Henry VII's expedition to France of 1492: a study of its financing, organisation and supply

Abstract

The study of Henry VII’s expedition is divided into six categories. The first examines the sources for 1492, for which unfortunately there are so few. The main source, William Cope’s Account, gives us an insight of what was to follow later in the reign with regard to financial matters.
The second chapter traces the Expedition from the conception of the idea to its conclusion with the King and his army safely returned to England. Henry was well satisfied with the Treaty of Etaples, and with the savings from the Expedition’s expenses.
Thirdly the study examines the Military and Naval forces involved. Both are difficult to assess, given on the one hand a missing section from the accounts, and on the other the problem of double entries in the account.
The problem of supplies forms the basis for the fourth chapter and reveals the depth of preparations and a surety that the troops would not suffer from the lack of any commodities.
The largest and singularly significant chapter deals with the finance. This is what most scholars have noted this expedition for and the fifth examines the debit and credit side of the accounts, their balance, and indicates the surplus that has been made so much of by so many!
The sixth chapter examines the level of support Henry VII received for the expedition, which sections of society were most behind his plans and to what extent were these the King's traditional supporters. Whether this was a successful expedition is a question tackled in the conclusion, while the Appendices contain some interesting extracts from some of the main sources plus some other relevant information.