This Day in History: 23 November 2020
23 November 1499
521 years ago, today, Perkin Warbeck, who invaded England in 1497 claiming to be the lost son of King Edward IV, was hanged for allegedly trying to escape from the Tower of London. In 1491, Warbeck went to Ireland and claimed that he was Richard, Duke of York, the second son of Edward IV. In 1483, however, Richard and his elder brother were presumed murdered in the Tower of London by their uncle, King Richard III. Despite this, their fates are still not confirmed, as it is unknown what happened to them.
Warbeck found support from the enemies of King Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England, who had established his new dynasty in 1485, when he won the Battle of Bosworth against King Richard III. These supporters included James IV of Scotland, who offered Warbeck Lady Catherine Gordon in marriage. However, the Treaty of Ayton ended this support as James made peace with England. In 1497, Warbeck landed at Cornwall and raised an army of 6,000 men. Faced with King Henry's larger army, he fled, but was captured and imprisoned. He was treated well by Henry initially, and soon confessed to being an imposter. However, after trying to escape, he was hanged.
Want to find out more about Perkin Warbeck? Click here for more information, or here for more about the Battle of Bosworth.
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