Personal Rule (1629-40)

What happened in the Parliament of 1628?

The few reasons to why Charles' unpopular measures and abuse of his Royal Prerogative caused a mess:

• The forced loans.

• Billeting and martial law.

• The Five Knights' case

• Attempt to manage Parliament.

• His stubbornness and inflexibility lack of political skill.

• Military failures:

• Mansfeld expedition (1625).

• Cadiz expedition (1625).

• Isle of Rhe (1627).

What happened on 17th March 1628 in the Third Parliament?

Charles' immediately grants for taxes to continue the wars. MPs decided that no money would be granted unless their various grievances were addressed. It was led by Sir John Eliot, Sir Edward Coke, Sir Robert Phelips and Sir John Seldon.

What was the Petition of Right of 1628?

It was a document of things that Charles had to follow:

• No taxation without Parliament consent.

• No imprisonment without cause shown.

• No billeting of soldiers or sailors upon householders against their will.

• No martial law to punish ordinary offences by soldiers/sailors.

What was Charles’s response to the petition?

Charles originally refused but he was desperate. He consolted prominent magistrates regarding the legal status of the petition. When MPs resumed their criticisms of Buckingham, Charles prorogued Parliament.

When was Duke of Buckingham assassinated?

Buckingham was stabbed to death at 23rd August 1628 by an assassin named John Felton.

What after Buckingham’s assassination?

After his death, his posts and titles were re-distributed. People who were opposing him were now nicer towards Charles. Earl of Arundel became a trusted confidant of Charles and a diplomat. Buckingham's death also ushered in a period of greatly improved relations between Charles and his wife.

What happened during parliament in 1629?

23rd January 1629-

It was led by Sir John Eliot and John Pym. House of Commons complain about the growing influence of the Arminian faction in the Church of England and the Crypto-Catholics.

In the meantime

Charles also attempted to mobilise the Church in support of the forced loans. Two prominent Arminian cleries Roger Maynwaring and Robert Sibthrope, preached sermons justifying the King's actions by virtue of his Divine Rights. Charles ordered the publications of their sermons but George Abbot (the anti-arminian archbishop of cantebury) was reluctant to licensed. A commision of bishops, including Laud bypassed the Archbishop and the Sermons.

What did Charles I do to create the image of an absolutist regime?

• Portraits:

Majority of them were located in the palace but they were intended to be used as propaganda but was ineffective because his court failed to concern itself with public relations:

• Court changes:

Previously with James, the courts were informal and chaotic. Charles made them more formal and have a dignified regime. The court was to be a model restraint, established the ideas on royal virtues at heart of the kingdom.

"The court is like the earth, naturally cold and reflect no affection than the sunshine of their masters' favour beat upon us" - William Murray.

• Restrictions on the Royal Household:

There was even more formality when Charles was on the throne. He became more remote and his semi-divine status was safeguarded by a strict hierarchy and proper etiquette.

Who were Charles’s key advisors?

His key advisors were Sir Thomas Wentworth and William Laud.

What is the brief history of Thomas Wentworth?

• Created the Earl of Stafford in 1640.

• Became MP of Yorkshire in 1640.

• He opposed a war in Spain in 1625.

• He was sheriff in 1626.

• He opposed the forced loan and favoured the Petition of Right but then quarrelled with Eliot and became loyal to Charles.

• He was president of the council of the north by 1629.

• He was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1632.

What is the brief history of William Laud?

• Made his mark at University of Oxford where he became associated with Arminians.

• Enjoys his patronage of Buckingham.

• He was refused to be promoted by James I as he feared his "restless spirit".

• He became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633 after George Abbot's death.

What was the Balance Sheet of 1629?

Involvement in the Thirty Years' War had been expensive and by 1629 Charles was in debt to financers in the city of London to of 2 million. Charles had to rely on monopolies, impositions, wardships and purveyance but the revenue was never going to be sufficient.

What were the Successes or failures of the Balance sheet?

Here are the following methods used:

• Recusancy fines:

Nobody objected to the fact that the income arose from imposing fines upon Catholics increased from £5300 in the late 1620's to £26866 in 1634.

• Wardships:

During the personal rule, income from wardships increased about a 1/3rd to £7500 a year.

• Monopolies:

Charles exploited a loop hole in the Monopolies Act of 1624. It was an act which was supposed to have curtailed the granting of monopolies in order to obtain income.

• Custom duties:

Charles continued to collect tonnage and poundage despite the 1625 Parliament refusing to grant it for life. He raised roughly £27,000 a year in 1631-35. After the Book of Rates was introduce in 1635, the revenue that the Crown received from custom duties increased markedly to roughly £42,500 in 1639. However, he ended up provoking protest from the political nation over the issue of finance. He tried to obtain income that was not subject to the control of Parliament before 1629.

What are King Mines?

It was originally money that rightfully belonged to the Crown in the past. Article 12 of Magna Carta (1215) said that "no scutage or aid (taxes) shall be imposed in our kingdom unless by common counsel of our kingdom"

Charles therefore had to exploit ordinary revenue as efficiently as possible. William Nay was tasked to find forgotten laws and lapsed practices that could be exploited in order to raise income.

What did old laws did Charles I use to obtain revenue?

• Distraint of knighthood:

Charles levied fines on anyone holding land that generated more than £40 of income a year who did not receive knighthood at his coronation. By 1635, he raised £175,000 by prosecuting people who refused to take a knighthood and refusing to pay. Those who rented land from the Crown but lacked a clear title from the land or could not prove they had continuously occupied land for the previous 60 years were fined. Parliament would attempt to abolish this.

• Royal forest rights:

Charles reasserted ancient royal rights over forests that were owned by the Crown, reserved for the monarch for hunting. He fined enclosing landowners for using land that was designated as part of the monarch "royal forest". He imposed fines on major landowners which raised £38667 which also raised opposition. This was due to many commoners depending on forest lands for part of their income. There were riots in Wiltshire and Leicestershire in 1626-32.

• Enclosure fines:

Use of land became restricted to the owner and it ceased to the common land for communal use to benefit the new landowners

What treaties was Charles I forced to sign after his failure of interventions of Thirty Years' War?

Treaty of Susa with France in 1629 and Treaty of Madrid with Spain in 1630.

What was the sovereign of the seas?

The ship was ordered in august 1634 on the personal initiative of Charles I who desired a giant great ship to be built.

What was Charles I thinking?

By having a strong navy, it would allow for the extension of English power into the North Sea and Bay of Biscay and secure trade routes to the Americas and Caribbean. Being able to deterring Anglican corsairs and pirates operating from Spain and the Netherlands, the security of the English Channel could be ensured. It could help them to promote increase trade and encourage prosperity and stability.

Having a strong navy can impress and even help the Spanish who were seriously bogged down in the Thirty Years' War. Giving aid to Spain can also help them to limit the ability of the Dutch who were England's economic rival

What did Charles do towards ship money?

Charles I assessed this tax on the English coastal areas as it was one of the several taxes that English monarchs could levy by prerogative without the approval of Parliament, it was levied to fund navy in times of emergency.

What was it like to pay for the navy?

In October 1634, it was announced that ship money would be a tax levied to coastal areas. In June 1635, the demand for ship money was extended to inland areas and by December Charles obtained a verdict from judges that allowed it to be legal for him to be doing this. 90% of ship money was paid between 1634-38 and they raised £200,000 as a result.

What was the Hampden case of 1637?

John Hampden was a leading parliamentarian who refused to pay for ship money. He was then imprisoned for also refusing the forced loan in 1626-7.

What is the brief history of Ireland?

English involvement in Ireland had begum om 1169 where cambro-norman lords had invaded with the aim of grabbing land and wealth. Colonisation by English speakers continued, nonetheless after James I came to the throne in 1603. By the 1630s there were distinct groups:

• Irish (Catholic)

• Old English (Catholic)

• New English (Protestant settlers)

Who is “Black Tom Tyrant”?

Thomas Wentworth (Earl of Strafford).

What was the rise of “Black Tom Tyrant”?

He was a noted critic of the Crown and sat as Mp in 1614, 1621, 1624 and 1625 Parliament. Charles ensured he would not cause trouble in 1626 by making him Sheriff of Yorkshire. In 1627, he refused to pay forced loan and played a key role in the drafting of the Petition of Right in 1628. He abandoned opposition as Grand Apostate and was awarded for it by Charles.

What did the Thorough and Personal rule mean?

It meant making a profit out of Ireland for the English crown and controlling of the parliament in Dublin. Wentworth thorough rule over Ireland was feared in England because they saw it as a testing ground for policies.

What was thorough like in Ireland?

Wentworth dominated the main power groups by manipulation of the Irish Parliament. In collaboration with Earl of Ormond, he built up an Irish army for the King's use. Schemes and finance reforms were introduced in the country in order to develop trade and also increase the country's revenue.

New Book of Rates was issued which caused custom duties to rise from £25,000 in 1633-4 to £57,000 in 1637.

What happened in the Court of Castle Chamber?

Wentworth obtained information from Charles that the Chamber had power to hear suits between private parties even where the Crown itself had no interest in the outcome of the case. His apparent aim was to encourage ordinary citizens to complain about abuses of authority by the rich and powerful. The Chamber saw a considerable increase in business sometimes sitting as often as 4 days a week. He was alleged by his enemies to have acted in a tyrannical manner were heard by the full Privy Council whereas others were heard in private sessions in his own rooms.

What was imposing religious conformity like in Ireland?

Wentworth introduced Laudian reforms into the Church of Ireland by imposing the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion and established an Irish High Court of Commission to deal with clergy who refused to obey directives. He refused to honour "The Graces" which were concessions previously offered to the Irish which had included a relaxion of recusancy fines and guarantees of land revenue.

Policy of expelling the native Irish Catholic population from their lands and giving those lands to new Presbyterian settlers. He planned full-scale Protestant settling of the provinces of Leinster by disrupting Irish land and titles and confiscating lands whenever possible to make way for new settlers.

What was the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion?

It was rules that the Church of Ireland had to adapt to in order to match with England’s policies.

What is the brief history of Scotland?

England and Scotland were different nations with different national cultures. There were long-term antagonisms where England had invaded them numerous times in the past. This led to many Scots not liking the English as they viewed them as invaders and oppressors.

England was richer and more economically developed than Scotland as they had more tax revenue and bigger cities. Scotland was socially backward and has a large combative and armed feudal nobility.

The Protestant Reformation had gone much further in Scotland than in England. The Kirk (Scottish Church) was radically Calvinist (Presbyterian). Charles was only crowned as King of Scotland in 1633 when he visited Edinburgh for the first time. His visit was him being appalled by the Presbyterian's lack of ceremony and lack of prayers. The Scots were shocked by the mitres and surplices worn by Bishops during the coronation and ridiculed the Anglican liturgy''s "praying by numbers" approach.

What were the tensions between England and Scotland?

The reasons to why these countries had tension was because:

• There were long-term antagonisms due to England invading Scotland numerous times in the past.

• Many Scots viewed English people as invaders and oppressors.

• England was richer and more economically developed than Scotland.

How much of a threat were the Scottish?

Many Scotland landlords maintained private armies of retainers. These armies had been mobilised for the Protestant cause in the Thirty Years' War, meaning that they had acquired recent military experience. The Scots had established a reputation for being tough warriors and good fighter but also dangerous for Charles.

How and why was England unprepared?

England since the 1490s became an essentially demilitarised nation as the gentry had abandoned the waging of war in favour of commercial pursuits. The focus of English militarism was at sea not land and the military's preparedness was further affected by the fact that Charles had declared English neutrality in the continuing of the Thirty Years' War. Although he tried to make more efficient English during Personal Rule with new rules regarding the training local militia, many gentry had ignored these impositions and any local mustering or training had been largely very amateurish and ineffective.

What is the Act of Revocation? (1625)

This took land from the Scottish army by revoking all gifts and by the Crown and the Kirk made since 1540. This aim was to acquire their tithes in order to provide funding the Scottish Church. However, the act united sections of the Scottish nobility against Charles because it was done without reference to the Scottish Privy Council. The act annoyed the clergy because the financial benefits they received were no means an equivalent for the increased control which the act gave the Crown over the Church.

How did Charles I impose religious conformity?

Charles imposed a new Prayer Book by proclamation and did not consult the Scottish Privy Council and the Scottish Parliament (Kirk). Some Bishops tried to persuade Charles to modify the Prayer Book which he rebuked and issued a new set ecclesiastical canons (church laws) in 1635.

It required the Scottish clergy to swear to enforce the new liturgy before it was published. Charles promoted several bishops to the Scottish Privy Council

What was the religious strife led to rebellion?

The landlord of Scots were presbyterian. They had accepted some reform to the Church of Scotland (which James had introduced) which included the reintroduction of bishops. They have a good deal of freedom to organise the Church along the lines that broadly according with radical Protestant beliefs. They viewed the promotion of Arminianism or Laudism in Scotland as a threat to the "true" religion and the work of Popery and the devil.

When did the religious rebellion happen and where?

A riot erupted in Edinburgh upon the first Sunday of the new prayer's book usage on 23rd July 1637.

What is Scotland’s response to the rebellion?

Their responses was swift and decisive and an emergency body known as "The tables" was formed to organise opposition.

23rd February 1638: they drew up the National Covenant at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh

November 1638: the general assembly of the Kirk abolished Scotland's bishops completely.

What is the Scottish National Covenant? (1638)

It was a declaration of allegiance that bound together Scottish nationalism and the Calvinist faith.

The Coventars took a sacred pledge to defend the true religion and Scotland's political rights. The Covenant was a rallying point for a broad Scottish protest movement, but became for radical because of Charles himself.

Charles as a result reasoned that the Covenanters would be defeated because to rebel against one's sovereign was criminal. He sent the Marques of Hamilton (most trusted Scottish advisor) to negotiate with them as it would buy them time for him to prepare to crush them

"I will rather die than yield to these impertinent and damnable demanders.. I intend not to yield to the demands of those traitors the Covenanters" - Charles I

What did the Scottish National Covenant contain?

The declaration contained:

• Confession of faith of 1580 (affirmation of Calvinist faith)

• The Negative confession of 1581 (condemnation of Catholicism and Papacy which had become the test for public office)

• Condemnation of the 1635 ecclesial canons

• 1637 prayer book.

What evidence is there that opposition was growing to the Personal rule by 1637?

The evidence that opposition was growing are:

• Finance:

Impositions and fiscal feudalism was bound to cause general unease especially amongst the gentry.

• Religion:

Reimposition of the Book of Sports (1637) led to objections from Puritans and Laud’s Arminian reforms and repositioning of the altar caused controversy.

• Administration:

Arbitrary powers of the Court of the Star Chamber (presided over by Laud) and Wentworth’s effiency of ‘Thorough’ alienated many in Ireland. These two combined together led to a fear of creeping absolutism.

When was the First Bishop War?

February - June 1639

What were the statistics of both sides for the war?

• England:

This army was lead by Charles I. This army contained 20,000 men although the King had problems raising funds. This was due to London merchants refusing to lend him money to raise an army for the war.

• Scotland:

This army was lead by Alexander Leslie (1st Earl of Lever). This army was smaller compared to Charles’s. They had 1200 men.

What were the consequences of the skirmish?

The few consequences of the skirmish were:

• Charles had underestimated the Scots and had no idea of the depth of resentment against him.

• He had failed to mobilise public opinion

• He also did not have the full support of his own mobility

• London merchants refused to lend him money to raise his own money.

• His army was in no state to take on Scotland.

What is the Pacification of Berwick?

It was when Charles joined his troops at Berwick on 30th May 1639 and issued a proclamation announcing he would not invade Scotland by providing the Covenanter army ten miles north of the border.

What is the Treaty of Berwick? (1639)

It was when both sides agreed to temporarily solve their issues which ended the First Bishops War.

What is included the Treaty of Berwick?

The things they agreed on were:

• Both sides would disband their armies.

• Charles agreed to a Scottish General Assembly and Parliament.