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1475 Jul  -  Edward invades France 
Edward's plans to unseat the King of France led to his invasion of France with a force of 10,000 men. He had been promised assistance from the Dukes of Brittany and Burgundy, and the King of Aragon. Unfortunately the Burgundian army did not turn up due to another conflict and Edward was left without sufficient men to proceed.

See Also Aug  -  Peace treaty signed 
Louis and Edward agreed to a peace treaty to last seven years. The agreement signed at the Treaty of Picquigny meant Louis was to pay Edward an initial sum to leave France and a smaller yearly sum there-after. The French also paid a ransom to free Margaret of Anjou who had been held by the English since the Battle of Tewkesbury.

See Also
 
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1476 Aug  -  Columbus and the pirates 
Columbus was sailing on a small fleet of merchant ships from Genoa when they were attacked by pirates led by the pirate Coullon the Elder. The Genoese were able to protect themselves by trying to set fire to the pirates' ships. The ship the Columbus was on became attached to a pirate ship and both were set alight. Rather than being burnt to death many of the sailors jumped into the sea. Many died as they were weighed down with armour or simply because they could not swim. Columbus was able to swim and he found an oar onto which he clung. He was able to swim the six miles back to the Portugese shore.

See Also Dec  -  Edward prevents marriage 
Isabel, the wife of George, Duke of Clarence died a few months after giving birth to her second child. Clarence chose Mary of Burgundy as his next wife. Mary was the heir to the Duchy of Burgundy and had a good claim to the English throne. Edward saw the danger of his brother marrying Mary and claiming the throne and prevented the marriage going ahead.1

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1477
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Work starts on St. George's Chapel  
The construction of the massive church at Windsor Castle was begun by Edward IV. The church was not completed until 1528 in the reign of Henry VIII some fifty years later.

See Also Edward buys Beaudesert Castle 
Edward IV bought Beaudesert Castle.2

See Also Caxton prints the first book in England 
William Caxton set up a printing press near Westminster and printed the first book in England. It was called 'The Dictes and Sayenges of the Phylosophers' and was a translation by Earl Rivers, the Queens brother.

See Also
Jun  -  Clarence arrested 
George Duke of Clarence was accused of being involved in a plot to kill Edward and the Prince of Wales by means of 'black magic'. He was taken to the Tower of London.1

See Also
 
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1478 Jan 15  -  Marriage of Richard, duke of York 
Richard, duke of York, married Anne Mowbray, daughter of the Duke of Norfolk, at Westminster. The two were only children. Anne died in 1481 at the age of 8 or 9.


See Also Feb 7  -  Clarence sentenced to death 
Clarence was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death. The trial was attended by the King who took a big part in the procedures.1

See Also Feb 18  -  Clarence executed 
The Duke of Clarence was privately put to death within the walls of the Tower of London.3

See Also
 
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1480
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Birth of Ferdinand Magellan 
Magellan, the explorer, was born in northern Portugal in this year. The exact location is known. His father was Ruy de Magalhaes, and his mother was Alda de Mezquita. His parents may have held some position of importance and so Ferdinard attended the Court at Lisbon as a page.4

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1481
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Dartmouth Castle construction 
Work began on the castle guarding the Dartmouth harbour in Devon. A chain was employed that stretched across the entrance to prevent attacks.5

Jul  -  Rheims Cathedral damaged by fire 
The roof and tower of Rheims Cathedral were badly damaged by fire after workmen left a lit brasier unattended overnight in the roof space.6

 
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1482
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Treaty of Arras 
Not to be confused with a treaty of the same name in 1435. This treaty was signed by Louis XI of France and Maximillian of Austria. It was agreed that Charles, the son of Louis, would marry Margaret, the daughter of Maximillian. Margaret's intended dowry (what she would have brought as a gift to her husband) included the counties of Artios and Burgundy. The marriage though would not take place.7

See Also
Aug 25  -  Death of Margaret of Anjou 
After being freed from captivity in 1475 Margaret had lived in France in some poverty. She died in 1482 and was buried in Angers Cathedral. Her tomb was destroyed in the French Revolution of 1789.8

See Also
 
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1483 Apr  -  Richard made Protector 
Edward IV declared that Richard should be made Protector of England as the Prince of Wales was only twelve and too young to rule. Edward did not want the Queen and the Woodville family to have complete control of the country and by making Richard Protector, the King hoped to prevent civil war.

See Also Apr 9  -  Edward IV dies, Edward V becomes king 
Upon the death of the King Edward IV, his son Edward V became King of England. The nature of Edward IV's death is not known, but could have been caused by catching malaria in France or more likely due to excessive eating which he was known to often do according to a chronicler of the time. He died on April the 9th at the age of 41. Edward was buried at Windsor in the new chapel of St. George.

See Also Apr 29  -  Woodvilles escort Edward V 
The 4th of May had been set as the coronation date for Edward V, the new king. The Woodvilles wanted Edward crowned as soon as possible and they wanted Richard's role as Protector changed so that he didn't command so much power. The Woodvilles were concerned that with the death of Edward IV who had been their protector, old rivalries would resurface and their grip on power may fail. The King was at Ludlow and the Woodvilles escorted him to London via Northampton where it was agreed that they should meet Richard, the Duke of Gloucester. When Richard reached Northampton, he discovered that the Woodvilles had already left and were at Stony Stratford.

See Also Apr 30  -  Richard captures the King 
Richard, assisted by the Duke of Buckingham rode to Stony Stratford where they met with the King under the pretence of offering their condolences for the death of his father. Instead, they captured King Edward and took him directly to London and safe keeping in the Tower. Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers was arrested and imprisoned at Sherriff Hutton Castle, near York.9

See Also Jun 13  -  Hastings executed 
Lord Hastings had supported Richard against the Woodvilles and had hoped to gain some reward for his loyalty, but the Duke of Buckingham seemed more likely to be rewarded at his expense. Hastings' loyalties swayed towards the Woodvilles and when Richard found out, Hastings was arrested and executed.9

See Also Jun 22  -  Edward V declared illegitimate 
To become king Richard had to remove Edward V. Richard declared that Edward IV was already married when he married Elizabeth Woodville which meant that the marriage to Elizabeth was invalid. This also meant that Edward V was born out of wedlock and not able to become king. At this time Richard also arranged that the King's brother was moved to the Tower of London from Westminster Abbey where he had been looked after by his mother Elizabeth.

See Also Jun 25  -  Duke of Gloucester nominated as King of England 
After the children of Edward IV were declared illegitimate the Duke of Gloucester was nominated as the next King of England.

See Also Jun 25  -  Earl Rivers is executed 
Anthony Woodville was executed at Pontefract Castle.

See Also Jul  -  Murder of Princes in the Tower 
At some point the young king Edward V and his brother Richard disappeared. Whether they were murdered in the Tower of London and by whom is not known, but they were not seen of again. Later, in 1499, a man called Perkin Warbeck appeared in Ireland and claims were made that he was really Richard, one of the princes.

See Also Jul 6  -  Richard III is crowned King 
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was declared the true heir to the English throne after the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was deemed unlawful and their sons illegitimate.

See Also Aug  -  Richard goes on tour 
By the end of July, Richard was travelling around the country meeting his new subjects.9

See Also Aug 30  -  Death of Louis XI 
Louis XI had suffered from a series of strokes that had left him partially paralysed since 1480 and a further stroke in August of 1483 was the final one. He died a few days later. Louis had two daughters and a son. Before his death, Louis had declared that Charles, his son, should be the next King of France but because Charles was in poor health and had been given a poor education Louis specified that Anne, his eldest daughter, should act a regent until Charles was able to rule unaided.10

See Also Sep 7  -  Richard's son becomes Prince of Wales 
A week of festivities preceded the investiture of Richard's son Edward.9

See Also Oct  -  Buckingham's rebellion 
.9

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1484 Apr  -  Prince Edward dies 
Richard's only son died at Middleham Castle aged only eight. Anne was unable to have any more children and she would die in the following year. This left Richard with the problem of who should succeed him after his death.

See Also Aug  -  Innocent VIII becomes Pope  (More...)
Sep  -  Truce signed with the Scots 
A three year truce was signed at Nottingham Castle by Richard and the Scottish king James III.9

See Also Dec  -  Richard returns to London 
Richard was welcomed into London by the Mayor and a procession led him to Blackfriars. Christmas was spent celebrating.9

See Also
 
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1485
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Caxton publishes 'Morte d'Arthur' 
Caxton published 'Morte d'Arthur'.11

Mar  -  Death of Queen Anne 
Queen Anne died.

See Also Aug 7  -  Henry arrives in England 
Henry Tudor landed at Milford Haven and made his way north.11

See Also Aug 22  -  Battle of Bosworth 
Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King of England.12

See Also Sep  -  Earl of Warwick arrested 
The 10 year old Earl of Warwick was arrested and sent to the Tower of London. His claim to the English throne was strong and Henry VII wanted him out of the way.

See Also Oct 30  -  Henry is crowned. 
Henry Tudor is crowned Henry VII at Westminster Abbey.12

See Also Dec 15  -  Birth of Catherine of Aragon 
Catherine of Aragon is born at Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain. Her father and mother were Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon.

See Also
 
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1486
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Lovell revolt in England. 
Lord Lovell leads revolt in England. (More information required)11

Jan 18  -  Henry VII married Elizabeth 
Henry married Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV, at Westminster Abbey.

See Also Sep  -  Birth of Arthur 
Arthur was born several weeks early.

See Also
 
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1487 May 24  -  Lambert Simnel crowned in Dublin 
Lambert Simnel arrived in Ireland claiming to be Edward Earl of Lincoln and true heir to the English throne. He was crowned by the Irish at Dublin as Edward VI.13

See Also Jun 16  -  Battle of Stoke 
Henry VII fought the Earl of Lincoln and Lambert Simnel at Stoke. The English throne was at stake. Simnel was captured and Lincoln was killed. This battle ended the War of the Roses.14

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1488
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Rounding of the Cape of Good Hope 
Bartholomew Dias, a Portuguese explorer was the first European to navigate around the southern tip of the African continent.4

See Also
Jun 11  -  Death of James III of Scotland 
James III king of Scotland was killed at or shortly after the battle of Sauchieburn. Several of his nobles had risen up against the king and James was forced to fight. The king's army was defeated. James fled the battle field but was killed or even murdered shortly afterwards.

See Also Jul  -  Battle of St. Aubin 
The battle of St Aubin was fought between an army commanded by Sir Edward Woodville, a group of Bretons who had joined his company and the French. The Bretons apparently abandoned the fight and the French soldiers killed Sir Edward and all his men, apart from one.

See Also Nov 25  -  Queen Elizabeth is crowned 
Elizabeth of York was crowned. This could have been in 1487.15

See Also
 
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1489 Nov  -  Birth of Margaret 
Henry VII's and Elizabeth's second child was born.13

See Also
 
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1490
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Winchester Cathedral Lady Chapel 
Work was carried out on the Lady Chapel of Winchester Cathedral.16

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1491 Jun 28  -  Henry (VIII) born 
The future king of England Henry VIII was born at Greenwich Palace. He was the third child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

See Also Qtr 4  -  Perkin Warbeck arrives in Cork 
The pretender to the English throne landed at Cork.

See Also
 
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1492
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Alexander VI becomes Pope  (More...)
Apr 17  -  Columbus signs agreement  
Christopher Columbus signed an agreement with Ferdinand and Isabella, the King and Queen of Spain, He specified that he should be given ten percent of any materials that he found on his explorations, for example spices, gems, gold and silver. He also specified that he would fund one eighth of the expedition if in return he received an eighth of the profits. He also wanted to be made Viceroy of all lands that he discovered.17

See Also Jun  -  Death of Elizabeth Woodville 
Elizabeth Woodville had retired to Bermondsey Abbey and it was here that she died at the age of round 55.

See Also Aug 3  -  Columbus sets sail 
It was not easy to recruit men to sail into the unknown so the King of Spain appealed to criminals by assuring them that their property and possessions would be safe even though they may have committed a crime in the past. This also applied to any crimes they committed during the voyage and for two months after their return. Three ships were prepared in the port of Palos in southern Spain. The three ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria set sail west across the Atlantic in search of a route to the Far East. Columbus hoped to find the island of Chipangu in the Far East that Marco Polo had written about. Marco Polo had commented that the island of Chipangu had unlimited supplies of gold.

See Also Sep  -  Columbus reaches the Canary Islands 
The first port of call were the Canary Islands where Columbus took on more supplies. The Pinta's rudder was damaged on this early section of the voyage so the expedition waited several weeks while repairs were made. In early September the ships were ready to leave.18

See Also Sep (to Oct)  -  Columbus sails across the Atlantic 
For several weeks the three ships sailed across the Atlantic. At times Columbus sailed north west and others south west but most of the time it was due west. The crews became restless and threatened to turn back but finally small branches and what looked like a carved piece of wood were seen in the water. More signs of land were spotted and so the ships carried on.17

See Also Oct 11  -  Land is spotted 
The first person to see land was Rodrigo de Triana. His reward should have been a pension for life promised by the King of Spain. But on their return Columbus claimed the pension for himself and gave the money to his mistress. 18

See Also Oct 12  -  Christopher Columbus 'discovers' America 
Christopher Columbus landed on what he thought was the east coast of Asia believing that there was no land between it and Europe but he had landed in the Caribbean and had discovered the 'Americas'. They named this first island that they had laned on San Salvador and declared it to be the property of the King of Spain. The natives must have wondered what was what happening.

See Also Nov 3  -  Treaty of Etaples 
The peace treaty signed by Charles VIII and Henry VII. Charles agreed not to support Perkin Warbeck and Henry agreed not pursue his claim to the French throne. Charles also had to pay Henry a large sum of money to be paid over several years.

See Also Dec  -  Columbus lands at Santo Domingo 
Christopher Columbus landed at Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola, now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic.11

See Also Dec 24  -  Santa Maria runs aground 
In the middle of the night Columbus' flag ship was being steered by one of the ship's boys, something that Columbus had tried to prevent from happening. All alone at the wheel the boy steered the ship onto a sand bank or a reef on the north shore of the present day Haiti. In the panic many of the sailors chose to abandon the ship and get to the Pinta or the Nina rather than stay aboard and rescue the ship. By the morning the Santa Maria was stuck and Columbus gave orders for everything on board to be removed. One of the local chiefs sent his people to help and put a guard on the items removed so they were not stolen. 17

See Also
 
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1493
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Canterbury central tower building work 
Canterbury central tower building work undertaken including strainer arches in the crossing.16

See Also Henry becomes Constable of Dover Castle 
Henry (VIII) received his first official title before he was 2 years old. It was the Constable of Dover Castle.

See Also
Jan  -  The first Spanish New World settlement 
With only two ships it was not possible to get all his crew back to Spain so Columbus decided to build a fort using the timber from the grounded Santa Maria in La Navidad, now north Haiti. Several sailors were chosen to stay on the island.18

See Also Mar 4  -  Columbus returns 
The Nina and Pinta returned from the exploration of the New World. Because they came back with the help of the trade winds they found themselves to the north and on a line with Portugal. The nearest port they found was Lisbon.18

See Also Apr  -  Henry becomes Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 
Although less than two years old Henry (VIII) was given the title of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Cinque ports are five south coast ports (Hastings, Sandwich, Dover, New Romney and Hythe) that were to provide the King ships to assist keep the English Channel safe from enemy vessels. The last Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was H.M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

See Also Sep 25  -  Columbus embarks on his second voyage  
The second voyage undertaken by Columbus was much better organised than the first. This time seventeen ships were involved and the thousand sailors did not have the bribed out of the local prisons. The ships also transported craftsmen and animals of all types. The plan was to set up a colony and everything that was needed to do this was placed on board. Even cats and dogs were taken. The fleet was assembled and prepared in the Spanish port of Cadiz.17

See Also Oct 13  -  Columbus leaves the Canary Islands 
After increasing his supplies on board ship from the island of El Heirro (Ferro) in the Canary Islands Columbus set sail.17

See Also Nov 3  -  Christopher Columbus discovers Dominica 
The first island Christopher Columbus discovered on his second voyage he called Dominica. It was a Sunday. and the name is Latin for the word Sunday. The island should not be confused with the Dominican Republic which is a separate part of the Caribbean. Just to the north was a smaller island and he named it Maria Galante which was the name of his flagship.11

See Also Nov 4  -  Columbus finds cannibals 
Unable to land at Dominica Columbus sailed north and found an island he named Guadeloupe. On his first voyage Columbus had heard stories of natives called Caribs that captured and ate other natives. On Guadeloupe he found evidence including human bones that had been gnawed. He also found many captives which they freed. The Caribs had fled when they saw the Spanish ships approaching.18

See Also Nov 11  -  More new islands named by Columbus 
Columbus sailed past the islands now known as Nevis, St. Kitts and St. Eustatius after leaving Guadeloupe. The names originally given to the islands by Columbus to these islands have changed.17

See Also Nov 14  -  Columbus discovers Santa Cruz 
The island now called Saint Croix was visited and named Santa Cruz by Columbus. The original native name for the island was Ay Ay but Columbus renamed it anyway. When Columbus sent some men ashore to investigate and capture some natives they came under attack and one of the crew were killed.17

See Also Nov 19  -  Columbus discovers Puerto Rico 
Columbus sailed along the southern coast of the island known as Borinquen to the natives. On the western side of the island is Boqueron bay where Columbus anchored his fleet for a couple of days.17

See Also Nov 27  -  Back to Navidad 
When the fleet reached Navidad they did not get the welcome that they expected. Columbus was given the bad news that all of the Spanish sailors that had been left behind during the first voyage were all dead. They had been killed because of their greed for gold and the fort had been burnt down.17

See Also
 
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1494
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Aberdeen University founded 
Aberdeen University was found in 1494/5 by William Elphinstone, the bishop of Aberdeen.11

Treaty of Tordesillas 
A treaty arranged by Pope Alexander VI and signed by Spain and Portugal agreeing what areas of the World they could claim when they discovered them. The line, known as the Line of Demarcation, was 370 leagues to the west of the Cape Verde Islands. This was the Portuguese's western limit but it was far enough west to include Brazil.4

See Also
Jan 2  -  Columbus creates a new settlement 
Columbus left Navidad and sailed along the north coast of Hispaniola (now Haiti) looking for a suitable location to found a Spanish settlement, The location he found he called Ysabella after the Spanish Queen. From this location he sent expeditions into the heart of the island looking for gold mines.18

See Also Feb  -  Partial return to Spain 
Columbus decided to send the larger part of his fleet back to Spain. Several men were ill and he wanted supplies for his new settlement., Five ships remained behind. Columbus began an exploration of the island for the gold he was desperate to find.17

See Also Mar 12  -  Search for gold 
Columbus set off with a small army to search for gold. They headed for the region of Cibao in the north of what is now the Dominican Republic. Here Columbus built a fort as a base from where the search for a gold mine was conducted.17

See Also Apr 24  -  Columbus heads for Cuba 
The native guides had told Columbus of a large landmass to the west of Hispniola and so with three ships the Spaniards set sail to explore what they thought was the mainland. In fact it was the island of Cuba. It was still believed that the coast of China was not far away as the size of the Earth was not known. 17

See Also May  -  Jamaica Explored 
Columbus did a detour to the northern coast of Jamaica in the first couple of weeks in May again searching for any signs of gold. 19

See Also Jun (to Aug)  -  Southern coast of Cuba explored 
Columbus sailed along the southern coast of Cuba. He did not reach its western end so was unaware that it was an island. He turned back and headed back to Jamaica exploring the Jamaican southern coast.17

See Also Sep  -  Henry becomes Lieutenant of Ireland 
Henry was given the title of Lieutenant of Ireland, but his duties were carried out by (Sir Edward Poynings ?)

See Also Oct  -  Henry enters the Order of the Bath 
Henry was also entered as a knight into the Order of the Bath and the Duke of York.

See Also Dec  -  Henry enters the Order of the Garter 
Henry (VIII) was given the title of Warden of the Scottish Marches and entered into the Order of the Garter.

See Also
 
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1495 Feb  -  Charles crowned King of Naples 
In 1494 Charles VIII of France had taken an army into Italy to claim the throne of Naples which he believed was his right to have. As his army met no resistance he entered Naples and had himself crowned King.10

See Also
 
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1496
Events occurring at some time during this year 
A new Spanish colony at Santo Domingo 
Before he left for Spain Columbus told his brother Bartholomew to build a new Spanish colony on the southern shore of Hispaniola. This city is now the capital of the Dominican Republic.19

See Also
Mar  -  Columbus returns to Spain 
After three years exploring the New World and slaughtering its native inhabitants Columbus set sail for Spain to face an inquest by the King and Queen.17

See Also Mar 5  -  Henry VII and John Cabot 
Henry VII granted John Cabot, his sons and heirs the power to explore unknown areas under the English flag. They were allowed to conquer these new lands. Although the Cabots had to fund the explorations themselves they only had to pay the Crown only one fifth of the money they made by selling the goods they found.

See Also Jun 11  -  Columbus lands at Cadiz 
Columbus arrived back in Spain at the port of Cadiz.17

See Also
 
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1497
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Perkin Warbeck captured at Beaulieu 
Perkin Warbeck was hiding in Beaulieu Abbey where he was found by Henry VII's army and captured.
11

See Also
May 2  -  John Cabot sets sail for Asia 
Under the English flag, John Cabot left Bristol on his voyage of exploration across the Atlantic to find a route to Asia and to open new trade routes.

See Also Jun  -  Cabot discovers Newfoundland 
Expecting to find the east coast of Asia Cabot and his fleet of explorers landed on what we now know as Newfoundland or Nova Scotia.

See Also Aug 6  -  Cabot returns from voyage 
John Cabot returned to Bristol after his voyage of discovery.

See Also Dec  -  Sheen Palace burns down 
Henry VII had plans to spend Christmas at his royal palace of Sheen but it was destroyed by fire. Alternative date of 1498. Henry had the palace rebuilt and renamed the building Richmond Palace in honour of the Earl of Richmond title that he held.20

See Also Dec  -  Vasco de Gama rounds Cape of Good Hope 
Vasco de Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope to reach East Asia.
11

See Also
 
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1498 Apr 7  -  Death of Charles VIII of France 
Charles VIII of France died due to complications occurred after banging his head on a low doorway as he walked through a dimly lit Amboise Castle. He was succeeded by Louis XII.

See Also May  -  Cabot disappears on voyage 
Cabot and a fleet of five ships sailed for America but were not heard from again.

See Also May 30  -  Columbus begins his third voyage 
This time with six ships Christopher Columbus left the harbour at Sanlucar de Barrameda in southern Spain and headed for the New World.17

See Also Jun  -  The doldrums 
Columbus sailed to Madeira and then to the Canary Islands. Here he divided his fleet into two. Three ships were to sail directly westward, while he took the other three ships further south to the Cape Verde islands and then in a south westerly direction to explore new areas. His ships were caught in the doldrums, an area with no winds, for several days until strong winds took him westwards again.17

See Also Jul 31  -  The island of Trinidad is discovered 
Christopher Columbus found and named the island of Trinidad.17

See Also Aug  -  The Gulf of Paria 
For the first two of weeks of August Columbus sailed around the coastline of the Gulf of Paria, the body of sea between the island of Trinidad and the coast of Venezuela. Columbus originally called the area the Golfo de la Ballena or the Gulf of the Whale after seeing a whale break the surface, Within the gulf the currents are very strong and the ships were at risk of slipping their anchors. Columbus managed to navigate his way between the rocks at the northern entrance to the gulf and into the open sea.21

See Also Aug  -  Columbus finds a continent 
While sailing in the Gulf of Paria Columbus had found a lot of fresh water. This led him to believe that the coastline belonged to a continent rather than an island as a large river would be needed to produce such amounts of fresh water. After leaving the gulf the fleet sailed along the northern coast of the continent, now the coast of Venezuela. He passed the island of Margarita and then turned north west and headed for Haiti to see his brother.21

See Also Qtr 3  -  Rebellion of Roldan 
When the Columbus brothers returned to Santo Domingo they had to face a rebellion lead by Francisco Roldan. Roldan was a man of some importance, possibly a mayor. He was opposed to the way that Christopher and Bartholomew Columbus were using their position to fill their own pockets as he saw it. Roldan led several hundred Spaniards out of Santo Domingo into the heart of the island. Roldan also had the support of the local people as he had promised them that they could stop making offerings of gold.21

See Also Aug 31  -  Columbus lands at Santo Domingo 
Columbus met his brother Bartholomew at the small island called Beata on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. From there they sailed along the coast to Santo Domingo.17

See Also Sep  -  Agreement with Roldan 
Rather than put down the rebellion by force Columbus met with Roldan and began negotiations. It was agreed that Roldan and his supporters would be cleared of all charges and given free passage back to Spain with their native wives and slaves if they wanted to return or land if they wanted to stay. Roldan would also be given the position of Chief Justice.21

See Also
 
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1499
Events occurring at some time during this year 
Construction at Bath Abbey 
Building work of a new church in the Perpendicular style began at Bath Abbey.22

See Also Alonso de Ojeda names Venezuela 
The Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda sailed along the north coast of Southern America and finds the Gulf of Maracaibo. He names the country Venezuela after Venice because the natives built their huts on stilts in the water.23

See Also
Nov  -  Perkin Warbeck executed 
Perkin Warbeck executed at the Tower of London.11

See Also
Previous 25 Years
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1475 .. 1499
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Selection of references used:

1. Charles Ross, Edward IV
2. Mike Salter, Castles and Moated Castles of Warwickshire
3. Derek Wilson, The Tower (1078 - 1978)
4. Rebecca Stefoff, Ferdinand Magellan, the Discovery of the World Ocean, ISBN 0-7910-1291-3
5. John Kinross, Discovering Castles in England and Wales
6. T Francis Bumpus, The Cathedtrals of Northern France
7. The Plantagenet Chronicles, 1-85501-685-0
8. John Mescal, Obl.O.S.B., M.A., LL.B., F.R.S.A, Henry VI
9. Anthony Cheetham, Life and times of Richard III, 0-297-83167-4
10. W.H.Hudson, France, The Nation & its Development, MCMXVII
11. Peter Potter, Data Donation
12. Jasper Ridley, The History of England, 1981, 0-7100-0794-9
13. Alison Plowden, The House of Tudor, 1976, 0 7509 1890 X
14. Neville Williams, Henry VII
15. S.B.Chrimes, Henry VII, 1972, 0 413 38400 4
16. John Harvey, English Cathedrals, 1961
17. Michael Anthony, The Golden Quest, ISBN 0-333-56868-0
18. John Stewart Collis, Christopher Columbus, 1976
19. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Columbus, ISBN 0-19-215898-8
20. Neville Williams, The life and time of Henry VII
21. Gianni Granzotto, Christopher Columnbus, ISBN 0-586-20099-1
22. Roy Midmer, English Medieaval Monasteries 1066-1540, 1979
23. V.H.H. Green, Renaissance and Reformation, 1962

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