11 - personal rule (economic policy)

Question 1

Weston

Answer 1

• lord treasurer
  had the aim of curbing expenditure
  difficult to reduce expenditure so had to increase income
  corwn was nearly solvent (breakinge even) when weston died in 1935

Question 2

redcuing expenditure

westons method

Answer 2

• the corwn accounted for £260,000 a year, 40% of the kings income
• employed 18000-2600 employees
• appaling waste in royal house (he had 24 meat dishes to choose from daily)

to politically risky to alienate roal servants so westonw as forced to stop its increase but did little to reduce royal expenditure

Question 3

customs

Answer 3

• peace time brought opportunities fo rmerachants (england no longer involved in 20 years was as of 1630)
• with dutch excluded, engaland almost scured a monopoly on trade t spain and portugal
• trade was at an unprecedented high
• increse in crowns revenue, with 2/3rds from customs

Question 4

Fiscal fuedalism

westons plans

Answer 4

without parliament, the crown needed to source its own funds, and weston didnt want to cause upset with those who the king now relied on fro support so utilised the kings perogative rights to implement fiscal fuedalism

Question 5

Methods of fiscal feudalism

Answer 5

distraint for knighthood
forest laws
wardships

Question 6

Distraint for knighthood

Answer 6

every man who earned more than £40 a year was meant to be knighted at the coronation but this had fallen out of use
to gain funds those who were eligble to be knighted but werent were summoned and fined for not showing loyalty
by the 1930s, this method raised £170,000

a kind of fiscal fuedalism used by weston

Question 7

Forest laws

Answer 7

the borders of forests were decided in the times of henry the 8th but werent inforced, by this time many people realised that they were actually living on royal land and were farmed for various offences

fiscal feudalism used by weston

Question 8

ways of raising finances in personal rule

Answer 8

fiscal feudalism
ship money
monopolies and grants

Question 9

monopolies and grants

Answer 9

a more permenant method of fundariaisng
charles found the loophole in the 1624 statute of monopolies that allowed him to grant monopolies to business instead of individuals
popish soap (soap made by a company that employed many catholics / of poor quality) was very unpopular but brought in £29k by 1636

Question 10

ship money

Answer 10

was usually evied on costal towns for defence but was levied on the whol counrty in 1635 and demanded every year until 1640
wasnt introduced because of emegerncy but had established a way of taxation

Question 11

impact of ship money

Answer 11

• initially sucsessful ( low rates of non-payment and raised £190,000 a year)
• some uprest from sheriffs who were forced to collect the tax
• most effective taxation in peace time

Question 12

Hampdens case

Answer 12

• taken to trial for refusing to pay ship money
• 5/12 judges refused to find for the king (very important in a time where many of the judges were directly linked to charles)
• in 1638, due to the trial teh amount collected fell by %20

Question 13

fall of ship money

Answer 13

• hampdens case
• suspicion over what the money would be used for (he was imposing a prayer book in scotland at the time)
• governmental financial demands were excessive

Question 14

The situation in the 1630s

Answer 14

• the monaarchy was solvent
• country at peace and no threat to security
• no fears of a sucsession
• charlews was able to govern sucsessfully without parliament

Question 15

oppositon

Answer 15

there was growing discontent in the counrty at the time as a result of ship money and 700 left for america in 1630 alone

Question 16

providence island company

Answer 16

set up to establish commonwealths in caribeans and make money from tobacco and cotton

Question 17

star chamber

Answer 17

used to attack those who disagree with government policy, able to impose huge fines

Question 18

court of high commision

Answer 18

excersised control overthe church an enforced decrees

Question 19

charles’ use of the law

Answer 19

hampdens case showed that common law was not always reliable
the star chamber and coutr of high commision were more useful
they were able to impose large fines and attack those who didnt conform to government policy
these would later be seen negtaively when expolited by Laud

Question 20

The city of London

Answer 20

the king and the city both had interest in common, the king was able to promote trade and provided monopolied by the city was able to secure generous loans

Question 21

relations with the city of london

Answer 21

the trial of the city of london - the city failed to populate london derry (which they had been given) this irish land was taken away and incured a fine of 70k and were humiiated
he asked for a loan to fight the scots in 1639 and they only granted 5k and he threatened to refuse any support