STUART BRITAIN AND THE CRISIS OF THE MONARCHY 1603-1702

Prerogative powers of the Monarch in 1603

Declare War

Sign treaties

Call and dissolve parl

Appoint Privy council

Controlled some sources of income, i.e feudal dues and customs duties

Feudal Dues

money peasants pay in order to live on their land

(almost like rent).

Habeas Corpus

Constitutional protection against unlawful imprisonment

Purveyance

The Crown's right to purchase goods at reduced rate in order to sell them for a profit

Excise tax

A tax on the production or sale of a good

Enclosure

Fencing off of land for the sole use of one owner. Loss of common land where commoners could graze livestock or collect firewood.

Limitations of Monarchy Power 1603

To pass legislation had to call Parliament.

Normal Crown Revenue was not enough, relied on them for more money.

The Political Nation

Involved in politics at national and local level.

Included professionals- lawyers, merchants.

How many people in the Political Nation

1% of the population

Property Qualifications to be part of the Political Nation

£2 or 40 shillings per year to vote.

In what year did London become the largest city in Western Europe?

1640 (beat Naples and and Paris)

Daemonologie

The book written by James I about witchcraft in 1597.

What was his religious background?

Presbyterian

Presbyterian

Member of a Protestant church governed by elders, not hierarchy of bishops and founded by John Knox

The True Law of Free Monarchies

Book written by James in 1598 which shows he believed strongly in the Divine Right of Kings

Divine Right of Kings

Gods place king on throne

Unrestricted power

Above the law and so not subject to normal judicial procedures

Saw parliament as something that served him, not a core element of the political system.

Population in England in 1603

4,110,000

Basilikon Doron

1599- art and theory of kingship

First Englishmen to be his bedchamber person?

George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham (1615).

Debt in 1603 caused by...

Elizabeth inherited crown debt of £250k

Inflation

Bad harvests in 1590s

Fighting with spain since 1585.

Forced loans (amounting to £100,000)

Shortfall in Revenue stood at £90,000

Who was James I chief financial advisor until 1612

Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury

Book of Rates

1608

What was the book of rates?

outlined amount of custom duties to be paid on various items. new duties known as impositions too. last valuation was 1558. worth £70k a year.

Lionel Cranfield

Most famous financial adviser after 1618.

How much did Cranfield cut the royal expenditure by?

Half

Monopolies

Exclusive right to provide a product or service, given by the monarch to his favourites.

When and what was the Great Contract?

1610 - James would abandon Wardship and Purveyance in return for £200k a year and removal of £600k of debt.

How much did James give to his Scottish Courtiers (1606-1611)

£100,000

Statute of Monopolies

1624- reduced Crown's ability to sell monopolies and patents.

Parliament of 1624

James stopped Spanish Match when Spain demanded eldest son of Frederick V and James's daughter, Elizabeth marry a daughter to Catholic Holy Roman Emperior.

-needed funds for war w/ Spain

-Commons attacked Cranfield, viewed as corrupt and self-serving

-relations relatively positive - granted a number of subsidies to fund war but dies in March 1625

Charles parliamentary inheritance

-issue of royal finances caused problems for Charles I and only prospect for settlement (Great Contract) was abandoned

-James's choice of advisors resulted in number of impeachments + resistence from Parliament (Buckingham smoothly moved in as Charles's favourite)

-religious divisions evident throught years, James suspicious of Puritan faction, as Charles would be in later years

Loan from London in 1610

£100,000

Cockayne Project

1614- Only finished cloth could be exported.

Royal Debt 1617

£726,000

Royal Debt 1620

£900,000

Crown Debt inherited by James I

£400k

Charles asked for what in 1625?

Loan of £60k from London merchants.

What did the Commons refuse to give Charles I?

Excise Tax and Tonnage and Poundage-only for a year.

Treaty of London

1604- Made Peace with Spain

Book of Bounty

1608- survey of Crown Lands

Bates Case

1606- merchant, John Bate, refused to pay imposition on currants. He said they were illegal w/o Parliament's approval.

Result of Bates Case

Court of Exchequer said that king had absolute prerogative to do it and so Cecil saw that they could raise impositions in line with inflation and make new ones.

Baronet

New hereditary title valued at £1095 (1611).

No. of Baronets in

200- total value= £90,885 (March 1614)

Earldoms

£10,000 a title

1615- 27 earls

1628- 65.

£220

Cost of Baronet title by 1622

Size of Subsidy granted to Charles I in 1625

£140k

Forced Loan

1626

Opposition to the Forced Loan

76 people imprisoned

Only made £267,000- 70% of the expected amount.

Year of Millenary Petition

1603

What was the Millenary Petition?

-signed by 1,000 ministers

-respected James position as Supreme Governor and didn't want to break up CofE

-Protestant reformation didn't really remove many Catholic practices.

-services too difficult for people to understand

-church decorations distracted congregation from true purpose of religion.

Hampton Court Conference

1604

Calvinism

John Calvin- most popular branch of Protestantism.

-believed in predestination

-elders not bishops

Outcomes of the Hampton Court Conference

-Anglican bishops reluctant to give way to Puritans.

-weakening of the authority of church courts

-reform along Presbyterian lines rejected by James (they didn't want bishop hierarchy).

King James Bible

1611- translation into English, result of the Hampton CC.

Oath of Allegiance

1606

Five Articles of Perth

Made the Scottish Kirk more like the Church of England:

-kneeling during communion

-private baptism

-private communion for the sick or infirm

-confirmation by a Bishop

-the observance of Holy Days

Charles religious belief

Arminianism- he loved high-church practices. Suspicious of Puritanism, as opposition in Parl were mostly Puritan.

Richard Montagu

Arminian cleric defended by Charles after RMs 'A New Gag for an Old Goose' said Calvinist beliefs were incompatible with the Church.

Charles's Personal Chaplain

Richard Montagu

Bishop of Chichester 1628

Richard Montagu

John Howson

Bishop of Oxford came into conflict with George Abbot, ABofC about predestination.

William Laud

Appointed to the Privy Council in 1628- Bishop of London.

York House Conference

1626- Duke of Buckingham's home.

Resolve the ongoing dispute between Puritans and Arminians.

-defend Richard Montagu from prosecution from HoC.

James I 1st Parliament 1st Session

March-July 1604

-discuss legal union between 2 kingdoms.

James I 1st Parliament 2nd Session

Nov 05-May 06- after Gunpowder Plot. MP's showed more union, legislation passed against Catholics. Granted subsidies of £400k and Parl didn't meet from 07-10.

'The Addled Parliament'

1614- discuss impositions. BofLincoln, Richard Neile said they were royal prerogative. James dissolves after 2 months.

Spanish Match

1623

1621 Parliament

Thirty Years War- foreign policy issue, needed money to assist Frederick V of Bohemia in war. Ruled alone for 7 years, caused resentment. Dissolved due to announcement of intentions of Spanish Match - dissollved when met w/ vocal opposition in Feb 1622

Famous Impeachment in 1621

Lord Chancellor Francis Bacon, James reluctantly agreed to this. shows factional infighting rather than crown-parl divisions.

Five Knights Case

1627- 5 people wanted habeas corpus for being against forced loan. Ruling sided with Charles FOR THIS CASE.

La Rochelle

1627- only 2989/7833 returned after siege of la Rochelle. France already made peace with Hugenot's and so now wars against both Fr and Sp.

Petition of Right

-Parl consent to taxation

-imprisonment only w/ cause.

-no martial law

-no billeting.

-5 subsidies in return.

-handled badly, not royal assent initially.

-Just reinforcing laws there for centuries, king accepts in June 1628.

Parliament of 1628

Recalled Parliament to fund continuation of war and as goodwill released some imprisoned for refusing to pay the forced loan. Dissolved after attacking Buckingham.

-Charles wanted to send another force to La Rochelle - MPs led by Sir John Eliot insisted their grievances had to be heard before taxes were granted

The Petition of Right

Eliot, Edward Coke, John Selden, Sir Thomas Wentworth prepared a carefully worded document, presenting it to Charles. Its clauses were:

-no imprisonment without trial, decision made in 5 knights case reversed, no taxation without parl consent, citizens not pay forced loans, forced billeting not allowed, no martial law

Assassination of Buckingham

August 1628- Portsmouth, disgruntled sailor John Felton.

Three Resolutions- March 1629

John Eliot

Against:

-taxation

-billeting

-martial law

Denzil Holles and Eliot held Speaker in chair until resolution passed.

Royal Proclamation to announce formal dissolution of Parliament.

March 1629- not to meet again for 11 years.

Bancrofts Canons

1604- insistence on clerical dress, use the sign of the cross in baptism and bowing to name of Jesus- persecution of Puritans that didn't conform to these.

Parliamentary privilege

Freedom of speech, freedom from arrest whilst in sitting and 20 days after. Really open to interpretation.

The Buckinghamshire Elections

1604- Francis Goodwin removed cos he was an 'outlaw' (had debt), royal interference as John Fortescue (privy councillor) was his replacement. Debate about parlpriv v royprer.

Shirley's Case

1604- arrested for debt, parl angered as wanted to protect pp of no arrest whilst sitting- sent governor of Fleet debtors prison to ToL until Shirley released.

Protestation

Dec 1621- parl claimed 'birthright' to discuss foreign policy, James tears page outta commons journal- royal prerogative.

Rex Pacificus

'The Peaceful King'- James I peace w/ Spain 1604 and tried good relations 1618-.

Madrid Trip

1623- bad treatment in Spain, married French Henrietta Maria instead- rival of Spain. Made Charles popular w/ parl.

1 million pounds

Funds needed in 1625 by Charles for a Spanish War

Cádiz

1625- failed to take Spanish port and treasure ships carrying gold to colonies in S.Amer. More died cos of lack of food than gunfire.

Opening of 1626 Parliament

William Laud did opening sermon, anti-Calvinist.

Sheriffs

Opposition, Edward Coke and T Wentworth made Sheriffs so could not stand for election.

French Hugenots

Minority Protestants, persecuted. Charles marriage agreement lent 8 warships to Louis XIII to attack them at La Rochelle.

Sir Robert Heath

Attorney General who falsified legal docs of 5 knights trial to state Charles has general right to imprison without cause.

The Beauty of Holiness

Laud-

ceremonial, music, stained glass windows, vestments, communion table moved from centre to east end where RoCath altar was, railed off too. Puritans oppose.

Star Chamber

Court made of Privy Councillors and judges- infamous for severe punishments. Handled religious cases too.

The Book of Sports

1633- reissue of James' 1618 one. List of allowed activities on a Sunday in response to Puritans belief that it was day only to worship + spiritual reflection.

Personal Rule

1629-49

Histriomastix

William Prynne- 1,000 page book attacking theatre and actresses.

The Feoffees of Impropriations

org of Puritans who raised money to place Puritan preachers to parish clergy- banned by Laud and replaced by Laudians.

An example of opposition to religious reforms

Bastwick, Burton + Prynne

John Bastwick, Henry Burton, William Prynne (1637)

doctor attacking bishops in tracts, minister whose sermons deviated from Lauds, lawyer who attacked theatre and actresses in book. 1632. Fined £5,000, imprisoned for life, ears cut off.

Visitations

official visits by bishops to parishes in their area to check physical buildings and to ensure everyone was conforming to Laudianism.