British Social History 1605-1715

What is a way to determine the gentry?

Peers who historically controlled a majority of wealth and power

how much of the nations wealth did the nobility hold ?

15%

how much of the population were nobility or gentry?

2%

When did the novility begin to decline in significance?

Later years of Elizabeths reign and continoued throughout the 17th century

how much money did the did the marquid of newcastle each give to the royalist clause in 1642?

1. £900,000

how much money did the earl of worchester give to the royalist clause in 1642?

1. £700,000

How much did the average Labourer earn a year?

May reach £10

why was tgere a continued decline in the nobility from the elizabethan age?

due to inflation and the high level of spending expected by the nobility

why were the nobility effected by inflation?

they lacked accessible wealth as they had locked assets such as land and property that could not be sold as they were family heirlooms and by selling you were highlighting your financial situation.

How much of the nations wealth did the nobility hold?

15%

What was the total number of gentry in 17th century?

15,000

how many greater gentry were there?

3,000

how many lesser gentry were there ?

12,000

by what per cent did the gentry class increase from the Tudors to the mid-17th centaury?

300%

what social class grew at a greater rate than the other social classes

the gentry

Who is a member of the gentry who was elevated by perrage for service to the crown?

Thomas Wentworth

How much of the nations wealth belonged to the Gentry in the 17th century? and how much land

Half

Rest belonged to the Church or monarch

How many higher and lesser gentry were in Yorkshire and out of what size population?

256 higher

323 lesser

out of 300,000

what was the high gentry beginning to enter into ?

MPS

What roles did the lesser gentry become?

Constables

Judges

Why did role of gentry enhance (contexual reasons)?

• Increased role of parilament in build to civil war

• Charles turned to parliament (many gentry in this) to help him fight the Scots

• Many officers who fought for parliament became high profile figures in the republic from the repubilc

name 3 important people who were part of the gentry

john pym

oliver cromwell

george monck

Why is Tawney argument that the fortunes of the nobility were declining flawed?

• They still contiued to wield significant power

• Many stilllived comfrotable lives

What is the gentry controversy?

Whether the gentry inxxreased due to decline of nobility or due to their own reasons

How were merchants viewed by the gentry vs nobility?

Gentry: Often maintained connections with them

Nobility: Often looked down upon them

3 reasons why the number of merchants were increasing

increased urbanisation

growth of major towns thus creating further trade opportunities

economic growth due to a consumer boom

How many merchants were trading in 1688 vs 1580?

64,000

34,000

how did merchants try to climb the ‘social ladder’? x2

would try to marry into the gentry or buy earldoms

Where were towns which merchants benefitted from the growth of?

Bristol

Liverpool

what merchants could become as rich as the nobility?

Own large trade companies

Where witnessed a consumer boom after 1650 as a result of inc trading conditions and increased demand for shops and trades?

London

Limitations to the merchants power? X2

• Could never command same influence and respect of landed elites

• Mostly unable to pursue scholarly education as little leisure time

What would younger sons of landowning families typically pursue?

Career in business some became so wealthy they could buy the land they were deprived as

What jobs could merchhants join?

Aldernman

Mayor in their towns

Why was the merchant class everchanging?

There was always room for more as many would aim to retire and set up home on a country estate

Why were merchants often keen to leave towns?

• Threat of dieasease

• Instability associated with world of commerce

Why did London see the biggest growth in the merchant class?

Centre for trade within Britain as well as overseas

What acts were beneficial to the merchants sucess?

Naviagation Act of 1651

Navigation Act of 1660

why was there an increase in professionals?

increased demmand for healthcare, legal services and new building

Why did the rise in living standards allow the professionals to grow?

People needed more services

what was the number of memebrs of the grays inn in 1574 and in 1619?

1574- 120 barristers

1617— over 200 barristers

How many students were at the inner temples (where lawyers trained) between 1600-1640

1,700

what percent of students admitted to the internal temple inns of court were sons of nobility or gentry? ( limitation to the growth of the professional class)

90% of 1700

Limitation to growth of professionals?

Lower class had lack of eduation

Girls couldn’t go to grammar school neither could most yeoman

What rights did women have in the 17th century?

Very few rights under the law

Under the complete control of their husbands and fathers

what would a gentry or noble wife do?

direct servants and organise parties

what would a labourer wife do?

carry out physical work, cook , domestic duties

how were women viewed and why?

with suspicion due to the influence of the bible- said women were irrational and devious due to the addam and eve story.

what was an unmarried woman accused of?

witchcraft

What did some ministers question about women in the 17th century?

Whether they had souls

what was a brank and why was it used?

apparatus used to punish women for gossiping or becoming a nuisanceand was often a form of public humiliation.

it inhibited a woman from talking

How were women treated in Scotland if they were accused of being a witch?

Hung

Burnt at the stake

What did women do during the civil war (1642) ?

took on ‘mens’ roles as the men went to fight

looked after whole estates (more common in the gentry)

What did Lucy Hutchinson do?

Manage the estate of her parliamentarian colonel husband John

what did Mary Banks do and what side of the civil war was she on?

she was a royalist

commanded troops to defend Corfe castle

What did Brilliana Harley do during the civil war?

Directed troops to protect her families estate

what happened for women after the civil war?

changes were reversed

what did puritans advocate fro in terms of women’s rights and why?

advocated for women’s education so they could preach the bible to their children- believed family was at the centre of worship

Name a large puritan group?

the quakers

Why was puritan influence limited even with the role of women?

Still a widespread belief that women who were too highly educated were dangeour

How may schools did the quakers establish that were willing to teach girls?

Just 4 out of 15 established before 1671

How many women petitioned parliament for peace in 1643?

6,000

What did Elizabeth Lilburn do for her husband John Lilburn when he was imprisoned during the civil war in 1649?

Got 10,000 women to sign a petition for his release

How did parliament react to Elizabeth Lilburns petition?

Rejected it

what did the levellers agrue for in terms of womens rights?

equality (never pushed for political power)

what did the diggers argue for in terms of womens rights?

womens suffrage

What could women do in Puritan circles?

Preach

how many members of the diggers were there ?

about 80

How much of the population did the Quakers take up?

1%

Why were quakers able to flourish?

Legal changes from the Toleration Act of 1650

Able to hold seperate meetings for women and speak in mixed meetings

what did george fox- the founder of the quakers argue for in 1676 and what was the effect of this?

continuation of separate women’s activities

backwards step for women and the Quakers were the strongest group and the best chance for increased women’s freedom.

indicates no change in the view of women

What did Charles lift in 1660?

Ban of women performing in stage plays

What parliament passed the marriage act and when?

Barebones parliamrnt

1653

What was the marriage act?

Allowed civil marriages to take place overseen by JPS

What was the reaction to the marriage act in 1653?

Mainly ignored as did not give men as many rights over women than a church marriage did

What did the adultury act allow regarding punsihment?

Both women and men could be sentenced to death

what did the adultery acts state and what year was it?

1650

Men’s sexual misendvours seen as a lesser crime

Limitation to adultury act in 1650?

Women were sentenced to death more frequently than men

How many women and men were tried for adultury in the 1650s?

24 women

15 men

How many male suspects made up adultery charges in 1650 between 1660 in Devon?

10% of 255 charges

what did the adultry act of 1650 have the potential to do and why ?

give women greater legal identity as they could go to court aginst theor husbands

whan was the marriage act and what did it state?

1653

allowed a civil marriage

when was the toleration act and what did it state?

1650

could worship any form of christianity- thus allowed quakers to exist

What was england in 1625?

Confessional state

when was the quaker act and what did it state?

1662

banned quakerism

what year were the levellers founded

1645

which radical group was the most successfull and most influentail in the civil war?

the levellers

what were the origins of the levellers group?

religious radicalism in the army ranks

Who were leveller leaders?

John Lilburne

William Walwyn

Willilam Overton

what did levellers advocated for in their pamphlets?

• New elections

• Equality under the law

what was the levellers most influential work and what year was this proposed?

the agreement of the people in 1647

Several versions were released also in 1649

When did Levellers become particularly influential?

In the aftermath of the civil war when leveller ranks called for change

who was colonel thomas rainsborough?

highest ranking leveller in the new modle army

spoke on behalf of all the radical soliders

at what event did coloel thomas rainsborough speak at

Putney debates
Against Ireton and Cromwell

what did colonel thomas rainsborough demand at the putney debates x5

• house of commons become the centeral body

• abolish the house of lords

• new constitution

• universal male suffrage

• religious freedom

nothing written in the Bible justified the fact the poor were excluded from politics

which of thomas rainsboroughs demmands were met?

none

what was the levellers reason for universal male suffrage and a less elitist political system and what did this trigger

the bible didnt state that the poor couldnt be involved in politics - triggered a conservative backlash

Were the Levellers social revolutionary?

YES- Argued for reform to the legal system

Wanted local courts to be staffed by locally elected judges of officials

Calling an end for improsnment for debt

NO- Didnt calll for women to be in the voting franchise

Some suggested that those recieving poor relief should not be able to vote

Treatment of women was mixed

Some leveller women were influencial and organised protest

How was the government able to dissmiss female levellers protest?

Could not take a petition presented by women seriously