Stuart Britain Summary 1604-1702 (copy)
James I 1604-1625 Inherited debt of £420,000 from Elizabeth
Treaty of London 1604 - ended war with Spain and France Peace time
First parliament - 1604-1610 1610 - Bate’s Case, extravagance, impositions
King James bible - 1611
Second Parliament (Addled Parliament) - 1614 Clashes over impositions and extravagance King wanted £65,000 in supply
Third Parliament - 1621 Clashes over monopolies 1st session: Asked for £500,000 but only £150,000 granted with demands including going to war with Spain. Impeached Francis Bacon 2nd session: asked for £900,000 and only received £70,000 and MPs attacked the Spanish match and called for higher recusancy laws.
Fourth Parliament - 1624
Finance: £80,000 a year to favourites Ante-supper costing £3,300 in 1621 1607 paid of debts of four men at £44,000 1604 Book of Rates Salisbury sold off titles and made £90,000 1623 madrid trip costed £50,000 1610 great Contract (Robert Cecil) refused by parliament but would have granted £20,000 a year and paid off £600,000 of his debts Suffolk and Cranfield were corrupt 1608 - Book of Bounty “Everyday is Christmas day”
Robert Carr (until 1615) Carr/Howard faction, pro Catholic Felt out of favour due to scandal - Sir Thomas overbury was murdered and Carr and his wife were found guilty and sent to the Tower of London
Buckingham - George Villiers (from 1615) Appointed Gentleman of the bedchamber 1615 Earl of Buckingham 1618 Madrid trip with Charles in 1623 Monopolised patronage and effectively ruled England in James’ place towards the end of his life. Only paid £400 in tax despite earning £15000 a year
Lionel Cranfield - 1621-1624 Lord treasurer (before him was Robert Cecil then George Abbot) Corrupt £150 a year Refused to back war with Spain, turning Buckingham against him Found guilty of corruption
Religion 1605 - Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot Elizabeth - his daughter - married Frederick V the elector of Palatine 1603 - The Millenary Petition (1,000 ministers signed) - James agreed to a translation of the Bible into English 1604 - Hampton Court conference “No bishop, no King” 1604 - Bancroft’s Canons - 1% of ministers (the Silenced Brethren) removed from their positions 1606 - Oath of Allegiance allowed more leniency to Catholics 1610 - Petition of Religion from Puritans who disliked the leniency to Catholics
The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) Frederick of the Palatinate - married to James’ daughter James I - Rex Pacificus June 1620 - sent a volunteer force of 3,000 to the Lower Palatinate Mansfeld Expedition - 1625
Charles I 1625-1649 Married Henrietta Maria of France in 1625 Loaned seven English naval ships to France which would be used at la Rochelle to suppress the Huguenots
Buckingham (Lord High Admiral) Nov 1625 - Cadiz (£250,000 lost) July-Oct 1627 - Ile de Re (5,000/7,000 troops died) Assassinated August 1628 York House conference - 1626
First parliament (1625) Granted £140,000 in subsidies but only gave Tonnage and Poundage for a year Attacked Buckingham
Second parliament (1626) Opposition to Buckingham from George Abbot (Archbishop of Canterbury), Thomas Howard, William Herbert and Sir John Eliot Eliot was locked in the Tower to prevent Buckingham’s impeachment
Third parliament (1628-1629) Once ended began the Personal Rule or 11 Years Tyranny Petition of Right (John Eliot, Edward Coke, Thomas Wentworth, John Selden and Robert Phelips) and Charles eventually agreed to it The Three Resolutions (against Arminianism, against collection of T&P, against actions of those paying T&P) Denzil Holles held down the speaker (John Finch) to stop him from dissolving parliament
John Eliot would be locked up and his body would not be returned to his family upon his death
April-May 1640: Short Parliament Refused to grant supply until the King addressed grievances and gave concessions. Growing “Puritan Network” - Pym, Hampton, Lord Saye and Sele
Nov 1640: Long Parliament 1st session - 3rd Nov 1940 – August 1641 Triennial Act (February 1641) Strafford executed - May 1641 due to Charles signing the bill of attainder (Charles saw this as “the one true sin” of his reign) T&P Act 1641 - regulated taxation Prerogative Courts Abolished Ship Money forbidden without Parliament’s consent and Distraint of Knighthood + Forest fines declined unlawful. Laud sent to the tower - Feb 1641 Bedford (moderate) died - May
(April-May Army Plot)
2nd session - October 1641 – August 1642 Pym junto developed further and their radicalism caused a Royalist party to form in Parliament. 1st December 1641 - Grand Remonstrance A divided Parliament could have been good for Charles Root and Branch Petition and Bishops Exclusion Bill Ten Propositions Five Members - Jan 1642 (John Hampdon, Arthur Haselrig, Denzil Holles, John Pym and William Strode)
Finance Forced loans 1626-27 Five Knights Case ~70 gentlemen imprisoned for refusing the forced loans (including Thomas Wentworth) and five applied for Habeus Corpus
Religion Arminianism Laud - Bishop of London (1628-1633) and then Archbishop of Canterbury (1633) Beauty of holiness Crypto-catholicism
Personal Rule
Sir Thomas Wentworth - Court of Castle Chamber President of the Council of the North - 1629 Lord Deputy of Ireland - 1632 Earl of Strafford 1640 “Thorough”
William Laud - Court of Star Chamber Bishop of London 1628 Archbishop of Canterbury 1633 (after Puritan George Abbott)
Absolutism - Court masques brought back Arminianism resembled Catholicism - beauty of holiness
Burton, Bastwick and Prynne - 1637 S.L - seditious libeller/ sign of Laud (Prynne also punished in 1632 for condemning masques)
Finance - Fiscal feudalism William Noy - attorney general Distraint of Knighthood (nearly £175,000 prosecuting people who refused to take a knighthood) Forest Fines - 1626-1632 minor riots in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Leicestershire in opposition. (only raised £38,000) Enclosure fines
Ship Money Sovereign of the Seas 1635-38 £200,000 gained 1637 - Hampden Case 5/12 gave verdict against Crown, not a unanimous win Showed that low level opposition persisted but with no outlet as there was no parliament.
Laudanism Charles I wanted order, structure and formality. Felt threatened by hotter protestants Aimed to use conformity to strengthen his rule and wanted a unified, national church Caused division (1633 St Gregory Case - people challenged the movement of the communion table) Resembled crypto catholicism (1633 Book of Sports reissued)
Ireland Wentworth - Black Tom Tyrant Built up an army with Earl of Ormond in Ireland (Book of Rates - customs duties increased from £25,000 in 1633-34 to £57,000 in 1637-38) Brought Laudianism - Thirty Nine Articles of Religion Ignored the Graces and made Irish pay recusancy fines Viewed at Absolutism by people back in England
Scotland 1625: Act of Revocation Took money/land/titles from nobles in Scotland to raise money for the Kirk but united both the clergy and nobles against him as the money was not a fair exchange for increased control of the Crown over the Kirk 1633: Charles I’s visit to Scotland July 1637: New Scottish prayer book introduced (Jenny Geddes began a riot in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh) 28th feb 1638 - National Covenant Nov 1638 - Bishops abolished by Scottish Kirk
Bishop’s Wars June 1639 - only one casualty. Demonstrated how unprepared England was to fight the Scots, showed lack of noble support and merchants refused to send money to help raise an army. June 1639 - Treaty of Berwick briefly paused the conflict Short parliament called due to Strafford’s recommendation June 1640 - Occupied Newcastle and cut London off from its coal supplies Oct 1640 - Treaty of Ripon - pay £850 a day to the Scots, negotiations postponed until an English Parliament met
Slide to Civil War April-May 1641 - Army Plot October 1641 - The Incident Irish rebellion - Oct 1641 Stories of atrocities reached London of English Protestants being massacred by Catholics. They feared the King raising an army but wanted the Irish Catholics to be crushed. Brought into questions who should control the army - the King or Parliament? English rebellion - August 1642 Five Members - Jan 1642 King flees London
-1st Civil War 1642-1646- Oxford Treaty negotiations - 1643 Solemn League and Covenant - 1643 (Peace Party and War Party changed to Independents and Social Prebysterians) New Model Army - 1645 (Self Denying Ordinance) Grandees: Sir Thomas Fairfax, Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton NMA - levellers thrived within the army due to the religious radicalism it fostered Prayed before each battle, saw victories as a sign G-d was on their side. 82,000 died in combat 100,000 additional deaths due to other factors caused by war (plague, homelessness ect)
1647 - Agreement of the People (the Levellers) July 1647 - Heads of Proposals (Grandees to Charles) Putney Debates - levellers felt it was unfair to keep social order as it was before the civil war
-2nd Civil War February-August 1648- Charles sided with the Scots to restart the civil wars - The Engagement (Charles was duplicitous) Vote of no addresses Windsor Prayer meeting (three days April 1648) - “Charles Stuart that man of blood” Pride’s Purge - Rump Parliament of 150 MPs (6th December 1648) Used the Bible to justify Charle’s execution (2 Samuel 16:8,6 and Numbers 35:33)
Regicide of Charles I - 30th January 1649 Only 59 MPs signed his death warrant.
Interregnum Regicide was “a cruel necessity” Third signature after Lord Grey of Groby and John Bradshaw.
Scotland Charles II signed National Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant in 1650 Crowned King of Scotland 1st Jan 1651 Battle of Dunbar September 1650 Cromwell had an army of 11,000 men. Faced a Scottish army twice its size. Thomas Harrison (a Fifth Monarchist) led a prayer for Cromwell in London. Cromwell’s army launched a surprise attack at night killing 3,000 Scots and capturing 10,000. Only 30 NMA soldiers were killed.
Ireland Feb 1649 - Declared Charles II King Aug 1649 - Cromwell landed with 20,000 men Battle of Drogheda September 1649 Resulted in a brutal, genocidal massacre of native Irish people that he justified with Divine Providence. Subjugation complete in 1652, Act of Settlement Reduced proportion of land owned by Catholics from 65% to 16% by 1652 Drop in Irish population ~20% ~10,000 Irish men sent to be “unfree, indentured labourers” in the Americas and Caribbean.
Battle of Worcester Sep 1651 Charles II brought some Scottish soldiers into England. Finally defeated Charles II, he escaped to France
All parliaments had some of the same problems: lack of legitimacy and reliance on the New Model Army to exist. Cromwell himself was in charge of the NMA from 1650. He was an “ideological schizophrenic” both a religious radical (an independent) and a social conservative but he could not be both at the same time. “Healing and Settling” and “Godly Government” were goals of Cromwell throughout the interregnum.
2-4% of population were Independents, almost everyone else were Anglican
Rump Parliament 14th Feb 1649 - Council of State established (meant to have 41 people but always had less. 9 was the minimum number allowed). 17th March - abolished monarchy, privy council and House of Lords 19th May - Declared England to be “a Commonwealth and free state” About 210 MPs May 1650 - Adultery Act August 1650 - Blasphemy Act Very few reforms were introduced by the Rump which infuriated both Cromwell and the rest of the NMA, who wanted “goldy reformation” 1653 - Henry Vane published a bill declaring an election but Cromwell disagreed with this as it would let Royalists back into parliament and there were rumours that the Rump wanted to remove Cromwell from the generalship of the NMA. Closed in April 1653 by the army
Barebone’s Parliament/ Nominated Assembly/ Parliament of Saints Major General Thomas Harrison - Fifth Monarchist - advocated for this parliament. He wanted a “godly government” as he believed the second coming of Christ was nigh. 70 saints and 70 moderates June-Dec 1653 Legal measures for debtors, civil marriages (performed by JPs), trade routes secured through war with the Dutch and the members were even representative of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. However, tithes were an issue. (Anthony Ashley Cooper later the Earl of Shaftesbury sat in the Nominated Assembly) Moderates (let by Lambert) voted to dissolve itself
The New Model Army Problematic Radical Regicides Expensive Threatened social order Victories at Dunbar, Drogheda and Worcester radicalised the Army further. They believed their victories were providence.
The Instrument of Govt (December 1653) -Lambert presented it to him -Modelled on the Heads of Proposals (1647) -Made him Lord Protector -Protectorate parliaments: 460 MPs, representative of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales (400 from England and Wales and 30 from both Scotland and Ireland) -Also had a council of state
First Protectorate Parliament 3rd Sept 1654 - 22nd Jan 1655 82 ordinances issued but none passed by parliament Many MPs attacked the Instrument An Oath of Recognition was implemented on 12th Sep 1654 to remove 80 MPs who would refuse to swear loyalty to Cromwell. Parliament refused to pay of an army of over 50,000 and demanded it be reduced to 30,000 Nov 1654 - George Cony imprisoned for refusing to pay customs duties Biddel’s Case - persecution of independents by moderates Justified its dissolution with lunar months.
March 1655: Penruddock’s Rising Only 300-400 supporters Easily crushed
Triers and Ejectors from 1654
The Western Design 1654-1660 Began with England attempting to take over Hispaniola in April 1655
August 1655-Jan 1657: Major-Generals 11 districts controlled by major-generals, overseen by Lambert. Decimation tax of 10% on estates of known royalists Tax overall reduced from £90,000 to just £60,000 Unpopular because: lower social origin, obvious military rule, religious radicalism, high tax and interference in local govt. Lancashire - Worsley closed 200 ale houses Most were lazy and did not pursue any kind of reform.
Second Protectorate Parliament 17th September 1656- 4th February 1658 1655 - had allowed Jews to return to England free from persecution. Nayler Case - October 1656 A quaker. Punished Jan 1657. Cromwell did not like quakers but disagreed with this punishment. Humble petition and advice 1657 Reduced power of council, created a second chamber of parliament, reduced the size of armed forces and the establishment of a national church.
Cromwell died 3rd September 1658 of septicaemia.
Charles II 1660-1685
25th April 1660 - Convention Parliament opened by General Monck following Charles II’s Declaration of Breda (4th April). Charles II returned to London 29th May 1660
Charles II favoured toleration “liberty of tender conscience”, even for Catholics. This would cause problems, including the Exclusion Crisis of 1679-81. Close to Louis XIV Married Catherine of Braganza - 1662. She was chosen by the Earl of Clarendon (Edward Hyde). He had 15 known mistresses including: Nell Gwyn (“the protestant whore”), Lucy Walter (who bore James Duke of Monmouth), Barbara Villiers (Palmer) and more.This caused problems as they were expensive as they had borne children (£45,000 a year to some mistress in child support), many were catholics and also he had failed to produce a legitimate heir.
1660 - Act of Indemnity and Oblivion Regicides were executed if they were alive and the corpses of Cromwell, Ireton and Bradshaw were exhumed and hung in chains. Thomas Harrison was also executed, he leaned across and punched the executioner during it. Richard Ingoldspy claimed Cromwell forced him to sign the warrant and was pardoned!
Cavalier Parliament 1661 - 1679 Sat for 17 sessions
Venner Rising - 6th Jan 1661 Easily crushed. End of independency as a leading political force. Affected outcome of the elections to the Cavalier Parliament which meant most MPs were royalists and Anglicans. Militia Act 1661 - army and navy was controlled by monarch Bishops exclusion act of 1641 repealed Triennial Act of 1641 modified in 1664 so that it did not force Charles II to call parliament. 1662 Licensing Act - censorship returned Act for the Safety and Preservation of His Majesty’s Person and Government made it punishable to accuse the King of bringing in popery or inciting hatred of the king. 1660 - granted Charles an annual income of £1.2 million 1662 - Hearth Tax and sale of Dunkirk to Louis XIV for £375,000
1660 - Treaty of Dover gave £160,000 a year
Dissenters: Independents, Quakers, Baptists and some Presbyterians. Fifth Monarchists were mostly gone after 1666. Charles + Clarendon wanted toleration but the Cavalier Parliament demanded a narrowly defined Anglican Church. Charles gave into Parliament in fear of “going back on his travels” Savoy House Conference 1661 1000 Presbyterian ministers resigned or were removed. ¼ clery and 5-10% of the laity were driven to mental dissent.
Clarendon Code: Corporation Act 1661 Act of Uniformity 1662 (2,000 clergymen expelled who did not agree with the prayer book) Conventicle Act 1664 (expired 1668) Five Mile Act 1665
Declaration of Indulgence 1662 - repealed by Charles II soon after Forced dissent underground. Quakers “absolute pacifism” 1661 1662 Quaker Act - 450 Quakers died in prison and 15,000 suffered punishments.
Anglo-Dutch Wars First 1652-54 Under Cromwell England lost
Second 1665-7 Popular James Duke of York - head of Royal African Company - wanted to take territory and trade from the Dutch West Indies Company.
1665 Plague 100,000 1666 2-6 September 7/8 homes destroyed by fire The Medway Raid, June 1667: Royal Charles stolen
Third 1672-74 England and France alliance Treaty of Westminster ended it
Advisors: Edward Hyde (1st Earl of Clarendon) - until 1667. His sister Anne Hyde secretly married Charles II’s brother, James Duke of York and had a daughter with him. He was blamed for Catherine of Braganza’s infertility. August 1667 - blamed for Clarendon Code, Second Anglo-Dutch war and dismissed. Driven into exile 30th August.
CABAL 1667-74 Thomas Clifford(crypto-catholic), Anthony Ashley Cooper (Shaftesbury, tolerant), George Villiers (tolerant), Henry Bennet (Arlington, catholic sympathiser), John Maitland (Lauderdale, presbyterian) None were Anglicans, so did not represent political nation. 1670 - Treaty of Dover formed an alliance with Louis XIV against the Dutch. 6,000 French troops offered to help the re-conversion of England to Catholicism.
1672: Stop the Exchequer Embarrassed 10,000 wealthy families March - Declaration of Indulgence
Test Act 1673 Revealed Thomas Cifford and James Duke of York to be catholics. James then married 15 year old Mary of Modena
Earl of Danby Was not liked by Charles Negotiated the marriage of Mary (James’ daughter) to William of Orange Aimed to form a Court Party (Tories) Provoked Country Party (Whigs) gravitating around Shaftesbury and Ralph Montagu £300,000 voted for the army and navy Debt rose by £750,000 between 1674 and 79 1677 - Anglo-Dutch Treaty agreed to get France back down. Parliament voted £1 million for this Danby manipulated patronage to get people to support the tories. Dismissed two months after the Cavalier Parliament was dissolved in January 1679.
Popish Plot - “a damnable and hellish plot” 1678-79 Claims that a Jesuit conspiracy was aiming to murder Charles II and replace him with James Duke of York began to circulate. 35 Catholics were killed. Titus Oates - spread the rumour. He was a fantasist and a liar and alleged the King would be poisoned by the Queen’s doctor. Israel Tonge - got Titus Oates before Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey. This led to all the leading jesuits accused being arrested and Edward Coleman, the secretary to James.
Exclusion crisis 1679-81 March -July 1679 Tories: 158 Whigs:302 Habeas Corpus Amendment Act October 1680-January 1681 Tories:220 Whigs:310 Called for Charles to divorce his wife and find a new wife to bear his child. 21-28th March 1681 Tories:193 Whigs:309 Moved to Oxford. Was dissolved. Shaftesbury died in Holland.
Opposition led by Shaftesbury: Wanted toleration but not for catholics Govt by King-in-parliament Hostility to Continental-style Absolutism Utilised press and pamphlets to publish their ideas.
Rye House plot 1683 Led to Whigs and non-conformists being forced out of local govt
James II 1685-88 Last Catholic King of England Little opposition to his succession by 1685. He was crowned on April 23rd 1685. Inherited a 10,000 strong standing army.
Rye House Plot - 1683: Many Whig leaders were executed or in hiding. Shaftesbury died in 1682. Power had been handed to the Tories between 1681 and 1685 by Charles II.
Advisors: Barron Jeffreys of Wem - Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor, he was responsible for the repression after the Monmouth Rising. 2nd Earl of Sunderland - pro-French and a close confidant of James’ wife Mary.
May 1685-July 1687 - The Loyal Parliament Favourable to James Relations started strong - mainly full of Tory High Anglicans. Granted £2 million.
Argyll’s Rising May-June 1685 Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, with 300 soldiers attempted to gather support from Presbyterians in South-West England against James II in support of Monmouth. He failed and was executed on 30th June 1685.
Monmouth’s Rebellion July 1685 Monmouth arrived in Dorset on the 11th June. Adopted Sea Green banners, fought with artisans, farm workers and non conformists. Failed to garner the same support from political nation as from the lower classes. Ended with the Battle of Sedgemoor, 6th July. His execution was botched and took place on the 15th of July.
Jeffrey’s Bloody Assizes 300-350 rebels accused at Dorchester. Most were hanged, disembowelled and quartered, their bodies dipped in pitch and salt and then sent to villages to be displayed on poles. A few were acquitted and some were fined and flogged. ~200 sentenced to death and ~800 sent to the West Indies.
James also increased the size of the standing army to 20,000 and started placing Catholics in high command of the army. This breached the 1673 Test Act. As a result, he prorogued parliament in November 1685. He dissolved parliament in July 1687 and sought to have elections to have a more pro-Catholic parliament so he could get rid of penal laws against Catholics and Dissenters. He actively dissuaded Whigs from standing for Parliament.
Used Dispensing Powers to release all persons in prison for religious reasons - including 1200 Quakers, overruled the 1662 Act of Uniformity and in February 1687 implemented the first series of measures to repeal penal laws and allowed Quakers, moderate Presbyterians and Roman Catholics freedom of worship through his Declaration of Indulgence in April. Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft and 6 other Bishops presented a petition declaring the Declaration illegal. They were arrested and then acquitted at their trial on the 29th June.
James’ personality: Slave to sexual desires Wanted toleration - believed that if given the chance England would convert to Catholicism again. Firm believer in Divine Right Jealous of Louis XIV
James Scott, Duke of Monmouth Enjoyed successes as a commander of a brigade in the Third Anglo-Dutch War Exclusion crisis - seen as a potential successor to Charles II Involved in the Rye House Plot 1683
William of Orange and Mary Mary was the eldest daughter of James II
10th June 1688: James Francis Edward was born.
1688 - Immortal Seven sent a letter to William of Orange and Mary inviting them to England.
William and Mary of Orange
1688 - Glorious Revolution
Mary had claim to the throne through her father James II and her uncle Charles II. William also had claim to the throne as his mother was Charles II and James II’s sister.
William used propaganda - claimed that James Francis Stuart was smuggled in via a warming pan and not the legitimate heir to the throne.
He was also regarded as a defender of Protestantism.
5th Nov 1688
40,000 Dutch Soldiers vs 40,000 of James’ men.
The “Protestant wind” prevented James’ fleet from intercepting the Dutch ships. William landed in Devon.
Despite announcing that he would call a free parliament, there was a pitched battle at Reading on the 7th December. Over 50 died.
11th December - James attempted to run away but was caught by Kent fishermen near Sheerness.
23rd December - William’s connivance allowed James to flee to France.
He supposedly threw away his Great Seal.
22nd January 1689 - Convention Parliament set up with members of Charles II’s Exclusion Parliaments.
William pressured parliament to make William and Mary joint monarchs.
Officially accepted the throne together on the 13th February 1689.
13th February 1689 Declaration of Right (later Bill of Right in December 1689)
May 1689 - Toleration Act passed
His main priority was fighting the French.
Whigs and Tories divided:
Tories still believed in the Divine Right of Kings. However, James’ Catholicization of the state was highly unpopular even with the Tories and by running away and destroying the Great Seal it was seen as a de facto abdication.
The Glorious Revolution was not:
Entirely revolutionary: the change was limited.
Peaceful: The Scottish and Irish faced much more violent methods of suppression.
Focused on England: William’s foreign policy aims were a key role in his actions in Egland and fighting with the French took priority for him.
It was not meant to undermine the monarch’s power, however the Glorious Revolution did ultimately increase the power of Parliament. Parliament had complete control over finance.
Scotland:
Duke of Gordon captured Edinburgh Castle and only surrendered it on the 14th June 1689.
Viscount Dundee and Catholic Highlanders fought for James II:
Battle of Killiecrankie 27th July 1689 was a victory against the Williamite forces but they would lose their leader.
First Jacobite Rising ended with the Battle of Cromdale when the Williamites won on the 1st May 1690.
Fort William was established to keep the peace. Treaty of Achallader June 1691 officially ended conflict as the clan agreed to take an oath of allegiance to William and William offered full indemnity and £12,000 to cover costs of war.
However, in January 1692 Sir Dalrymple took the opportunity to eradicate some of the Catholic clans leading to the Glencoe Massacre on February 13th 1692. 38 members of clan Macdonald were killed by government forces.
Ireland:
1685-88 1st Earl of Tyrconnel was purging the Irish army of Ulster Presbyterians and returning property from the Church of Ireland to Irish Catholics.
Tyrconnel led Catholics in the conquest of all fortified places in Ireland except for Derry to hold the kingdom for James. He sent an embassy to France to encourage James to return. Louis XIV encouraged this and James landed in Ireland with 6,000 French troops. Laid siege to Londonderry.
22nd June 1689 - Irish Parliament threatened death penalty to all protestants who declared for William.
28th July - relief force came to lift siege of Derry.
June 1690 - William arrived to take command of the forces. War raged from 1689 to 91.
1st July 1690 Battle of the Boyne - Jacobite defeat, James fled.
July 1691 - Battle of Aughrim ended jacobite resistance in Ireland.
Treaty of Limerick October 1691
Fall in Catholic land ownership from 22% to 14%
20,000 Jacobite veterans emigrated to the Continent to serve Catholic countries.
First Parliament 1690-95
Mary implemented a 9 member cabinet council and William carried this on after her death in 1694.
William favoured Tories led by Thomas Osborne, Lord Danby and Daniel Finch as they upheld royal prerogative.
However, they were accommodating when it came to war.
So 1694 onwards, William favoured the Whig Junto.
Second Parliament 1695-97
Whigs dominated
Third Parliament 1698-1700
Whig Junto would stop being powerful in 1699.
Fourth Parliament Feb 1701-June 1701
Fifth Parliament December 1701 - May 1702
Nine Years War 1688-97
War of Spanish Succession 1701-13
Tories favoured a “blue water” war.
Troops increased from 8,000 to 90,000 at a cost of £2.7m per year.
Financial Revolution
Developed a fiscal-military state.
National Debt (£16.7m due to Nine Years War)
Taxation - indirect and direct.
1690 Public Accounts Commission.
Customs Duties
Excise Duties
Land Tax 1690
Marriage Duty Act 1695
Window tax 1696
Poll Tax
1694 - Bank of England
Civil List 1698
1689-1687 War Cost: £5.5m p.a.
1702-1713 War Cost: £7m p.a.
1689-1702: £58m raised through taxation
Short fall of nearly £14m by 1697.
1693 Million Loan Act allowed William to raise a £1m loan with a 10% interest to investors and guarantee of repayment through government taxation.
1693 Million Lottery - 10,000 £10 lottery tickets with 14% interest rate funded from tax on salt
Religion:
1689 Toleration Act
Legal freedom of worship to all protestants. However, the Test Act and Corporation Act remained in place and the doors of their meeting houses had to remain open.
Convocation adjourned in Dec 1689.
Army:
Mutiny Act 1689 - could not court martial soldiers without parliament consent but William could impose death penalty for desertion. Only valid for a year, forcing William to return to parliament each year to renew it. First series ended in 1697 and would not be renewed until 1701.
The Rage of the Party:
86% of MPs typically voted strictly for one party or another.
1696 - attempted assassination plot by jacobite revealed. Whigs proposed an Association Oath of loyalty.
Passed 364:89
Purged Tory doubters from office and replaced them with Whigs.
1697 Treaty of Ryswick - short lived alliance between some Whigs and Tories.
Whig Junto collapsed in 1697 and 1701. Nation turned against war, high taxation and argued for withdrawal in European affairs.
1701 Act of Settlement
Excluded 57 Catholic heirs in favour of Electress Sophia of Hanover.
Forced the Monarch to be Anglican.
James I 1604-1625 Inherited debt of £420,000 from Elizabeth
Treaty of London 1604 - ended war with Spain and France Peace time
First parliament - 1604-1610 1610 - Bate’s Case, extravagance, impositions
King James bible - 1611
Second Parliament (Addled Parliament) - 1614 Clashes over impositions and extravagance King wanted £65,000 in supply
Third Parliament - 1621 Clashes over monopolies 1st session: Asked for £500,000 but only £150,000 granted with demands including going to war with Spain. Impeached Francis Bacon 2nd session: asked for £900,000 and only received £70,000 and MPs attacked the Spanish match and called for higher recusancy laws.
Fourth Parliament - 1624
Finance: £80,000 a year to favourites Ante-supper costing £3,300 in 1621 1607 paid of debts of four men at £44,000 1604 Book of Rates Salisbury sold off titles and made £90,000 1623 madrid trip costed £50,000 1610 great Contract (Robert Cecil) refused by parliament but would have granted £20,000 a year and paid off £600,000 of his debts Suffolk and Cranfield were corrupt 1608 - Book of Bounty “Everyday is Christmas day”
Robert Carr (until 1615) Carr/Howard faction, pro Catholic Felt out of favour due to scandal - Sir Thomas overbury was murdered and Carr and his wife were found guilty and sent to the Tower of London
Buckingham - George Villiers (from 1615) Appointed Gentleman of the bedchamber 1615 Earl of Buckingham 1618 Madrid trip with Charles in 1623 Monopolised patronage and effectively ruled England in James’ place towards the end of his life. Only paid £400 in tax despite earning £15000 a year
Lionel Cranfield - 1621-1624 Lord treasurer (before him was Robert Cecil then George Abbot) Corrupt £150 a year Refused to back war with Spain, turning Buckingham against him Found guilty of corruption
Religion 1605 - Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot Elizabeth - his daughter - married Frederick V the elector of Palatine 1603 - The Millenary Petition (1,000 ministers signed) - James agreed to a translation of the Bible into English 1604 - Hampton Court conference “No bishop, no King” 1604 - Bancroft’s Canons - 1% of ministers (the Silenced Brethren) removed from their positions 1606 - Oath of Allegiance allowed more leniency to Catholics 1610 - Petition of Religion from Puritans who disliked the leniency to Catholics
The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) Frederick of the Palatinate - married to James’ daughter James I - Rex Pacificus June 1620 - sent a volunteer force of 3,000 to the Lower Palatinate Mansfeld Expedition - 1625
Charles I 1625-1649 Married Henrietta Maria of France in 1625 Loaned seven English naval ships to France which would be used at la Rochelle to suppress the Huguenots
Buckingham (Lord High Admiral) Nov 1625 - Cadiz (£250,000 lost) July-Oct 1627 - Ile de Re (5,000/7,000 troops died) Assassinated August 1628 York House conference - 1626
First parliament (1625) Granted £140,000 in subsidies but only gave Tonnage and Poundage for a year Attacked Buckingham
Second parliament (1626) Opposition to Buckingham from George Abbot (Archbishop of Canterbury), Thomas Howard, William Herbert and Sir John Eliot Eliot was locked in the Tower to prevent Buckingham’s impeachment
Third parliament (1628-1629) Once ended began the Personal Rule or 11 Years Tyranny Petition of Right (John Eliot, Edward Coke, Thomas Wentworth, John Selden and Robert Phelips) and Charles eventually agreed to it The Three Resolutions (against Arminianism, against collection of T&P, against actions of those paying T&P) Denzil Holles held down the speaker (John Finch) to stop him from dissolving parliament
John Eliot would be locked up and his body would not be returned to his family upon his death
April-May 1640: Short Parliament Refused to grant supply until the King addressed grievances and gave concessions. Growing “Puritan Network” - Pym, Hampton, Lord Saye and Sele
Nov 1640: Long Parliament 1st session - 3rd Nov 1940 – August 1641 Triennial Act (February 1641) Strafford executed - May 1641 due to Charles signing the bill of attainder (Charles saw this as “the one true sin” of his reign) T&P Act 1641 - regulated taxation Prerogative Courts Abolished Ship Money forbidden without Parliament’s consent and Distraint of Knighthood + Forest fines declined unlawful. Laud sent to the tower - Feb 1641 Bedford (moderate) died - May
(April-May Army Plot)
2nd session - October 1641 – August 1642 Pym junto developed further and their radicalism caused a Royalist party to form in Parliament. 1st December 1641 - Grand Remonstrance A divided Parliament could have been good for Charles Root and Branch Petition and Bishops Exclusion Bill Ten Propositions Five Members - Jan 1642 (John Hampdon, Arthur Haselrig, Denzil Holles, John Pym and William Strode)
Finance Forced loans 1626-27 Five Knights Case ~70 gentlemen imprisoned for refusing the forced loans (including Thomas Wentworth) and five applied for Habeus Corpus
Religion Arminianism Laud - Bishop of London (1628-1633) and then Archbishop of Canterbury (1633) Beauty of holiness Crypto-catholicism
Personal Rule
Sir Thomas Wentworth - Court of Castle Chamber President of the Council of the North - 1629 Lord Deputy of Ireland - 1632 Earl of Strafford 1640 “Thorough”
William Laud - Court of Star Chamber Bishop of London 1628 Archbishop of Canterbury 1633 (after Puritan George Abbott)
Absolutism - Court masques brought back Arminianism resembled Catholicism - beauty of holiness
Burton, Bastwick and Prynne - 1637 S.L - seditious libeller/ sign of Laud (Prynne also punished in 1632 for condemning masques)
Finance - Fiscal feudalism William Noy - attorney general Distraint of Knighthood (nearly £175,000 prosecuting people who refused to take a knighthood) Forest Fines - 1626-1632 minor riots in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Leicestershire in opposition. (only raised £38,000) Enclosure fines
Ship Money Sovereign of the Seas 1635-38 £200,000 gained 1637 - Hampden Case 5/12 gave verdict against Crown, not a unanimous win Showed that low level opposition persisted but with no outlet as there was no parliament.
Laudanism Charles I wanted order, structure and formality. Felt threatened by hotter protestants Aimed to use conformity to strengthen his rule and wanted a unified, national church Caused division (1633 St Gregory Case - people challenged the movement of the communion table) Resembled crypto catholicism (1633 Book of Sports reissued)
Ireland Wentworth - Black Tom Tyrant Built up an army with Earl of Ormond in Ireland (Book of Rates - customs duties increased from £25,000 in 1633-34 to £57,000 in 1637-38) Brought Laudianism - Thirty Nine Articles of Religion Ignored the Graces and made Irish pay recusancy fines Viewed at Absolutism by people back in England
Scotland 1625: Act of Revocation Took money/land/titles from nobles in Scotland to raise money for the Kirk but united both the clergy and nobles against him as the money was not a fair exchange for increased control of the Crown over the Kirk 1633: Charles I’s visit to Scotland July 1637: New Scottish prayer book introduced (Jenny Geddes began a riot in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh) 28th feb 1638 - National Covenant Nov 1638 - Bishops abolished by Scottish Kirk
Bishop’s Wars June 1639 - only one casualty. Demonstrated how unprepared England was to fight the Scots, showed lack of noble support and merchants refused to send money to help raise an army. June 1639 - Treaty of Berwick briefly paused the conflict Short parliament called due to Strafford’s recommendation June 1640 - Occupied Newcastle and cut London off from its coal supplies Oct 1640 - Treaty of Ripon - pay £850 a day to the Scots, negotiations postponed until an English Parliament met
Slide to Civil War April-May 1641 - Army Plot October 1641 - The Incident Irish rebellion - Oct 1641 Stories of atrocities reached London of English Protestants being massacred by Catholics. They feared the King raising an army but wanted the Irish Catholics to be crushed. Brought into questions who should control the army - the King or Parliament? English rebellion - August 1642 Five Members - Jan 1642 King flees London
-1st Civil War 1642-1646- Oxford Treaty negotiations - 1643 Solemn League and Covenant - 1643 (Peace Party and War Party changed to Independents and Social Prebysterians) New Model Army - 1645 (Self Denying Ordinance) Grandees: Sir Thomas Fairfax, Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton NMA - levellers thrived within the army due to the religious radicalism it fostered Prayed before each battle, saw victories as a sign G-d was on their side. 82,000 died in combat 100,000 additional deaths due to other factors caused by war (plague, homelessness ect)
1647 - Agreement of the People (the Levellers) July 1647 - Heads of Proposals (Grandees to Charles) Putney Debates - levellers felt it was unfair to keep social order as it was before the civil war
-2nd Civil War February-August 1648- Charles sided with the Scots to restart the civil wars - The Engagement (Charles was duplicitous) Vote of no addresses Windsor Prayer meeting (three days April 1648) - “Charles Stuart that man of blood” Pride’s Purge - Rump Parliament of 150 MPs (6th December 1648) Used the Bible to justify Charle’s execution (2 Samuel 16:8,6 and Numbers 35:33)
Regicide of Charles I - 30th January 1649 Only 59 MPs signed his death warrant.
Interregnum Regicide was “a cruel necessity” Third signature after Lord Grey of Groby and John Bradshaw.
Scotland Charles II signed National Covenant and Solemn League and Covenant in 1650 Crowned King of Scotland 1st Jan 1651 Battle of Dunbar September 1650 Cromwell had an army of 11,000 men. Faced a Scottish army twice its size. Thomas Harrison (a Fifth Monarchist) led a prayer for Cromwell in London. Cromwell’s army launched a surprise attack at night killing 3,000 Scots and capturing 10,000. Only 30 NMA soldiers were killed.
Ireland Feb 1649 - Declared Charles II King Aug 1649 - Cromwell landed with 20,000 men Battle of Drogheda September 1649 Resulted in a brutal, genocidal massacre of native Irish people that he justified with Divine Providence. Subjugation complete in 1652, Act of Settlement Reduced proportion of land owned by Catholics from 65% to 16% by 1652 Drop in Irish population ~20% ~10,000 Irish men sent to be “unfree, indentured labourers” in the Americas and Caribbean.
Battle of Worcester Sep 1651 Charles II brought some Scottish soldiers into England. Finally defeated Charles II, he escaped to France
All parliaments had some of the same problems: lack of legitimacy and reliance on the New Model Army to exist. Cromwell himself was in charge of the NMA from 1650. He was an “ideological schizophrenic” both a religious radical (an independent) and a social conservative but he could not be both at the same time. “Healing and Settling” and “Godly Government” were goals of Cromwell throughout the interregnum.
2-4% of population were Independents, almost everyone else were Anglican
Rump Parliament 14th Feb 1649 - Council of State established (meant to have 41 people but always had less. 9 was the minimum number allowed). 17th March - abolished monarchy, privy council and House of Lords 19th May - Declared England to be “a Commonwealth and free state” About 210 MPs May 1650 - Adultery Act August 1650 - Blasphemy Act Very few reforms were introduced by the Rump which infuriated both Cromwell and the rest of the NMA, who wanted “goldy reformation” 1653 - Henry Vane published a bill declaring an election but Cromwell disagreed with this as it would let Royalists back into parliament and there were rumours that the Rump wanted to remove Cromwell from the generalship of the NMA. Closed in April 1653 by the army
Barebone’s Parliament/ Nominated Assembly/ Parliament of Saints Major General Thomas Harrison - Fifth Monarchist - advocated for this parliament. He wanted a “godly government” as he believed the second coming of Christ was nigh. 70 saints and 70 moderates June-Dec 1653 Legal measures for debtors, civil marriages (performed by JPs), trade routes secured through war with the Dutch and the members were even representative of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. However, tithes were an issue. (Anthony Ashley Cooper later the Earl of Shaftesbury sat in the Nominated Assembly) Moderates (let by Lambert) voted to dissolve itself
The New Model Army Problematic Radical Regicides Expensive Threatened social order Victories at Dunbar, Drogheda and Worcester radicalised the Army further. They believed their victories were providence.
The Instrument of Govt (December 1653) -Lambert presented it to him -Modelled on the Heads of Proposals (1647) -Made him Lord Protector -Protectorate parliaments: 460 MPs, representative of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales (400 from England and Wales and 30 from both Scotland and Ireland) -Also had a council of state
First Protectorate Parliament 3rd Sept 1654 - 22nd Jan 1655 82 ordinances issued but none passed by parliament Many MPs attacked the Instrument An Oath of Recognition was implemented on 12th Sep 1654 to remove 80 MPs who would refuse to swear loyalty to Cromwell. Parliament refused to pay of an army of over 50,000 and demanded it be reduced to 30,000 Nov 1654 - George Cony imprisoned for refusing to pay customs duties Biddel’s Case - persecution of independents by moderates Justified its dissolution with lunar months.
March 1655: Penruddock’s Rising Only 300-400 supporters Easily crushed
Triers and Ejectors from 1654
The Western Design 1654-1660 Began with England attempting to take over Hispaniola in April 1655
August 1655-Jan 1657: Major-Generals 11 districts controlled by major-generals, overseen by Lambert. Decimation tax of 10% on estates of known royalists Tax overall reduced from £90,000 to just £60,000 Unpopular because: lower social origin, obvious military rule, religious radicalism, high tax and interference in local govt. Lancashire - Worsley closed 200 ale houses Most were lazy and did not pursue any kind of reform.
Second Protectorate Parliament 17th September 1656- 4th February 1658 1655 - had allowed Jews to return to England free from persecution. Nayler Case - October 1656 A quaker. Punished Jan 1657. Cromwell did not like quakers but disagreed with this punishment. Humble petition and advice 1657 Reduced power of council, created a second chamber of parliament, reduced the size of armed forces and the establishment of a national church.
Cromwell died 3rd September 1658 of septicaemia.
Charles II 1660-1685
25th April 1660 - Convention Parliament opened by General Monck following Charles II’s Declaration of Breda (4th April). Charles II returned to London 29th May 1660
Charles II favoured toleration “liberty of tender conscience”, even for Catholics. This would cause problems, including the Exclusion Crisis of 1679-81. Close to Louis XIV Married Catherine of Braganza - 1662. She was chosen by the Earl of Clarendon (Edward Hyde). He had 15 known mistresses including: Nell Gwyn (“the protestant whore”), Lucy Walter (who bore James Duke of Monmouth), Barbara Villiers (Palmer) and more.This caused problems as they were expensive as they had borne children (£45,000 a year to some mistress in child support), many were catholics and also he had failed to produce a legitimate heir.
1660 - Act of Indemnity and Oblivion Regicides were executed if they were alive and the corpses of Cromwell, Ireton and Bradshaw were exhumed and hung in chains. Thomas Harrison was also executed, he leaned across and punched the executioner during it. Richard Ingoldspy claimed Cromwell forced him to sign the warrant and was pardoned!
Cavalier Parliament 1661 - 1679 Sat for 17 sessions
Venner Rising - 6th Jan 1661 Easily crushed. End of independency as a leading political force. Affected outcome of the elections to the Cavalier Parliament which meant most MPs were royalists and Anglicans. Militia Act 1661 - army and navy was controlled by monarch Bishops exclusion act of 1641 repealed Triennial Act of 1641 modified in 1664 so that it did not force Charles II to call parliament. 1662 Licensing Act - censorship returned Act for the Safety and Preservation of His Majesty’s Person and Government made it punishable to accuse the King of bringing in popery or inciting hatred of the king. 1660 - granted Charles an annual income of £1.2 million 1662 - Hearth Tax and sale of Dunkirk to Louis XIV for £375,000
1660 - Treaty of Dover gave £160,000 a year
Dissenters: Independents, Quakers, Baptists and some Presbyterians. Fifth Monarchists were mostly gone after 1666. Charles + Clarendon wanted toleration but the Cavalier Parliament demanded a narrowly defined Anglican Church. Charles gave into Parliament in fear of “going back on his travels” Savoy House Conference 1661 1000 Presbyterian ministers resigned or were removed. ¼ clery and 5-10% of the laity were driven to mental dissent.
Clarendon Code: Corporation Act 1661 Act of Uniformity 1662 (2,000 clergymen expelled who did not agree with the prayer book) Conventicle Act 1664 (expired 1668) Five Mile Act 1665
Declaration of Indulgence 1662 - repealed by Charles II soon after Forced dissent underground. Quakers “absolute pacifism” 1661 1662 Quaker Act - 450 Quakers died in prison and 15,000 suffered punishments.
Anglo-Dutch Wars First 1652-54 Under Cromwell England lost
Second 1665-7 Popular James Duke of York - head of Royal African Company - wanted to take territory and trade from the Dutch West Indies Company.
1665 Plague 100,000 1666 2-6 September 7/8 homes destroyed by fire The Medway Raid, June 1667: Royal Charles stolen
Third 1672-74 England and France alliance Treaty of Westminster ended it
Advisors: Edward Hyde (1st Earl of Clarendon) - until 1667. His sister Anne Hyde secretly married Charles II’s brother, James Duke of York and had a daughter with him. He was blamed for Catherine of Braganza’s infertility. August 1667 - blamed for Clarendon Code, Second Anglo-Dutch war and dismissed. Driven into exile 30th August.
CABAL 1667-74 Thomas Clifford(crypto-catholic), Anthony Ashley Cooper (Shaftesbury, tolerant), George Villiers (tolerant), Henry Bennet (Arlington, catholic sympathiser), John Maitland (Lauderdale, presbyterian) None were Anglicans, so did not represent political nation. 1670 - Treaty of Dover formed an alliance with Louis XIV against the Dutch. 6,000 French troops offered to help the re-conversion of England to Catholicism.
1672: Stop the Exchequer Embarrassed 10,000 wealthy families March - Declaration of Indulgence
Test Act 1673 Revealed Thomas Cifford and James Duke of York to be catholics. James then married 15 year old Mary of Modena
Earl of Danby Was not liked by Charles Negotiated the marriage of Mary (James’ daughter) to William of Orange Aimed to form a Court Party (Tories) Provoked Country Party (Whigs) gravitating around Shaftesbury and Ralph Montagu £300,000 voted for the army and navy Debt rose by £750,000 between 1674 and 79 1677 - Anglo-Dutch Treaty agreed to get France back down. Parliament voted £1 million for this Danby manipulated patronage to get people to support the tories. Dismissed two months after the Cavalier Parliament was dissolved in January 1679.
Popish Plot - “a damnable and hellish plot” 1678-79 Claims that a Jesuit conspiracy was aiming to murder Charles II and replace him with James Duke of York began to circulate. 35 Catholics were killed. Titus Oates - spread the rumour. He was a fantasist and a liar and alleged the King would be poisoned by the Queen’s doctor. Israel Tonge - got Titus Oates before Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey. This led to all the leading jesuits accused being arrested and Edward Coleman, the secretary to James.
Exclusion crisis 1679-81 March -July 1679 Tories: 158 Whigs:302 Habeas Corpus Amendment Act October 1680-January 1681 Tories:220 Whigs:310 Called for Charles to divorce his wife and find a new wife to bear his child. 21-28th March 1681 Tories:193 Whigs:309 Moved to Oxford. Was dissolved. Shaftesbury died in Holland.
Opposition led by Shaftesbury: Wanted toleration but not for catholics Govt by King-in-parliament Hostility to Continental-style Absolutism Utilised press and pamphlets to publish their ideas.
Rye House plot 1683 Led to Whigs and non-conformists being forced out of local govt
James II 1685-88 Last Catholic King of England Little opposition to his succession by 1685. He was crowned on April 23rd 1685. Inherited a 10,000 strong standing army.
Rye House Plot - 1683: Many Whig leaders were executed or in hiding. Shaftesbury died in 1682. Power had been handed to the Tories between 1681 and 1685 by Charles II.
Advisors: Barron Jeffreys of Wem - Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor, he was responsible for the repression after the Monmouth Rising. 2nd Earl of Sunderland - pro-French and a close confidant of James’ wife Mary.
May 1685-July 1687 - The Loyal Parliament Favourable to James Relations started strong - mainly full of Tory High Anglicans. Granted £2 million.
Argyll’s Rising May-June 1685 Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, with 300 soldiers attempted to gather support from Presbyterians in South-West England against James II in support of Monmouth. He failed and was executed on 30th June 1685.
Monmouth’s Rebellion July 1685 Monmouth arrived in Dorset on the 11th June. Adopted Sea Green banners, fought with artisans, farm workers and non conformists. Failed to garner the same support from political nation as from the lower classes. Ended with the Battle of Sedgemoor, 6th July. His execution was botched and took place on the 15th of July.
Jeffrey’s Bloody Assizes 300-350 rebels accused at Dorchester. Most were hanged, disembowelled and quartered, their bodies dipped in pitch and salt and then sent to villages to be displayed on poles. A few were acquitted and some were fined and flogged. ~200 sentenced to death and ~800 sent to the West Indies.
James also increased the size of the standing army to 20,000 and started placing Catholics in high command of the army. This breached the 1673 Test Act. As a result, he prorogued parliament in November 1685. He dissolved parliament in July 1687 and sought to have elections to have a more pro-Catholic parliament so he could get rid of penal laws against Catholics and Dissenters. He actively dissuaded Whigs from standing for Parliament.
Used Dispensing Powers to release all persons in prison for religious reasons - including 1200 Quakers, overruled the 1662 Act of Uniformity and in February 1687 implemented the first series of measures to repeal penal laws and allowed Quakers, moderate Presbyterians and Roman Catholics freedom of worship through his Declaration of Indulgence in April. Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft and 6 other Bishops presented a petition declaring the Declaration illegal. They were arrested and then acquitted at their trial on the 29th June.
James’ personality: Slave to sexual desires Wanted toleration - believed that if given the chance England would convert to Catholicism again. Firm believer in Divine Right Jealous of Louis XIV
James Scott, Duke of Monmouth Enjoyed successes as a commander of a brigade in the Third Anglo-Dutch War Exclusion crisis - seen as a potential successor to Charles II Involved in the Rye House Plot 1683
William of Orange and Mary Mary was the eldest daughter of James II
10th June 1688: James Francis Edward was born.
1688 - Immortal Seven sent a letter to William of Orange and Mary inviting them to England.
William and Mary of Orange
1688 - Glorious Revolution
Mary had claim to the throne through her father James II and her uncle Charles II. William also had claim to the throne as his mother was Charles II and James II’s sister.
William used propaganda - claimed that James Francis Stuart was smuggled in via a warming pan and not the legitimate heir to the throne.
He was also regarded as a defender of Protestantism.
5th Nov 1688
40,000 Dutch Soldiers vs 40,000 of James’ men.
The “Protestant wind” prevented James’ fleet from intercepting the Dutch ships. William landed in Devon.
Despite announcing that he would call a free parliament, there was a pitched battle at Reading on the 7th December. Over 50 died.
11th December - James attempted to run away but was caught by Kent fishermen near Sheerness.
23rd December - William’s connivance allowed James to flee to France.
He supposedly threw away his Great Seal.
22nd January 1689 - Convention Parliament set up with members of Charles II’s Exclusion Parliaments.
William pressured parliament to make William and Mary joint monarchs.
Officially accepted the throne together on the 13th February 1689.
13th February 1689 Declaration of Right (later Bill of Right in December 1689)
May 1689 - Toleration Act passed
His main priority was fighting the French.
Whigs and Tories divided:
Tories still believed in the Divine Right of Kings. However, James’ Catholicization of the state was highly unpopular even with the Tories and by running away and destroying the Great Seal it was seen as a de facto abdication.
The Glorious Revolution was not:
Entirely revolutionary: the change was limited.
Peaceful: The Scottish and Irish faced much more violent methods of suppression.
Focused on England: William’s foreign policy aims were a key role in his actions in Egland and fighting with the French took priority for him.
It was not meant to undermine the monarch’s power, however the Glorious Revolution did ultimately increase the power of Parliament. Parliament had complete control over finance.
Scotland:
Duke of Gordon captured Edinburgh Castle and only surrendered it on the 14th June 1689.
Viscount Dundee and Catholic Highlanders fought for James II:
Battle of Killiecrankie 27th July 1689 was a victory against the Williamite forces but they would lose their leader.
First Jacobite Rising ended with the Battle of Cromdale when the Williamites won on the 1st May 1690.
Fort William was established to keep the peace. Treaty of Achallader June 1691 officially ended conflict as the clan agreed to take an oath of allegiance to William and William offered full indemnity and £12,000 to cover costs of war.
However, in January 1692 Sir Dalrymple took the opportunity to eradicate some of the Catholic clans leading to the Glencoe Massacre on February 13th 1692. 38 members of clan Macdonald were killed by government forces.
Ireland:
1685-88 1st Earl of Tyrconnel was purging the Irish army of Ulster Presbyterians and returning property from the Church of Ireland to Irish Catholics.
Tyrconnel led Catholics in the conquest of all fortified places in Ireland except for Derry to hold the kingdom for James. He sent an embassy to France to encourage James to return. Louis XIV encouraged this and James landed in Ireland with 6,000 French troops. Laid siege to Londonderry.
22nd June 1689 - Irish Parliament threatened death penalty to all protestants who declared for William.
28th July - relief force came to lift siege of Derry.
June 1690 - William arrived to take command of the forces. War raged from 1689 to 91.
1st July 1690 Battle of the Boyne - Jacobite defeat, James fled.
July 1691 - Battle of Aughrim ended jacobite resistance in Ireland.
Treaty of Limerick October 1691
Fall in Catholic land ownership from 22% to 14%
20,000 Jacobite veterans emigrated to the Continent to serve Catholic countries.
First Parliament 1690-95
Mary implemented a 9 member cabinet council and William carried this on after her death in 1694.
William favoured Tories led by Thomas Osborne, Lord Danby and Daniel Finch as they upheld royal prerogative.
However, they were accommodating when it came to war.
So 1694 onwards, William favoured the Whig Junto.
Second Parliament 1695-97
Whigs dominated
Third Parliament 1698-1700
Whig Junto would stop being powerful in 1699.
Fourth Parliament Feb 1701-June 1701
Fifth Parliament December 1701 - May 1702
Nine Years War 1688-97
War of Spanish Succession 1701-13
Tories favoured a “blue water” war.
Troops increased from 8,000 to 90,000 at a cost of £2.7m per year.
Financial Revolution
Developed a fiscal-military state.
National Debt (£16.7m due to Nine Years War)
Taxation - indirect and direct.
1690 Public Accounts Commission.
Customs Duties
Excise Duties
Land Tax 1690
Marriage Duty Act 1695
Window tax 1696
Poll Tax
1694 - Bank of England
Civil List 1698
1689-1687 War Cost: £5.5m p.a.
1702-1713 War Cost: £7m p.a.
1689-1702: £58m raised through taxation
Short fall of nearly £14m by 1697.
1693 Million Loan Act allowed William to raise a £1m loan with a 10% interest to investors and guarantee of repayment through government taxation.
1693 Million Lottery - 10,000 £10 lottery tickets with 14% interest rate funded from tax on salt
Religion:
1689 Toleration Act
Legal freedom of worship to all protestants. However, the Test Act and Corporation Act remained in place and the doors of their meeting houses had to remain open.
Convocation adjourned in Dec 1689.
Army:
Mutiny Act 1689 - could not court martial soldiers without parliament consent but William could impose death penalty for desertion. Only valid for a year, forcing William to return to parliament each year to renew it. First series ended in 1697 and would not be renewed until 1701.
The Rage of the Party:
86% of MPs typically voted strictly for one party or another.
1696 - attempted assassination plot by jacobite revealed. Whigs proposed an Association Oath of loyalty.
Passed 364:89
Purged Tory doubters from office and replaced them with Whigs.
1697 Treaty of Ryswick - short lived alliance between some Whigs and Tories.
Whig Junto collapsed in 1697 and 1701. Nation turned against war, high taxation and argued for withdrawal in European affairs.
1701 Act of Settlement
Excluded 57 Catholic heirs in favour of Electress Sophia of Hanover.
Forced the Monarch to be Anglican.