James II 1685-1688

1685

Succession of James II

the succession of C II was a catholic monarch

everything that whigs had tried to prevent

1865 rebellion

Monmouth’s rebellion

Monmouth’s rebellion

rebellion in dorset, crushed by james ruthlessly, beheaded Monmouth

Monmouths’s rebellion consequences of succession

showed little opposition to J II succession, shows how nation viewed succession as a hereditary right

Monmouth’s rebellion : whigs

showed nation hadn’t supported whig proposals of replacing James with C II illegitimate son

1685 : religion

Louis XIV revokes the edict of nantes

edict of nantes

given french protestants rights within a catholic nation

revocation of the edict of nantes consequences

promotes fear into protestant england that James would do something similar

Parliament of 1865 : Finance and Religion

James’ Special Dispensions

James first parliament

* generous financial settlement offering financial independence

James’ special dispensions

allow catholics to become army officers even after parliament refused to pass them

consequences of the 1685 parliament

* proved J II belief in DROK and royal prerogative
* active in trying to promote catholic rights

significance of Godden V Hales

no legal barrier in james carrying out infiltration of Catholics (bc support of Judiciary)

Parliament in reguards to catholicism

parliament was compliant with James II however didn’t want religious toleration to catholics

1686-87 : constitutional/religion

Godden V Hales

Sir Edward Hales

catholic who had faced persecution bc hled military command w/o taking anglican communication and oath of allegiance, violation of conventicle and test acts

Godden V Hales case

* judges rules that only king could termine whether haldes was guilt or not,
* J II used it as an excuse to pass dec indulgence

J II dec indulgence 1686/87

religious freedom to catholics and protestant dissenters

consequences of Godden V Hales caste

* anti- catholic nature of english nation
* how james was given additional conventional power by the courts
* confirmed J II would pursue committeemen in promoting catholicism

1687-88

james’ constitutional reforms

what measures did J II that suggested he was going to impose an absolutist regime?

* reformed borough charters
* ecclesiastical commision
* renewed dec indulgence

First action of Comission for Ecclesiastical Causes

suspend bishop of london Henry Compton (refused to suspend anti-catholic clergyman)

J II ecclesiastical commission

* act as a court of church affairs
* similar to high commission (prev abolished)
* expels fellows of magdalen college

J II expels fellows of Magdalen college

* replaced them with catholics
* believed would bring equality amongst religious groups and break monopoly of Anglicans in college

what concern did the expelling of fellows from Oxford

fellowships regarded as property - direct attack on fundamental right

James II Declaration of Indulgence

* tolerance to both catholics and protestants
* read from every parish pulpit

what did J II dec indulgence force upon ppl

* chuch to acknowledge the reduction in its own power
* seven bishops refused to read it and were arrested (then acquitted)

impacts of J II constitutional reforms

* shows commitment to establish absolutist monarch, free of parliament, promote Catholicism etc.

seven bishops case consequences

prove how nation was willing to resist J II pursuance of promoting catholicism, absolutism and a confessional state

1688 ary of Modena

gave birth to James II son

James’ son is born

* two days after Dec Indulgence

james’ son born consequences

thought of catholic heir shocked PN, who had hoped for william and mary to succeed J II after death

1688 : William Duke of Orange

and Mary invited to England by the ‘immortal seven’

‘immortal seven’

* inc earl of danby
* letter of invitation to dutch stadholder to intervene in J I and mount an invasion

why was the letter from the immortal seven accepted?

bore signatures of seven different leading figures of different faiths/factions demonstrating how many JI had aliented therefore offered W a strong allly

William accepted the letter because : Louis

strong ally against Louis XIV, and unification of English and Dutch might tip balance

1688 letter to william impact : alienation

shows how much of the political nation had been alienated by James + Charles

1688 letter to william impact : against catholic succession

showed how far PN were willing to go against catholic succession

1688 letter to william impact : hereditary

however showed how they valued a hereditary succession as Mary was James’ daughter, and william his nephew

1688 letter to william impact : catholic v protestant divide

shows it wasn’t just english problem but extended throughout europe

Nov 1688 William arrives in England and James flees

\- landed in Devon unsure whether to attack as JI had formidable army and means to rally support of foreign invasion

December 1688 William arrives in England and James flees

W marched on london and James fled into exile, allowed to escape. Vacant throne = accession + begun glorious revolution

1688 impact : james fleeing

* allowed tories (passive obedience and non-resistance) to accept W + M as new monarchs

1688 impact : support of james

had james stayed and fought there was potential for him to gather a base of support

James purged boroughs like C II to make them prove the legality of their royal charters

*Quo Warranto*

in the first three months how many new charters were arranged?

47

purpose of *quo warranto*

entrench municipal government with tory support and ensure parliamentary elections picked tories

who constituted the immortal seven?

* danby
* tories
* whigs
* catholicism

how did James alienate the landowners and C of E?

Landowners : fellows expelled regarded as property - attack on fundamental right

CofE: set up commission ecclesiastical commission to vet CofE, Magdalen College, Henry Compton

James I and dissenters

* not allowed in service/unis
* licensing office for dissenters to gain immunity from penal laws
* suspended test/corp act 87 to gain their support

Halifax ‘letter to a dissenter’

‘you are therefore to be hugged now, only that you may be the better squeezed at another time’