The Early Reign of Charles I (1625-29) - Finance

How much money did Charles ask the 1625 parliament for to finance war against Spain?

£1 million.

What did the House of Commons grant Charles?

Only two small subsidies and tonnage and poundage for one year as he didn’t explain his position clearly.

What did Charles view the House of Commons’ financial support as?

A limited grant of tonnage and poundage and a direct attack on his prerogative.

How did Charles respond to this?

He ignored Parliament and collected tonnage and poundage after the first year.

What did Charles use to finance his war efforts in 1626 without parliamentary input?

A forced loan.

What was a ‘forced loan’?

A form of taxation outside parliament in which the king had the right to ask his wealthier subjects to lend him money in an emergency.

How were these forced loans enforced?

Money was to be collected by JPs, and threatened that any who refused to lend the King money would be imprisoned or conscripted to the army.

How many people were imprisoned for refusing to pay the forced loan?

76.

What happened as a result of the forced loan in November 1627?

The Five Knight’s case.

What happened that led to the Five Knight’s case?

Five of the main forced loan resisters challenged his right to imprison them by claiming a court order of habeas corpus.

What did habeas corpus show?

Subjects had to be tried for an offence or else be released.

What was Charles’ response to the five men?

Charles took them to trial in what is known as the Five Knight’s case. A judgement upheld Charles’ prerogative to imprison without trial those who refused to pay the forced loan, although this was not a general right for Charles to imprison without showing good reason.

What did Charles ask one of his leading legal officers, Attorney General Sir Robert Heath, to do in regards to the ruling of the Five Knight’s case?

Falsify the legal records in the Five Knight’s judgement to state that the king had a general right to imprison people without the need to show good reason.

What was parliament’s response to the Five Knight’s case?

They began to create a document stating the rights of subjects that the king could not overrule, known as the Bill of Rights, but they proceeded with the less aggressive Petition of Right, which was drafted mainly by Sir Edward Coke.