Yorkshire rebellion 1489 facts for kids

The Yorkshire Rebellion was a protest that happened in England in 1489. It took place when King Henry VII was ruling the country. We don't know a lot about this rebellion. Most of what we know comes from a book called Anglica Historia by Polydore Vergil.

Why the Yorkshire Rebellion Started

King Henry Needs Money

In 1489, the Parliament agreed to give King Henry VII a lot of money. It was £100,000, which was a huge amount back then! This money was meant to help England's friend, Brittany, in a war against France.

King Henry sent a powerful noble, Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, to collect new taxes. He needed more money for this war.

People Were Unhappy

However, many people in Northumberland and Yorkshire were not happy. They said they had already paid enough taxes. They felt they had already given their share through local taxes.

These northern people did not want to pay more money to defend Brittany. Brittany was far away from them. It was closer to places like Cornwall and London. The people in the North felt it was not their problem.

Also, the year before, in 1488, there had been a very bad harvest. This meant people were already struggling financially. They had also recently paid for military actions in Scotland. Asking for more money was very difficult for them.

The Rebellion Begins

The Earl is Killed

The protest turned into a rebellion in April 1489. The Earl of Northumberland met with the angry rebels. But a fight broke out, and the Earl was killed.

The King Responds

After this, the rebels asked the king for forgiveness. But King Henry VII said no. Instead, he sent a large army of 8,000 soldiers to the North. This army was led by Thomas, Earl of Surrey.

The rebels soon scattered when the king's army arrived. Their leader, John à Chambre, was hanged for betraying the king.

A New Leader Flees

The rebels then found a new leader. He was Sir John Egremont. He was related to the powerful House of Percy family. But Egremont did not prove to be a strong leader. He quickly ran away to the court of Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy. She was a strong opponent of King Henry's rule.

What Happened After the Rebellion

Royal Forgiveness and No More Taxes

The people who rebelled eventually received a royal pardon. This meant they were forgiven by the king. Also, no more taxes were collected from them. Because of this, King Henry could not raise enough money to help defend Brittany.

The North Becomes Loyal

The rebellion also showed King Henry that the North of England was not fully under his control. This area had been very loyal to King Richard III. King Richard had spent more time in the North than any other king before him.

A New Governor for the North

King Henry sent Thomas, Earl of Surrey, who had dealt with the rebellion, to stay in the North. He became King Henry's main representative there. Surrey did not own land or have personal interests in the North. This helped him to work for many years to make the region loyal to the new Tudor family rule.

After this, King Henry faced no more major rebellions in Northern England for the rest of his time as king.