BattlefieldsYorkshire Tax Rebellion — Skirmish near Thirsk (1489 AD)
Medieval

Yorkshire Tax Rebellion — Skirmish near Thirsk (1489 AD)

1489
North Riding, England
Also known as: Yorkshire rising 1489 · Murder of Earl of Northumberland 1489
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
North Riding, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Earl of Northumberland (killed); rebels (suppressed)
Forces
royal forces c.1,000–2,000
VS
Victor
Rebels (initial); Henry VII (overall)
Forces
Yorkshire rebels c.2,000–4,000
Outcome
Northumberland killed by mob; rebels dispersed by royal army
The Battle

History & Significance

Yorkshire refused to pay a subsidy for a war in Brittany, arguing they were exempt as a border county. When Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, tried to collect the tax, he was killed by a mob near Thirsk. Henry VII sent a royal army north; the rebels dispersed without a pitched battle. The ringleader John Chamber was executed. The episode demonstrated Yorkshire's enduring belief in its special status and resistance to southern taxation.

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