During Henry's reign, two pretenders laid claim to the crown: Lambert
Symnel, who represented himself to be Edward Plantagenet, nephew of
the late King; and Perkin Warbeck, who asserted that he was Richard,
Duke of York (S310), who had been murdered in the Tower by his uncle,
Richard III. Symnel's attempt was easily suppressed, and he commuted
his claim to the crown for the position of scullion in the King's
kitchen.
Warbeck kept the kingdom in a turmoil for more than five years, during
which time one hundred and fifty of his adherents were executed, and
their bodies exposed on gibbets along the south coast of England to
deter their master's French supporters from landing. At length
Warbeck was captured, imprisoned, and finall hanged at Tyburn.