An experiment in Absolutism: 1629-1640 (Charles's Personal Rule) Flashcards
What is Personal Rule?
Charles governed by using only his monarchical rights without consulting parliament.
What was the Catholic fraction?
Charles redistributed the vast number of titles and offices that the Duke had been held.
This meant political influence began to be concentrated within an elite group and well defined targets when opposition gained strength.
Privy Council- consisted of 35 members, drawn from England’s noble families whose role was to support and advise the monarch through regular sessions.
What methods of government did Charles use?
He used prerogative courts to secure law and order during the Personal Rule
Star Chamber- Privy Councillors selected by the monarch. Defendants were questioned in private and fined, imprisoned or forced to undergo corporal punishment.
Court of High Commission- Enforce conformity to canon law (laws which apply within the church)
Privy Council- Advisory body which could act as a prerogative court
Book of Orders- Consisted of 8 orders and and 12 directions. Directions prevented vagrancy by repairing roads and allocating poor children to apprenticeships. Orders outlined new working practices for the JPs such as sending monthly reports about their meetings to the sheriff and a penalty was added for non compliance.
How much debt was Charles in, in 1629 ?
£2 million
What were Charles’s sources of income?
Fiscal Feudalism = non-parliamentary methods for raising finances
Customs Duty- Products which incurred Customs Duty was listed in an official Book of Rates which indicated the amount of tax levied on it. Charles ordered the Book of Rates to be revalued in 1635 and was immediately and dramatically increase the revenue he would receive from customs.
Monopolies- Huge profits could be made by being the sole producer or merchant of a particular product. Holding a monopoly by an individual had been made illegal in 1624 monopolies Act but a loophole meant that Charles could sell monopolies to corporations. The most notorious monopoly for Popish Soap earned Charles £33,000.
What is ship money?
A prerogative form of income that a monarch could levy on coastal towns to provide emergency funds in time of conflict or threat, in order to defend coastal regions and equip the fleet. He raised £300,000 pa with initially 90% compliance.
Describe the Hampden case?
1637
John Hampden was taken to court for failing to pay his ship money dues.
The verdict in the case was close with 5 judges out of 12 agreeing with him that ship money was unlawful.
The Hampden case reduced the speed of Ship Money collection from 98% to 25%.
Which 2 particular factors reduced the privy council’s effectiveness ?
Charles only attended the twice weekly meetings a handful of occasions.
Charles allowed within the council, identified as the Spanish Faction to gain influence. It increasingly appeared that Charles was being steered in a pro Catholic direction.
Who counselled Charles to cut expenditure in 1629?
Lord Treasurer Weston and Chancellor Cottington
They said to cut expenditure by
- reducing spending on foreign affairs by concluding peace with France and Spain
What was the story of Prynne, Burton and Bastwick?
Star Chamber had found them guilty of writing pamphlets attacking the policies of Archbishop William Laud.
- William Prynne lost his ears entirely and had the letters SL burned onto his cheeks.
- All men had their heads and arms fixed in pillories which was not traditionally a punishment for gentlemen which seemed to suggest that William Laud was not respectful of society’s hierarchies and tradition.
Appointment of Laud
- Charles I admired Laud’s desire for order and ceremonial in the church.
-Charles thus promoted him rapidly to the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633. - Theologically Laud was Arminian but he developed and executed his own particular vision and thus the term ‘Laudian’ is more appropriate
Describe Laudianism
- By the end of the decade most protestants were able to unite against Laudianism as a common enemy. It was seen as a direct attack to Puritan beliefs.
- Moved the Altar (altar policy)
- Politicised the clergy
- Established conformity
- Beauty of Holiness
- Book of Sport
Abolition of Feoffes - Established Laudianism in Scotland
Altar Controversy
Laud insisted on a new altar policy.
- North South alignment of the communion table against the easternmost wall of the church
- Chancel, where the altar stands, raised by steps and separated by a rail from the rest of the church
- Covered with a decorated embroidered cloth
- Enforcement checked by annual visitations
What were the consequences of the Altar Policy?
- Many felt by such a dramatic break with tradition.
- Strict enforcement narrowed the broad tolerance that was essential for religious stability.
- Some thought that this might be a sign for a return to the Catholic mass
Describe the politicisation of the clergy
Laudian emphasises the status of the Clergy was matched by the way Charles promoted many of them into others areas of public life
- All Scottish Bishops were made Justices of the Peace
- Laud himself became Chancellor of Oxford University
What was the effect of promotion of Clergy?
- Allowed an overlap between religious and political spheres, which allowed Charles allowed his circle of advisors to narrow further.
- Clerical confidence grew and churchmen began to feel more powerful
How did Laud establish conformity?
Laud set out to enforce greater discipline and conformity within the church.
- Laud Tightened the use of worship. Clergy were given renewed instructions about the format and words to use in each service
- Laud ordered all Bishops to return to their parish and take responsibility for ensuring that their parish priests were obeying instructions. This was done through visitations and presentment bills.
- Star Chamber and Court of High Commissions were used more frequently and punishments were harsher.
