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Michael Joseph (died 27 June 1497 [1] ), better known as Michael An Gof, was one of the leaders of the Cornish rebellion of 1497, along with Thomas Flamank.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2014) |
Michael Joseph (died 27 June 1497 [1] ), better known as Michael An Gof, was one of the leaders of the Cornish rebellion of 1497, along with Thomas Flamank.
The rebels marched on London to protest against King Henry VII's levy of a tax to pay for an invasion of Scotland in response to the Scots' support of the pretender Perkin Warbeck. The Cornish believed that this was a northern affair and had nothing to do with them; they also believed that the tax was the work of the King's corrupt counsellors and marched to London to bring this to the King's attention. [2]
A blacksmith (An Gof) named Michael Joseph lived at St Keverne on the Lizard peninsula. He is described as "a notable prating fellow who by thrusting himself forward on every occasion, and being loudest in every complaint against the government, acquired an authority among these simple people, and was ready to lead them to any desperate enterprise". [3]
Michael Joseph was chosen by the people of St. Keverne to challenge the tax. When he and his followers reached Bodmin, they were joined by Thomas Flamank, a local lawyer. Flamank argued that it was the business of the barons of the north to defend the Scottish border, and that the tax was illegal. He suggested that the Cornishmen should march on London and present a petition to the king setting forth their grievances against the advisers responsible for the king's action. [4]
Under the leadership of Flamank and Joseph, about 6,000 Cornishmen assembled at Bodmin and set out. [3] The army attracted support in provisions and recruits along the way and by the time it reached Devon numbered some 15,000 strong. [5] Up until then the march had been relatively peaceable, but when they reached Taunton in Somerset, Provost Perrin, an officer and commissioner who was collecting the tax, was killed. [3]
They hoped to gain support from people in Kent – the focus of Jack Cade's rebellion of 1450 – but despite heading to Cade's former rallying site at Blackheath they gained little backing.
The Cornish rebels were beaten by the King's forces at the Battle of Deptford Bridge on 17 June 1497 on a site adjacent to the River Ravensbourne. Michael fled to Greenwich after the battle, but was captured and sent to the Tower of London.
As one of the leaders, Michael An Gof was executed with Flamank on 27 June 1497. A 16th-century source [6] relates that they suffered the highest penalty for traitors: to be hanged, drawn and quartered. But an even earlier authority [7] states that they were hanged until dead before being beheaded and quartered. Their heads were displayed on London Bridge and their quarters at other locations. While being pulled on a hurdle toward his execution, An Gof is reported to have said that he would have "a name perpetual and a fame permanent and immortal". [8]
In 1997, the 500th anniversary of the rebellion, a commemorative march ("Keskerdh Kernow 500") was held, retracing the route of the original march from St. Keverne (An Gof's home town in Cornwall) to London. A statue depicting An Gof and Flamank was unveiled in St Keverne and a commemorative plaque was unveiled on the wall of Greenwich Park facing Blackheath common. Russell Pascoe composed 'The Martyrdom of An Gof' for the end of the march, which was performed at The Barbican in June 1997. [9]
The name "An Gof" is from the Cornish for "the blacksmith". It is the origin of the British surname Angove. [10] Cognates include "Gow" and "Gowan" and the Irish/Scottish McGowan.[ citation needed ]
The Holyer An Gof trophy is an annual award for the best publication on Cornwall, [11] and part of the Cornish Gorsedd (Gorsedh Kernow).
An Gof's name was later used by a Cornish nationalist extremist organisation.
An Gof was the name of a rock group who performed a song on the album Keltia Rok in 1987.
Bodmin is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor.
The Cornish Nationalist Party is a political party, founded by Dr James Whetter, who campaigned for independence for Cornwall.
The Lizard is a peninsula in southern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at SW 701115; Lizard village, also known as The Lizard, is the most southerly on the British mainland, and is in the civil parish of Landewednack, the most southerly parish. The valleys of the River Helford and Loe Pool form the northern boundary, with the rest of the peninsula surrounded by sea. The area measures about 14 by 14 miles. The Lizard is one of England's natural regions and has been designated as a National Character Area 157 by Natural England. The peninsula is known for its geology and for its rare plants and lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The Prayer Book Rebellion or Western Rising was a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon in 1549. In that year, the Book of Common Prayer, presenting the theology of the English Reformation, was introduced. The change was widely unpopular, particularly in areas where firm Catholic religious loyalty still existed, such as Lancashire. Along with poor economic conditions, the enforcement of the English language literature rather than Cornish led to an explosion of anger in Cornwall and Devon, initiating an uprising. In response, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset sent John Russell to suppress the revolt, with the rebels being defeated and its leaders executed two months after the beginning of hostilities.
Thomas Flamank was a lawyer and former MP from Cornwall, who together with Michael An Gof led the Cornish rebellion of 1497, a protest against taxes imposed by Henry VII of England.
St Keverne is a civil parish and village on The Lizard in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
The Cornish rebellion of 1497, also known as the First Cornish rebellion, was a popular uprising in the Kingdom of England, which began in Cornwall and culminated with the Battle of Deptford Bridge near London on 17 June 1497.
The culture of Cornwall forms part of the culture of the United Kingdom, but has distinct customs, traditions and peculiarities. Cornwall has many strong local traditions. After many years of decline, Cornish culture has undergone a strong revival, and many groups exist to promote Cornwall's culture and language today.
An Gof was a militant Cornish nationalist group suspected of a series of attacks in the 1980s. The name was also used by a group in 2007.
Humphrey Arundell of Helland in Cornwall, was the leader of Cornish forces in the Prayer Book Rebellion early in the reign of King Edward VI. He was executed at Tyburn, London after the rebellion had been defeated.
Cornish nationalism is a cultural, political and social movement that seeks the recognition of Cornwall – the south-westernmost part of the island of Great Britain – as a nation distinct from England. It is usually based on three general arguments:
This timeline summarizes significant events in the History of Cornwall
James Tuchet, 7th Baron Audley was a British nobleman and the only lord to fully join the Cornish rebellion of 1497 opposing the rule of Henry VII of England. He was a leader in the rebel army's march to the edge of London, and in its defeat at the Battle of Deptford Bridge. Captured on the battlefield, he was sentenced for treason and beheaded. His peerage was forfeited, but restored to his son in 1512.
Events from the 1490s in England.
The Second Cornish uprising occurred in September 1497 when the pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck landed at Whitesand Bay, near Land's End, on 7 September with just 120 men in two ships.
Cornish devolution is the movement to increase the governing powers of the County of Cornwall.
John Flamank or Flamoke, of Boscarne, near Bodmin, Cornwall, was an English politician.
Gilbert Flamank or Flamoke, of Boscombe near Bodmin, Cornwall, was an English politician.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall: Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall is also a royal duchy of the United Kingdom. It has an estimated population of half a million and it has its own distinctive history and culture.
Presented below is an alphabetical index of articles related to Cornwall:
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