1490s in England

Events from the1490sinEngland.

Incumbents

• Monarch–Henry VII
• Regent –Arthur, Prince of Wales(starting 2 October, until 17 November 1492)

Events

• 1490
  • Construction begins on the tower ofMagdalen College, Oxford.John Coletreceives his M.A. from the college.
  • Perkin Warbeckclaims to be the son of KingRichard IV of Englandat the court ofBurgundy.
• 1491
  • November – Perkin Warbeck begins a campaign to take the English throne with a landing inIreland.
  • 21 December –Truce of Coldstreamsecures a 5-year peace withScotland.
  • Henry VII imposes abenevolence (tax).
• 1492
  • October – English armylays siege to Boulogne.
  • 3 November –Peace of Etaplessigned between England andFrance,ending French support for the pretender Perkin Warbeck. All English-held territory in France with the exception ofCalaisis returned to France.France withdraws its support for Perkin Warbeck.
  • Richard Pynsonprints his first known dated book inLondon,an edition ofAlexander Grammaticus'sDoctrinale.
  • Founding date ofErmysted's Grammar School,Skipton,North Yorkshire.
• 1493
  • Sanctions imposed onBurgundyfor supporting Warbeck.
• 1494
  • May –Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor,recognises Warbeck as rightful King of England.
  • John Lydgate's translationThe Fall of Princesis published posthumously.
• 1495
  • 16 February –William Stanley,theLord Chamberlain,executed for supporting Warbeck.
  • 3 July –Battle of Deal:Perkin Warbeck's troops land atDeal, Kent,in support of his claim to the English crown, backed byMargaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy.They are routed before Warbeck himself can disembark, and he retreats toIrelandand then to Scotland.
  • October
    • Parliamentpasses theTreason Act,still in force as of 2019.
    • Vagabond Actrequires vagabonds to be punished.
  • Henry VII commissions the world's firstdry dockatPortsmouth.
• 1496
  • 24 February – Henry VII signs the commercial treatyIntercursus MagnuswithVenice,Florenceand the villes of theHanseandPays-Bas.
  • 5 March – KingHenry VIIissues letters patent toItalian-born adventurerJohn Cabotand his sons, authorising them to discover unknown lands.
  • 12 June –Jesus College, Cambridge,founded.
  • 21–25 September –James IV of ScotlandinvadesNorthumberlandin support of the pretender Perkin Warbeck.
  • A public convenience is built on the "Old Welsh Bridge"in Shrewsbury.
• 1497
  • May
    • Cornish Rebellionincited by war taxes.
    • John Cabotsets sail fromBristolon the shipMatthew(principally owned byRichard Amerike) looking for new lands to the west.
  • 17 June – Cornish rebels underMichael An Gofare soundly defeated by Henry VII at theBattle of Deptford Bridgenear London.
  • 7 September –Second Cornish Uprising:Perkin Warbecklands atWhitesand BaynearLand's End.
  • 10 September – Warbeck proclaimed as King inBodmin.
  • 30 September –Treaty of Aytonestablishes 7-year peace with Scotland.
  • 4 October – leaders of theSecond Cornish Uprisingsurrender to the King atTaunton.
  • 5 October – Warbeck, having deserted his army, is captured atBeaulieu AbbeyinHampshire.
  • John Alcock'sMons Perfectionisis published, the first printed sermon by an English bishop.
  • Possible date – first performance of the earliest known full-length secular play wholly in English,Fulgens and LucrecebyHenry Medwall,the first English vernacular playwright known by name, perhaps atLambeth Palacein London.
• 1498
  • May
    • Merchant Adventurersgranted a trade monopoly with theNetherlands.
    • Cabot leaves Bristol on his second voyage to the Americas; he is never to be seen again.
  • Summer – the final Welsh revolt of the medieval era breaks out inMeirionnydd,North Wales;Harlech Castleis captured by the rebels before the revolt is suppressed.
• 1499
  • 19 May – 13-year-oldCatherine of Aragon,thefuture first wifeofHenry VIII,ismarried by proxyto his brother, 12-year-oldArthur, Prince of Wales.
  • 23 November –Perkin Warbeck,pretender to the English crown, is hanged atTyburnfollowing an alleged attempt to escape from theTower of London.
  • 28 November –Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick,last legitimate male heir to theHouse of York,is beheaded for allegedly conspiring in Warbeck's escape.
  • Giggleswick Schoolis founded by Reverend James Carr.

Births

• 1490
  • Approximate date
    • Thomas Elyot,diplomat and scholar (died1546)
    • John Taverner,composer and organist (died1545)
• 1491
  • 28 June – KingHenry VIII of England(died1547)
• 1492
  • 2 July –Elizabeth Tudor,daughter ofKing Henry VII(died 1495)
  • Edward Wotton,physician and zoologist (died1555)
  • Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland(died1543)
• 1494
  • John Sutton, 3rd Baron Dudley(died1554)
  • William Tyndale,religious reformer (died1536)
• 1495
  • 21 November –John Bale,churchman (died1563)
  • Robert Barnes,reformer and martyr (died1540)
  • Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton(died1568)
• 1496
  • 28 March –Mary Tudor,daughter of Henry VII of England and queen ofLouis XII of France(died1533)
  • Edward Foxe,English churchman (died 1538)
  • Anthony St Leger,Lord Deputy of Ireland (died1559)
  • Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester(died1549)
  • Approximate date –Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich,Lord Chancellor (died1567)
• 1497
  • Anne Stanhope,noblewoman (died1587)
  • John Heywood,playwright (died1580)

Deaths

• 1490
  • 22 May –Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent(born1416)
• 1491
  • 6 March –Richard Woodville, 3rd Earl Rivers(year of birth unknown)
  • c. 21 May –John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk(born1442)
• 1492
  • 7 June –Elizabeth Woodville,Queen ofEdward IV of England(born1437)
  • 20 September –Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick(born1426)
• 1493
  • James Blount,soldier (year of birth unknown)
• 1495
  • 31 May –Cecily Neville,mother ofEdward IV of EnglandandRichard III of England(born1415)
  • 14 September –Elizabeth Tudor,daughter ofHenry VII of England(born 1492)
  • 21 December –Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford(born c.1431)
• 1497
  • 27 June
    • Thomas Flamank,Cornish lawyer (executed) (year of birth unknown)
    • Michael An Gof,Cornish rebel (executed) (year of birth unknown)
• 1498
  • 24 March –Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire(born1470)
• 1499
  • 23 November –Perkin Warbeck,Flemish imposter, claimant to the English throne (executed) (born c. 1474)
  • 28 November –Edward, Earl of Warwick,last male member of the House of York (executed) (born1475)
  • Approximate date –John of Gloucester,Captain of Calais, illegitimate son of Richard III (executed?) (born c. 1468)