Ch 9 Flashcards
Short parliament april -may 1640
Charles recalls Wentworth from Ireland , tough advisor to help deal scottish crisis
- Strafford advises to recall parliament , had successfully manipulated the irish parliament to get subsidies without giving succession – thought he could do the same
- Thought they could be won over, with combo of bribes,threats,skillful speeches and patriotic outrage against the scots
Charles consults secret committee of privy council = advise would bring him lots of support
The parliament
- Began clear outline of kings expectation given by Finch , if parl granted subsidies he would listen to grievances
(finch speaker who was held in his chair in 3 res, helped organise unpopular personal rule policies, in favour of ship money) - Demanded parl grant subsidies to fight rebellious scots further irritated MPs
- King thought he had a ‘trump card’ , intercepted letter ffrom covenanters to king seeking help , thought would push parl to support him
- Letter was ignored
- Covenanters appealed to parl stressing wish for closer union with england
- Parl discuss concerns over religious reforms and raising tax methods rather than preparing for war – questioned legality of 1629 dissolution and demands of re investigation Hampden case
- Pym = leader of opposition MPs ,one of few prominent MPs who survived from 1629 , deeply motivated by ‘ concern for purity of religion’ and threat to the law and the ‘ ancient constitution’ , gave 2 hour long speech addressing nations grievances = immediate success
Why did parl fail ?
Charles to blame:
- Mps were moderate , desperate for parliament to be a success, believed in ‘king in parl’ working harmoniously tog but they hadn’t grasped thew true extent of crowns genuine financial needs
- Hadn’t had successful parl yet, commons always insisted on grievances addressed before taxation – parl desperate to discuss grievances, dobnt trust charles to keep his words once money given
- Was negotiating with spanish king or pope to get money to be less reliant on parliament
Strafford to blame
- Was ill so unable to help the king with political management
why did parl fail - MPs to blame
- Charles had evidence of scottish treasonous plotting with the king of France ?
- Puritan MPs admired presbyterian form of scottish church , faced with prospect voting taxes for war to defeat scottish covenanters+ force eng prayer book on Scotland BUT they didn’t want to take blame for parl failure
- Covenanters wanted a parl in england to limit charles power, protect scots from his religious policies but didn’t want parl to succeed with giving him subsudies to fight war against Scotland- were in secret communication with leading ouritan MPs in commons
Aftermath
- Immediately after john lilbourne publishes an incendiary tract = crowd of riots attacking Lambeth palace demanding his release and threating laud (‘william the fox’)
- John archer arrested and imprisond for sedition – charged with banging a drum in a warlike manner – last victim of judicial toruture in England – hung drawn and quartered
Convocation
Tradition to be at same time as parliament sat
Had authority this time for new canons to legitimise lauds ecclestcial reforms
Privy counil made exception to keep sitting despite parl abrupt end
- Granted subsidy of £20000 to king, bypass parl approval
- 17 new canons including affirmation divine right, new oath of allegiance to church
Etcetera Oath = pledge support for 39 articles, prayer book, swear to never subvert
Widespread opposition + further blow to puritans , put emphasis onto church, bishops over bible , opened door to any kind of innovation
Pacification of Berwick failure
Neither king nor covenant disbanded armies
Charles = insincere in agreement to recall parl and general assembly of kirk, asserted just cus compromised this time , not a precedent
- New general assembly met in Edinburgh, confirmed decisions by Glasgow assembly 1638
- Scottish parl met, confirmed episcopacy abolished, set about dismantling royal power in Scotland
= situation still aflame, needing resolution
King still determined to fight another war with scots – privy council meets, Strafford encourages king to fight on , suggests irish army to put down covenanters
Loans of £360,000 came in from priv individuals but short of figure needed – needed support of city of London but city refuses to lend king the money until parl recalled
Second Bishops war
- Orders troop in York
- Northern militia from first disbanded, new levy raised in south
- Untrained, poorly disciplined
- many southern levies deserted, prone to mutiny
- violent disorders
- aug 1640 reached Yorkshire and Northumberland = poorly armed, unpaid, underfed , straffords army not ready to fight
Scottish invasion/ battle of Newburn
- aug 1640
- covenanter army on border england with 20,000, artillery train of 60 guns
- unrest in england – no money,little popular support for army
- scots mount pre-emptive invasion
- eng army leaderless, earl of Northumberland ill so withdrew and earl of Strafford ill with gout
battle of newburn = march for Newcastle by Leslie, eng conscripts abandonded defense position
viscount withdrew garrison to durham = covenanters march unopposed into Newcastle
charles little choice but to negotiate
Petition of the twelve peers
Twelve leading lords petitioned Charles = assert wont cooperate with him unless he calls new parl
Council of peers at York
No options = Charles calls ancient institution of council of peer s to meet in York sep
Meeting of nobles and senior churchmen
Revived , advised to make peace asap = treaty of Ripon
Treaty of Ripon
Major setback for Charles,
Newcastle left to Scots ( source of London’s coal supplies)
Charles to pay £850 a day to keep army
Eng parl recalled
Humiliating and expensive defeat
Charles I position in 1640
Strengths :
Foreign policy still as royal prerog
Power + authority – undisputed match
Justice system leading
Resources of 3 kingdoms
Support- ruthless + efficient advisor
Lords allegiance, loyal house of lords
Militia + army at will
Press control – censorship powers
Beginnings of royalism
Charles position 1640s Weakness:
Religion- paranoid backlash against etcetera oath
Limited room for manouevre- hands tied by Treaty
Loss of control of army – amateur/ineffective military system
Dogmatic,stubborn, thin-skinned personality
Weak financial system
Military system antiquated
Parl functions
Parl position in 1640
Strengths :
United goals against king
Strength of opposition
Opposition network
Public opiion
Core of opportunities
Threat of cath0lic conspiracy and war
Parl position in 1640 Weakness :
Disagreement on settlement
Division over bishops
Constitutional royalists
MPs accused of treason
Limited attention span
Opposition in england
