2. 29-40 personal rule

personal rule

• ‘29-40

• c used royal prerogative to rule w/o parl

  • pressed forward w unpopular policies

    • only appointed ppl who agreed w him to high office (echo chamber)

• isolated from public opinion, underestimated widespread opposition to reign

How did c raise money w/o parl?

• exploited ordinary revenue

• continued collecting tonnage + poundage

• ship money

• forest declaration

  • ppl w property on boundaries of royal forest = fined for encroaching on kings land

• court of wards

  • king became guardian of children whose rich parents had died

  • sold estates children wld have inherited

• distraint of knighthood

• made peace w spain + france

ship money

• ‘34

• medieval custom, coastal towns pay for up keep of naval defences in times of emergency

  • c levied it on grounds of pirates (‘purpose’ = to finance new defence fleet)

  • refusal ⭢ imprisoned

• most unpopular tax (impacted poor)

• ‘35 extended to inland counties

• ‘37 hampden case - refused to pay

  • many = influenced to delay their ship money in hope it wld be dropped

  • h lost trial, forced to pay tax

significance

• ⭣ his expenses, ⭡ his income

• ⭣ popularity

• ⭡ charges against him

  • violating principle of no taxation w/o parl consent

• fear of absolutism

William Laud

info in religion section

Wentworth

• ‘32 - appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland

• unpopular - enforced harsh policies

  • obedience

  • alienated most irish pop

  • raised money (w/o parl consent)

• made no. enemies

  • Richard Boyle (one of richest most powerful settlers in Ireland)

    • fined for taking church property ⭢ secretly worked to take W down

  • Lord Mountnorris

    • attacked him for financial corruption

    • imprisoned after publicly insulting W

• given title Earl of Strafford ‘40 when he returned

main reasons personal rule = opposed

• charles, finances

• laud, religion

• wentworth, foreign policy

c actions in scotland

• c attempted to extend his religious reforms to scotland

  • issued Book of Canons to scottish clergy

  • ‘37 intro new english prayer book to scotland

• ⭢ riots at st giles cathedral (edinburgh)

• ‘38 - scottish clergy/nobility drew up the National Convent = agreement to defend Kirk + protest rights

  • 300,000 signatures

• ⭢ 1st Bishop’s War

  • c realised can’t win - x money (gentry refuse to fund, taxpayers strike), conscripts = poor, scots well armed

  • ‘39 - c signs Treaty of Berwick to end war

• c recalls parl - to raise money to fight scots

  • advised by wentworth (believed mps cld be bribed)