Everything about Perkin Warbeck totally explained
Perkin Warbeck (
1474 –
23 November 1499) was a
pretender to the
English throne during the reign of King
Henry VII of England. Traditional belief claims that he was an
impostor, pretending to be
Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York, the younger son of King
Edward IV of England, but was in fact a
Fleming born in
Tournai around
1474. The "Perkin Warbeck" of the traditional tale was claimed to be the son of a French official, John de Werbecque and Katherine de Faro.
Since the exact circumstances of Richard of Shrewsbury's death have not been established beyond complete proof of doubt (although most historians believe he did indeed die in 1483), Warbeck's claim gathered some followers whether due to actual belief in his bloodline, or because of the desire to overthrow Henry and reclaim the throne. However, most historical accounts have frequently mentioned that Warbeck cost Henry VII over £13,000, putting a strain on Henry’s weak financial state.
Claim to the throne
Warbeck first claimed the English throne at the court of
Burgundy in
1490. In
1491, he landed in
Ireland in the hope of gaining support for his claim as
Lambert Simnel had four years previously. However, little was found and he was forced to return to the European mainland. There his fortunes improved. He was first received by
Charles VIII of France (who later signed the Treaty of Etaples, agreeing not to shelter rebels, therefore expelling Warbeck) and was officially recognised as Richard of Shrewsbury by
Margaret of Burgundy, who was
Edward IV's sister and the widow of
Charles I, Duke of Burgundy. It isn't known whether or not she knew he was a fraud, but she tutored him in the way of Yorkist court. Henry complained to Archduke Philip, who had assumed control of Burgundy in 1493, about the harboring of Warbeck, but he ignored him. So Henry imposed trade embargo on Burgundy, cutting off their important trade links with England. Warbeck was also welcomed by various other monarchs; in 1493, he attended the funeral of
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor in
Vienna, where he was recognised as King Richard IV of England, at the invitation of his son
Maximilian I.Warbeck also promised that if he died before becoming king, his 'claim' would fall to Maximilian.
First landing in England
On
3 July 1495, funded by
Margaret of Burgundy, Perkin landed at
Deal in
Kent, hoping for a show of popular support. Despite Henry not having unanimous authority over England, Warbeck's small army was routed and 150 of the pretender’s troops were killed without Warbeck even disembarking . He was forced to retreat almost immediately, this time to Ireland. There he found support from the
Earl of Desmond and laid siege to
Waterford, but, meeting resistance, he fled to
Scotland. There he was well received by
James IV of Scotland, who would always spring at a chance to annoy England and permitted him to marry his cousin, Lady Catherine Gordon.
In September
1496, Scotland launched an attack on England, but quickly retreated when support from
Northumberland failed to materialise. Now wishing to be rid of Perkin, James IV signed the treaty of Ayton which had Perkin expelled and so he returned to Waterford in shame. Once again he attempted to lay siege to the city, but this time his effort lasted only eleven days before he was forced to flee Ireland, chased by four English ships. According to some sources, by this time he was left with only one hundred and twenty men on two ships.
Second landing in Cornwall
On 7 September
1497, Warbeck landed at
Whitesand Bay, near
Land's End, in
Cornwall hoping to capitalise on the
Cornish people's resentment in the aftermath of
their uprising only three months earlier. Warbeck proclaimed that he'd put a stop to extortionate taxes levied to help fight a war against
Scotland and was warmly welcomed in
Cornwall. He was declared ‘Richard IV’ on
Bodmin Moor and his Cornish army some 6000 strong entered
Exeter before advancing on
Taunton.
Henry VII sent his chief general, Giles, Lord Daubeney to attack the Cornish and when Warbeck heard that the King's scouts were at
Glastonbury he panicked and deserted his army. Warbeck was captured at
Beaulieu Abbey in
Hampshire where he surrendered. Henry VII reached Taunton on 4 October 1497 where he received the surrender of the remaining Cornish army where the ringleaders were executed and others fined. 'Richard’ was imprisoned, first at Taunton, then at the
Tower of London, where he was ‘paraded through the streets on horseback amid much hooting and derision of the citizens’.
Imprisonment and death
Warbeck was held in the Tower alongside a genuine claimant to the throne,
Edward, Earl of Warwick, and it was alleged that it was he with whom he tried to escape in
1499. Captured once again, on 23 November 1499, Warbeck was drawn on a hurdle from the Tower to
Tyburn, London, where he read out a ‘confession’ and was hanged. He is said to have been badly beaten about the face before his execution to hide his resemblance to the York family.
Appearance
Perkin reportedly resembled Edward IV in appearance, which has led to speculation that he might have been Edward's illegitimate son. Some historians have even gone as far as to claim that Warbeck was actually Richard, Duke of York, although this isn't the consensus.
Warbeck in popular culture
Warbeck's story subsequently attracted writers—most notably by the dramatist
John Ford, who dramatized the story in his play
Perkin Warbeck, first performed in the 1630s.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, best known as the author of
Frankenstein, wrote a "romance" on the subject of Warbeck, titled
The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck. It was published in London in 1830.
Channel 4 and RDF Media produced a drama about Perkin Warbeck for British television in 2005,
Princes in the Tower. It was directed by Justin Hardy and starred
Mark Umbers as Warbeck.
The American Shakespeare Center (ASC) in Staunton, Virginia, USA has produced a comedy entitled 'The Brats of Clarence,' written specifically for the ASC 'Blackfriars' stage by Paul Menzer. The play tracks the progress of Perkin Warbeck from the Scottish court towards London to claim his birthright as heir to the throne.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Perkin Warbeck'.
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