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

What happened at the 1625 parliament?

Charles asked parliament for £1 million in subsidies to fund war against Spain, but they granted him only 2 small subsidies and tonnage and poundage for one year, but Charles ignored this as he felt this was an invasion of his prerogative.

How did Charles immediately antagonise the 1626 parliament?

By asking anti-Calvinist William Laud to preach the opening sermon, in which he stressed his obedience to the king.

What else had Charles and his supporters done?

Taken steps to shut out those who might work against him, most notably Edward Coke and Thomas Wentworth who had been removed and picked as sheriffs.

What were sheriffs?

They were responsible for organising the polls and therefore could not stand for election.

What did Buckingham do?

Reinforced his position by removing anyone who he saw as a threat, including figures such as John Williams and Earl of Arundel, who were dismissed and arrested.

Why did Parliament dislike Buckingham?

They placed blame on him for foreign policy failure at Cadiz as Lord High Admiral, yet Charles believed that parliament itself was partly to blame for failing to provide adequate funding.

How did MPs now feel about granting subsidies?

They were reluctant and did not want to finance a war against Spain.

What else was significant about 1626 parliament?

MPs began impeachment proceedings against Buckingham, in particular MP John Elliot, Earl of Bristol, who had been the ambassador to Spain in 1623 and saw that while in Madrid, Charles and Buckingham tried to bribe Spanish courtiers to encourage the Spanish match.

How did the forced loan worsen Charles’ relationship with the political nation?

The 1626 forced loan was an unparliamentary taxation to finance his war effort which resulted in the Five Knights’ case, making parliament feel as though they had no control.

What happened in the 1628-29 parliament?

Charles was presented with the Petition of Right.

What was the Petition of Right?

A response to the concern that Charles could not be trusted to rule by the unwritten constitution.

What were the four main points of the Petition of Right?

1. Parliament had to consent to taxation.

2. People could be imprisoned only if just cause was shown.

3. The imposition of martial law on the population was illegal.

4. The imposition of billeting on the population was illegal.

How did James respond to the Petition of Right?

He accepted the petition on 7 June 1628 under the threat of further parliamentary proceedings against Buckingham as he was desperate for parliamentary funds to finance foreign policy, yet his first reply did not use royal assent (the method by which a monarch formally approves a bill passed by Parliament which then becomes an act of Parliament or an official law), denying the Petition the force of law.

What did the Commons do after his informal response?

Insisted on the correct response which Charles agreed to as he needed them to vote for five subsidies.

What followed the Petition of Right?

The Commons wrote a ‘Remonstrance’, attacking Buckingham’s foreign policy failure, and a week later, issued another Remonstrance because Charles continued to collect tonnage and poundage, going against the Petition.

What happened on the 23rd August 1628?

Buckingham was assassinated by John Felton, one of the men who fought under Buckingham in his failed foreign policy expeditions. Charles blamed parliament for his death due to their negative portrayal of him.

What were the Three Resolutions?

They expressed opposition to Arminianism and to the collection of tonnage and poundage without parliamentary approval.

When were these Resolutions presented in parliament?

On 2nd March 1629, however, just as the Speaker of the House of Commons was preparing to read the royal order to suspend the parliamentary session, radical MPs held the Speaker down in his chair until the Three Resolutions were passed, condemning the king’s conduct.

What was Charles’ response to the Three Resolutions?

He dissolved parliament two days later.