Henry IV, King of England

b. 1367; d. 1413

First of the Plantagenet house of Lancaster to ascend the throne. He was the son of John of Gaunt, the fourth son of Edward III. He was known in early life as Henry of Bolingbroke, the title being taken from the place of his birth. He was one of the lords appellant and took part in the 'merciless Parliament' in 1388, but later supported Richard II and was made Duke of Hereford in 1397. But in 1398 he was banished for life and his estates were confiscated.

On his father's death in the following year, whilst Richard was in Ireland, Bolingbroke landed at Ravenspur and marched down through England, proclaiming that he had only returned to claim his family estates. In fact he quickly forced Richard, deserted and betrayed, to abdicate, and was himself proclaimed king as Henry IV in 1399. He based his claim on descent, by reason of Richard's misgovernment, and on the choice of Parliament and the people. His reign is memorable chiefly for the insecurity and rebellion which pervaded it, and for the impetus which the circumstances of his accession to the throne gave to Parliament.

The Welsh rebelled under Owen Glendower; when the Scots invaded England they were beaten by the Percy's at Halidon Hill in 1402. Angered by the King's treatment of them, the Percy's rebelled, and attempted to form an alliance with the Welsh under Owen Glendower; they were, however, defeated at Shrewsbury in 1403. After this, the Welsh rebellion was really a spent force, but Wales can be said to have been practically independent of England's authority during the greater part of his reign. Prince James of Scotland was captured and kept a prisoner in England and Henry attempted some attacks in France.

Just as his need for parliamentary support led to parliamentary concessions, so Henry's need for ecclesiastical goodwill to consolidate his throne resulted in increased authority for the Church and a vigorous persecution of the Lollards was begun. There were further rebellions, both unsuccessful, in 1405 and 1408, and in his last years serious disagreements with his son, the Prince of Wales.

Able, intelligent, and ruthless in his own interests, the circumstances of his reign made it difficult for Henry to achieve more than a very limited political stability. Towards the end of his life, overtaken by illness, he lived in fear of deposition by his son or by his step-brothers, the Beauforts.

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