Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/661

 HENRY VII. (ENGLAND) 647 that York would peaceably succeed to the throne on the king's death. But in 1453 Mar- garet gave birth to a son whose legitimacy was doubted; and about the same time the king became imbecile. The Yorkists seized the government, overthrowing Somerset, who had succeeded to Suffolk ; and the duke was made protector by parliament. On recovering his health, Henry restored Somerset to office, whereupon York levied an army, and demand- ed reform in the government. The war of the roses then began. The first battle of St. Al- bans was fought May 22, 1455, and the Yorkists or party of the white rose were victorious. The administration passed into York's hands, and he was king in fact, but Henry's authority was restored in 1456. A partisan quarrel in 1459 renewed the war ; and in 1460 the Lan- castrians were defeated by Warwick, and the king was captured, at Northampton. York now demanded the throne, and parliament de- cided that he should succeed to it on Henry's death, and the duke in the mean time adminis- ter the government. The queen raised an army in opposition to this arrangement, with which she won the victory of Wakefield, Dec. 30, 1460, in which York was slain. The second battle of St. Albans, Feb. 17, 1461, restored Henry to the hands of his friends ; but the victory of Towton, won by Edward, duke of York, now Edward IV., March 29, 1461, com- pelled him to fly, with his wife and son, to Scotland. Margaret, through foreign assistance, renewed the war in 1463, but was defeated in 1464, and Henry was captured in 1465. He was imprisoned in the tower till 1470, when Warwick restored him to the throne after his quarrel with Edward IV. On the return of Edward, Henry again became a prisoner, and died about May 21, 1471. HENRY VII., founder of the Tudor dynasty of English kings, born at Pembroke castle, in South Wales, July 26, 1456, died at Richmond, April 21, 1509. On the death of Henry V., his widow, Catharine of France, married Owen ap Tudor, a Welsh gentleman of ancient lin- eage, but of moderate fortune. Of the four children born of this marriage, the eldest was Edmund Tudor, who was created earl of Rich- mond by Henry VL, his half brother; and Richmond in 1455 married Margaret Beaufort. John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward III., had married for his third wife Catharine Swynford, who had long been his mistress. None of their offspring were born in wedlock, but he obtained the legitimation of them all by a papal bull, a charter from Richard II., and an act of parliament. John Beaufort, duke of Somerset, grandson of John of Gaunt and Catharine Swynford, married Margaret, widow of Sir Oliver St. John, nee Beauchamp, and their only child was Margaret Beaufort, who was married to the earl of Richmond in 1455, and became countess dowager Nov. 1, 1456, three months after the birth of her son. For some years Henry of Richmond resided at Pembroke castle, even after that place had been given to the Herberts, the chief of whom had charge of him. He was attainted soon after the crown passed to the house of York. His education was conducted by his mother, a woman of piety and learning ; and he grew up a thoughtful and serious boy, much inclined to religion. When the house of Lancaster was restored in 1470, Richmond was placed in Eton college, where he was seen by Henry VL, who predicted that he would be king. The next year saw the return of Edward IV., and the death of Henry VI. and his only son, when Richmond became chief of the Lancastrian party. By letters patent from Richard II. in 1397, granted to the duke of Lancaster, the Beauforts were to be " admitted to all honors and dignities," which placed them in the line of succession to the crown ; but when Henry IV. ratified the act of Richard II., he added, after the words "all honors and dignities," the words "except to the royal dignity." Thus the Beauforts were not from the first excluded from claims to the throne, and Henry of Rich- mond had plausible ground for asserting that he was the lineal heir of John of Gaunt,. and head of the house of Lancaster. Henry was sent to Pembroke castle after the triumph of the Yorkists, and going to Tenby, sailed thence to France. Landing in Brittany, he was seized by the duke of that country, who held him a prisoner many years, refusing to surrender him to Edward IV. In 1484, when the usurpation of Richard III. had caused much discontent in England, Henry was recognized as chief of all parties opposed to the government, and a mar- riage was arranged between him and Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV. The duke of Brittany finally liberated him, and with a small force he sailed for England. He was unsuc- cessful, his fleet dispersed, and his party in Eng- land was crushed for the time by Richard. Af- ter a variety of romantic adventures, he raised a larger force, sailed from Harfleur in the be- ginning of August, 1485, and landed at Milford Haven. The victory of Bosworth (Aug. 22) and the death of Richard III. made him king. He was crowned at Westminster Oct. 30. Par- liament settled the succession on his heirs. He married the princess Elizabeth in January, 1486, but her coronation did not take place until the close of 1487. Henry's reign was much dis- turbed by pretenders and plots. The first pre- tender was Lambert Simnel, who claimed to be the earl of Warwick. The true earl was a prisoner, and the pretender was exposed ; but an army was raised, which at Stoke (June 16, 1487) disputed the day with the royal forces, and placed the Tudor cause in great peril. Vic- tory at length declared for Henry, and the Yorkists lost all their leaders on the field. The king, with good-natured contempt, made Simnel a turnspit. A more formidable competitor was Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be Richard, duke of York, second son of Edward IV. ; and the assistance he received from Burgundy,