace in the land and restoring royal authority. He established a Council of Wales and the Marches for his son Arthur, Prince of Wales, to govern Wales, the Marches, Cornwall and Cheshire.

Lambert Simnel was falsely claimed to be Edward of Warwick in an uprising against Henry VII. The king pardoned the 10-year-old and even gave him a job as a servant

He allowed the nobles to have regional influence if they were loyal to him and issued decrees to bring those who overstepped into line. He also established the Court of Star Chamber to deal with serious legal disputes.

He also used Justices of the Peace across the land to ensure that the laws were being kept in each area.

Next week we’ll look at his trade influence, keeping the peace internationally and his later years and death.