chapter 8 - political divisions: the personal rule and the short parliament

Question 1

court of star chamber

Answer 1

made up of privy councillors that were selected by the monarch
king could hold secret cases in here

Question 2

court of high commission

Answer 2

chief court of church ran by Laud to enforce conformity
guilty defendants here could be tried in the star chamber

Question 3

solving financial problems

Answer 3

securing peace with France and spain - treaties of Susa and Madrid
westons reform of crown finance in order to lower cost of running Charles’ court\

Question 4

puritan opposition

Answer 4

regarded destruction of catholicism
courtiers did not like the cut backs at court

Question 5

sources of crown income

customs duties

Answer 5

tonnage and poundage only granted to Charles for 1 year in 1625
continued to collect it as other monarchs had been granted it for life
bought Charles in years 1631-35 about £270,000 a year

Question 6

sources of crown income

feudal dues

Answer 6

crown had right to run any estate inherited by an heir under 21 years old
during personal rule, income from wardship increased by about a third (£75,000 a year)

Question 7

sources of crown income

monopolies

Answer 7

loophole in monopolies act allowed grants to corporations
granting monopoly of soap to a group of catholics
earned Charles £33,000

Question 8

sources of crown income

recusancy fines

Answer 8

income from these fines was increased from £5300 a year in 1620s to £26,866 in 1634

Question 9

sources of crown income

distraint of knighthood

Answer 9

anyone holding land with income of £40 per year or more who had not received a knighthood at Charles coronation was fined
by 1635, Charles raised nearly £175,000 from this

Question 10

sources of crown income

other fines

Answer 10

forest fines - fines for any landowner said to have encroached on areas of royal forests. Charles used dubious maps and documents to impose fines on major landowners

land titles - fines imposed on those who rented land from the crown but lacked a clear title to the land or could not prove continuous occupation for the previous 60 years

enclosure fines - fines imposed on those who had illegally enclosed or closed off common land

Question 11

ship money

Answer 11

£200,000 raised a year
levied in times of emergency to fund the navy
equivalent of 3 parliamentary subsidies
could be judged as a financial success
in august 1635 - extended to inland countries and levied annually until 1639

Question 12

Scottish bishops and the imposition of a new Laudian prayer book

Answer 12

organised protest became a full blown riot
Charles’ Scottish privy council left Edinburgh in October 1637

Charles sought legal confirmation of his right to collect ship money. this brought English opposition to ship money into the open

Question 13

bishops wars

Answer 13

1639-40
allowed Scots to call religious general assembly in Glasgow (September 1638)

(November 1638) assembly proceeded to annul cannon laws and abolish episcopacy

Question 14

episcopacy

Answer 14

the government of church by bishops, in this instance the Church of England

Question 15

short parliament

Answer 15

September 1639 - Wentworth advised Charles to call parliament to raise money to fight the Scots
when it met, Charles refused to compromise and dissolved it
signs treaty of ripon

Question 16

October 1639

Answer 16

Charles reluctantly signs treaty of ripon which stated Charles would have to pay Scottish armys living costs whilst they occupied English soil

this meant Charles needed to call another parliament to help fund the payments

Question 17

opposition in ireland

Answer 17

english sought to impose their control over ireland since the 12th century
ireland was divided among various lords and more sytematic attempt by henry viii to control ireland added to patchwork of different influences

Question 18

political group divisions in ireland

Answer 18

1 - irish catholics - native gaelic speaking irish population
2 - catholic old english - catholics descended from original english settlers
3 - protestant new english - protestants descended from english settlers after reformation
4 - Presbyterian scots - predominantly based in plantation of ulster in north of ireland

Question 19

thomas wentworth

Answer 19

1632
appionted lord deputy of ireland
kings representative in ireland
role was to stand outside different factions in ireland in order to rule them

Question 20

irish rebellion

Answer 20

oct 1641
wentworth was successful in alienating all different groups in ireland
tensions came to the fore when charles recalled wentworth to england

scottish rebellion (1637) and wentworths return to england prompted irish catholics to act because -

• presbyterian scots were controlling scotland and were in alliance with english puritans. growing influence threatened catholic ireland
• with wentworth removed, irish sought to pre-emptively prevent radical outsiders imposing harsh protestant rules on them

lasted over winter of 1641-42

irish catholics launched a strike against the protestants in Ulster
massacring at least 3000

Question 21

opposition in england
william fiennes

Answer 21

strongly protestant peer
heavily involved in colonisation
charles ignored his refusal to pay ship moeny
started legal action against the crown deliberately with the aim of creating a show trial over the issue

Question 22

opposition in england
hampden case 1637

Answer 22

nov 1637
charles took hampden to court for refusal to pay ship money
make point charles should be obeyed
growing opposition to charles financial policies - ship money

with the scottish rebellion and growing examples of religious opposition, the slim victory shows charles’ personal rule was under strain

Question 23

need to recall parliament

Answer 23

to deal with scottish rebellion —-> charles had to call and maintain parliament in england

short parliament lasted less than a month

MPs did not vote subsidies for the bishops war

charles decision to face the scots without parliamentary backing in 1640 led to increased tension and development of the crisis that would lead to a civil war in england in 1642