THE year 1497 was a dramatic one for Cornwall. Two rebellions underlined active discontent with the newly formed English Tudor state.

One was in response to attempts to raise tax in Cornwall for a war against Scotland. The other was led by Perkin Warbeck, who sought the English throne for himself. Both rebellions were crushed.

But an A-level history textbook takes the two rebellions and blurs them into one — an error that some view as part of larger attempt to bury Cornish identity.

David Wildman, an A-level history lecturer at South Devon College, describes the mistake as 'quite shocking' and 'an abuse of history'.

The first rebellion, in the first half of 1497, was in protest over attempts to raise taxes in Cornwall to fight a war against Scotland in retaliation for the Scots' support for Perkin Warbeck, the great pretender who deemed himself Richard, Duke of York. The Cornish rebellion was led by Michael Joseph — popularised as the warrior 'An Gof' — and Thomas Flamank. Both were executed.

The second, in September 1497, was led by Perkin Warbeck. Mr Wildman says Warbeck's entry to Cornwall was 'a desperate last throw of the dice'. In September 1497 in Bodmin, his followers proclaimed him Richard IV and a 6,000-strong army marched on Exeter, where they were rebuffed. Warbeck fled before being captured. He too was executed.

But the A-level history textbook on Britain from 1483-1529, conflates the two rebellions. It correctly states that the rebels were led by Joseph and Flamank but that their rebellion was 'temporarily hijacked' by Warbeck. 'He joined the rebel army in Cornwall,' states the book.

For the full report, and a round up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.