Watch Tower
Waterford Remains Untaken

Did you know?

1

Perkin Warbeck wasn't the first pretender!

In 1487, a child called Lambert Simnel was claimed to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick. However, the real Edward was being held in the Tower of London! This rebellion also failed and Simnel's Irish supporters were pardoned. When Warbeck appeared Henry stated 'I suppose they will crown an ape next'.

Perkin Warbeck claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury

2

The real Richard was one of the 'Princes in the Tower', two young boys who mysteriously disappeared after their uncle Richard became King of England. The two princes' bodies have never been found!

3

The siege was ended by clever tactics

The defenders of Waterford dammed the St John's River that flows into the River Suir. This flooded the local area and when the tide retreated, Warbeck's ships were left stuck in the river mud. This made it much easier for the defenders to shoot the attackers with their arrows from the walls.

Watch Tower
Timeline

1490

A pretender called Perkin Warbeck was said to be the lost Prince Richard, one of the ‘princes from the tower’ and claimed the throne while in Burgundy.

1495

Warbeck arrived in Ireland and besieged Waterford; he failed after eleven days and fled to Scotland.

1497

Warbeck landed in Cornwall and gained support from the local population for an uprising. However, he abandoned them when the English army arrived and Warbeck was captured by Henry VII.