THE REBELLION OF THE CORNISHMEN (1496).
Source.—Holinshed, Vol. III, p. 514.
These unruly people, the Cornishmen, inhabiting in a barren country and unfruitful, at the first sore repined that they should be so grievously taxed and burdened by the king's council as the only cause of such polling and pilling, and so being in their rage, menaced the chief authors with death and present destruction. And thus being in a rave, two persons of the affinity, the one called Thomas Flammock, a gentleman, learned in the laws of the realm, and the other Michael Joseph, a smith, men of stout stomachs and high courage, took upon them to be captains of this seditious company. They laid the fault and cause of this exaction unto John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and to Sir Reginald Bray, because they were chief of the King's council. Such reward have they commonly that be in great authority with kings and princes. The captains Flammock and Joseph exhorted the common people to put on harness and not be afeared to follow them in that quarrel, promising not to hurt any creature, but only to see them punished that procured such exactions to be laid on the people, without any reasonable cause, as under the colour of a little trouble with the Scots, which (since they were withdrawn home) they took to be well quieted and appeased. So these captains, bent on mischief (were their outward pretence never so finely coloured), yet persuaded a great number of people to assemble together and condescend to do as their captains would agree and appoint. Then these captains praising much the hardiness of the people, when all things were ready for their important journey, set forth with their army and came to Taunton, where they slew the Provost of Perin, which was one of the commissioners of the subsidy, and from thence came to Wells, so intending to go to London, where the King then sojourned.
When the King was advertised of these doings, he was somewhat astonished, and not without cause, being thus troubled with the war against the Scots and this civil commotion of his subjects at one instant. But first meaning to subdue his rebellious subjects and after to proceed against the Scots, as occasion should serve, he revoked the Lord Daubeney which (as you have heard) was going against the Scots, and increased his army with many chosen and picked warriors. Also mistrusting that the Scots might now (having such opportunity) invade the realm again, he appointed the Lord Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (which after the death of the Lord Dinham was made high treasurer of England) to gather a band of men in the county Palatine of Durham, that they, with the aid of the inhabitants adjoining and the borderers, might keep back the Scots if they chanced to make any invasion. The nobles of the realm, hearing of the rebellion of the Cornishmen, came to London every man with as many men of war as they could put in a readiness to aid the King if need should be. In the which number were the Earl of Essex and the Lord Montjoy, with divers other.
In the meantime, James Twitchet, Lord Audely being confederate with the rebels of Cornwall, joined with them, being come to Wells, and took upon him as their chief captain to lead them against the natural lord and king. From Wells they went to Salisbury, and from thence to Winchester, and so to Kent where they hoped to have had great aid, but they were deceived in that their expectation. For the Earl of Kent, George, Lord of Abergavenny, John Brook, Lord Cobham, Sir Edward Poinings, Sir Richard Gilford, Sir Thomas Bourchier, John Peche, William Scot, and a great number of people, were not only prest and ready to defend the country to keep the people in due obedience, but bent to fight with such as would lift up sword or other weapon against their sovereign lord, insomuch that the Kentishmen would not once come near the Cornishmen to aid or assist them in any manner or wise. Which thing marvellously dismayed the hearts of the Cornishmen when they saw themselves thus deceived of the succours which they most trusted upon, so that many of them (fearing the evil chance that might happen) fled in the night from their company and left them, in hope so to save themselves. The captains of the rebels, perceiving they could have no help of the Kentishmen, putting their only hope in their own puissance, brought their people to Blackheath, a four miles distant from London, and there in a plain on the top of an hill they ordered their battles either ready to fight with the King if he would assail them, or else assault the city of London; for they thought the King durst not have encountered with them in battle. But they were deceived, for the King, although he had power enough about to have fought with them before their coming so near to the city, yet he thought it best to suffer them to come forward, till he had them far off from their native country, and then to set upon them being destitute of aid of some place of advantage.
The city was in a great fear at the first knowledge given how the rebels were so near encamped to the city, every man getting himself to harness and placing themselves some at the gates some on the walls, so that no part was undefended. But the King delivered the city of that fear; for after that he perceived how the Cornishmen were all day ready to fight and that on the hill, he sent straight to John, Earl of Oxenford, Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex, Edmund de la Poole, Earl of Suffolk, Sir Rise ap Thomas, and Sir Humphrey Stanley, noble warriors with a great company of archers and horsemen, to environ the hill on the right side, and on the left, to the intent that all byways being stopped and foreclosed, all hope of flight should be taken from them. And incontinently he himself, being as well encouraged with manly stomachs as furnished with a populous army and plenty of artillery, set forward out of the city, and encamped himself in Saint George's field, where he on the Friday at night then lodged.
On the Saturday in the morning, he sent the Lord Daubeney with a great company to set on them early in the morning, which first got the bridge at Dertford Strand, which was manfully defended by certain archers of the rebels, whose arrows (as is reported) were in length a full cloth yard. While the earls set on them on every side, the Lord Daubeney came into the field with his company, and without long fighting the Cornishmen were overcome; and first they took the Lord Daubeney prisoner, but whether it were for fear or for hope of favour, they let him go at liberty without hurt or detriment. There were slain of the rebels which fought and resisted, above two thousand men (as Edward Hall noteth), and taken prisoners an infinite number, and amongst them the blacksmith and other the chief captains, which were shortly after put to death. When this battle was ended, the King wanted of all his numbers but three hundred which were slain at that conflict.
Some affirm, that the King appointed to have fought with them not till the Monday and preventing the time set on them on the Saturday before, taking them unprovided and in no array of battle, and so by that policy obtained the field and victory. The prisoners as well as captains and others were pardoned, saving the chief captains and first beginners, to whom he shewed no mercy at all. The Lord Audley was drawn from Newgate to Tower Hill in a coat of his own arms painted upon paper reversed and all torn, and there was beheaded the four and twentieth of June. Thomas Flammock and Michael Joseph were hanged, drawn and quartered after the manner of traitors, and their heads and quarters were pitched upon stakes and set up in London and in other places, although at the first the King meant to have sent them into Cornwall to have been set up there for a terror to all others. But hearing that the Cornishmen at home were ready to begin a new conspiracy, lest he should the more irritate and provoke them by that displeasant sight, he changed his purpose, for doubt to wrap himself in more trouble than needed.