Blacksmith Cornwall

Michael Joseph (also known as Michael An Gof ; An Gof is Cornish for blacksmith) and Thomas Flamank (a Bodmin landowner's son and London attorney) led the Cornish Rebellion of 1497. The rebellion had been over-king Henry VII's levying of a tax to invest in his Scottish War. The Cornish thought that this war was nothing at all to do with all of them, and underneath the leadership of Michael Joseph and Thomas Flamank, thousands march from Cornwall to London to air their grievances into the master.

Michael Joseph was created within the village of Saint Keverne regarding the Lizard, where he spent my youth to be the village blacksmith. Virtually absolutely nothing apart from that seems to be understood about him. Indeed why St Keverne and why the local blacksmith ended up being the ones that started the rebellion, are not clear. An Gof is Cornish for "blacksmith". Angove is still a typical surname in Cornwall.

The unpopular income tax ended up being gathered by Commissioners. The Commissioner appointed to get the income tax on on the Lizard was one Sir John Oby, Provost of Glasney College, Penryn. Although a the very poor had been supposed to be exempt through the tax, some collectors were serious, and Sir John Oby was specifically therefore. This zealousness by him might have been a reason that those in St. Keverne rose initially.

A fuller description of the march and battle is offered in section on Thomas Flamank. They led an ill-armed military to march to London. Camped at Blackheath which was after that outside London. They certainly were equipped only with with staves, pitchforks and homemade weapons. On June seventeenth 1497 these people were surrounded by the King's military of ten thousand men. The Battle of Deptford Bridge was brief, 200 Cornishmen passed away.

An Gof fled to Greenwich following the fight, but was captured and sent to the Tower of London. Flamank and Joseph becoming performed at Tyburn 10 days later on. These were hanged, attracted and quartered at Tyburn. Their particular minds had been exhibited on pike-staffs on London Bridge.

An Gof is recorded as saying, on the path to his demise, which he will have "a name perpetual, and a fame permanent and immortal". To this day, the 27th June is celebrated An Gof day, with yearly events in Bodmin, St Keverne, and London

On its 500th anniversary, the Cornish uprising was marked because of the unveiling of a statue, depicting An Gof and Flamank, at An Gof's home town of St. Keverne in Cornwall.