1. 25-29 charles I + parliament

Why was Britain unstable in 1625?

context - why was Britain unstable 1625?

• conflicting interests

  • england largely anglican

  • scotland = presbytarian

  • ireland = cath

• debt, econ instability - james war w spain, prev monarchs had sold lots crown lands to pay debts

• ⭡ pop

James I

• reckless + extravagant w money

• parl relationship - relatively positive, able to compromise ⭢ expectations Charles will be similar

  • tensions - anger at foreign policies, C/Buckingham’s failed trip to Spain

• strong belief divine rights - passed to C (possibly caused his stubbornness, disregard for diplomacy, desire to rule w/o parl)

monarch powers

• declare war, sign treaties

• arbitrarily dissolve parl

• grant pardons + honours

• discontinue criminal charges

• x make new powers

Duke of Buckingham

• Chief Councillor

• unpopular - no royal blood, lots influence on king, mother/wife = cath

  • lots unlimited power - cld remove rivals from court, dominated privy council, formulated govt policy

  • ‘the great usurper’

• disliked by old peers - doubted loyalty of new peers, hard to oppose him

• blamed for poor finances

• doctor beaten to death

Henrietta Maria

• c’s wife

• parl suspicious bc she = cath (more info religion section)

• c worsened this - made number of concessions to english caths, sent ships to la rochelle to suppress prot uprising in cath france

1st parl

• April ‘25

• why - funds for war w Spain

  • 2 subsidies voted on (less than 1/4 of what c needed)

  • refused to vote on more unless they cld supervise its expenditure

• tonnage + poundage voted for only a yr

  • = right for monarch to collect duties on every ton of wine + pound of imports

  • demanded it be renewed annually (usually given to monarch for whole life)

  • offends c

Cadiz

• c hoped to repeat prev successful raids of Cadiz (Sir Francis Drake)

  • sent fleet commanded by Buckingham

• failed - ill equipped, soldiers drunk

  • over half men lost, expensive

  • parl angered by b’s foreign policy

  • bad image of c + country, bad for public morale

2nd parl

• Dec ‘26

• c needed money

• c tried to keep opponents out of parl by naming them sheriffs ⭢ angered parl

• buckingham’s opp in commons - list of charges for impeachment

  • eg abused crowns patronage to favour self

  • refused to vote taxation until lords sentenced him (+ wld consider ways to give crown permanent revenue)

• c tried to prevent lords against b attending (failed) ⭢ dissolved parl to avoid impeachment

‘26-28 events

• forced Loan

• billeting of soldiers

• 5 knights case

• expedition to Rhe

• buckingham death

forced loan

• raised by c for money w/o parl consent (angry)

• chances of repayment = low

• raised £250,000

billeting of soldiers

• organising an army in absence of a standing army

  • c billeted soldiers to subdue/punish opponents

  • to obtain troops to fight against france + spain

• unpopular - troops infrequently paid (disruptive)

  • hard for local ppl to call them to account

    • can only be tried in military court under martial law

5 knights case

• 5 imprisoned knights who had x paid forced loan applied to Court of King’s Bench for a writ of habeas corpus

  • court x freed knights (appointed by king)

• significance - king abusing power for pol means

  • hadn’t declared legitimate charge

  • norm = king only imprisons ppl w/o charge in state sec cases

Expedition to Rhe

• ‘27 summer, led by b

  • to capture the Ile de Rhe

• forced to withdraw (lacked resources, lost thousands soldiers to disease)

• ⭣ b popularity esp in parl (+ Cadiz)

3rd parl

• Jan ‘28

• war funds

• parl critical of c actions - want him to sign Petition of Rights which banned =

  • taxation w/o parl consent

  • imprisonment w/o trial

  • soldier billeting

• Charles initially refused

  • consented post checking w judges that they wld still enforce his emergency powers

• dissolved bc commons criticised b + c’s Arminian advisors (Laud)

buckingham death

• ‘28

• stabbed to death by John Felton (unpaid soldier)

  • revenge for b dismissing his petitions

• allowed his personal enemies to advance in royal service (Wentworth, Digby)

3rd parl recalled

• post b death

  • c hoped parl wld finally cooperate w him

• parl complains = spread of Arminianism, c collection of tonnage poundage

• Charles ordered speaker to leave seat if anyone began talking (indicates session end)

• commons held speaker in chair + read out 3 resolutions

  • anyone assoc w Arminianism, popery, or taking part in tonnage poundage = enemy of state

• dissolved - to stop resolutions being voted on

main causes of conflict between parl + Charles

• duke of buckingham

  • power, family, cadiz, impeachment, rhe, causes parl to be dissolved

• charles actions

  • personality, marriage, defends b, dissolves parl, forced loan, billeting, 5 knights

• parl actions

  • tonnage poundage, impeachment, x funding, petition of rights, 3 resolutions (⭢ personal rule)

• foreign + religious affairs

  • wars (needs funds, spain, france)

  • Charles favouring Arminians (seen as caths)