Charles 1625-1640 Flashcards
C’s 1 background
Born in Scotland in 1600
Second son of James I
Sickly child
Suffered from a speech impediment
Ignored by his parents in his early years
Became the Prince in Wales in 1612 when his older brother Henry died
probs faced in 1625
Foreign Policy. England was at war with Spain in 1625
Dislike of Buckingham. People disliked Buckingham because of his undue influence over the court and his monopolisation of patronage.
Henrietta Maria. Charles French and Catholic wife was viewed with suspicion by most in England.
Finances. At the end of James’ reign, structural issues related to the financial system still continued. Furthermore, James had left behind a considerable debt (£1 million).
charles’s aims
Assert his Divine Right to Rule. Unlike James, Charles was not a politically flexible king who was willing to give concessions. Charles’ views and policies were rigid and he was determined to get his way.
Make war with Spain. Unlike James, Charles did not see himself as a peacemaker. Charles felt personally offended by Spain after the humiliation of his trip there in 1623 and wanted to support his brother-in-law, Frederick of the Palatinate.
Promote Arminianism. Charles was an Arminian by faith and he sought to increase its presence in the Church.
buckinghams background
Born George Villiers in Leicestershire in August 1592
Eighth son of a minor gentleman
His ambitious mother sent him to France to be educated for a court life
He was an accomplished dancer and fencer
Above all, he was handsome
buckingham’s ascent
In 1615, he became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber and was knighted
In 1616, Master of the King’s Horse, Knight of the Garter, Baron Whaddon and then Viscount Villiers
In 1617, Earl of Buckingham
In 1619, Marquess of Buckingham
In 1623, Duke of Buckingham
Members of Buckingham’s family also benefited from his position as favourite
His brothers, Christopher and John Villiers were given titles
His mother became first a countess, then a marchioness and then a duchess in 1623
C’s relationship with buckingham
Originally, Charles resented his father’s favourite – they had supported rival candidates for the bishopric of Carlisle but James chose Buckingham’s candidate over his son’s. James spent more time with Buckingham than Charles and let the former refer to him as Dad. Matters came to head in 1616 when Charles drenched Buckingham with a water fountain and took offence when he was not invited to a lavish banquet in his father’s honour, even though he was staying nearby. Buckingham realised that he had offended Charles and rode over to apologise. The next week he put on an even more splendid banquet for Charles. This later became known at court as the “friends’ feast”. From this point on, Charles began referring to Buckingham as “Steenie” (his father’s pet name for Buckingham) and signing letters to him as “your constant and loving friend”.
By 1620, Buckingham was “as great a favourite with the prince as with his father” according to the Venetian ambassador. Charles treated him like an older brother, a substitute for his dead brother, Henry, and the lack of affection from James. In 1624, Charles defended Buckingham against accusations that he was involved in a plot to retire James to the country so that Charles could take control. When Charles became king he made Buckingham his chief adviser and confidante but the relationship changed to become more of a master and servant relationship, whereas James had indulged Buckingham like a son.
Charles interpreted Parliament’s 1626 attempt at impeaching Buckingham as an attack on his policy and decisions. He loyally defended Buckingham as he was to do Strafford (Charles’ representative in Ireland) in 1640. When Buckingham was assassinated in 1628, Charles was inconsolable. He locked himself in his bedchamber and the only person he would allow near him was his previously neglected wife
buckinghams role in government
In 1616, got his client Sir Oliver St. John appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland
In 1618, his friend Francis Bacon was appointed Lord Chancellor
Also, in 1618, Buckingham spurred on Star Chamber to prosecute the Lord Treasurer, the Earl of Suffolk, for embezzlement. This removed Howard influence on the Privy Council
Two friends, Sir Giles Mompesson and Sir Francis Mitchell, were awarded monopolies
buckingham and parli
Buckingham engineered a conflict between Parliament and James over a Spanish marriage for Charles so that Parliament would be dissolved early and therefore would not be able to investigate Buckingham’s abuse of monopolies and customs farms in Ireland.** He encouraged Parliament’s impeachment of Lord Treasurer, Cranfield, because he was trying to reform the administration of Ireland to stop financial abuses** (which would have exposed Buckingham’s financial improprieties) but also to reduce opposition to war with Spain (Cranfield was the leader of the pro-Spanish lobby). Parliament made two attempts to impeach Buckingham – 1621 and 1626. Charles dissolved the 1625 Parliament when it launched an attack on Buckingham, and did the same in 1626 with the attempted impeachment. Buckingham gave the appearance of supporting the recall of Parliament in 1627 but knew that he was in danger. He prostrated himself before Charles saying that if Parliament wanted him dead then the king should not spare him. Charles reacted in the way Buckingham hoped by reassuring him that a resummons of Parliament was out of the question. Buckingham tried hard when Parliament was recalled in 1628 to show himself as a reformed character – no longer a ‘man of separation’ but ‘a good spirit’. He also continued to build bridges with Parliament after the dissolution in 1628.
buckingham and foreign policy
In 1624, Buckingham negotiated the marriage to Henrietta Maria, which was widely unpopular. Buckingham had encouraged James to finance a military expedition to recapture the Palatinate for James’ son-in-law in 1625 (Mansfield expedition), but it failed. However, the reason for its failure was disagreement between James and Charles and Buckingham about whether there should be a land campaign (James) rather than a naval one (Charles and Buckingham). ***This disagreement undermined the expedition.
*
Buckingham led an attack on Cadiz in 1625 to burn the Spanish fleet in the harbour. The plan was to land up the coast from the port and march an army into the city. On the way into the city, the*** troops came across a warehouse full of wine, got drunk and the attack had to be called off.
Then in 1626 Buckingham led a fleet to the Americas to plunder the Spanish silver fleet. The Spanish knew about the planned ambush and avoided it. With supplies running out and men sick and dying from starvation and disease, the fleet limped home in embarrassment.
Buckingham negotiated a deal with the French Chief Minister, Cardinal Richelieu, for 7 English ships to help suppress the Huguenots (French Protestants) in La Rochelle in return for help against the Spanish who were occupying the Palatinate. Buckingham had assured Parliament that the ships would not be used against the French Protestants but the French also misled Buckingham. No help was given in the Palatinate.** In 1627, Buckingham then tried to help the Huguenots besieged at La Rochelle but *lost 4,000 out of the total force of 7,000 *men. **
buckingham and religion
Buckingham took a** flexible pragmatic view of religion**. He was as willing to consult ardent Puritans as well as those with more moderate views. However, he seems to have recognised the strength of Charles’ religious convictions and saw his position as providing Charles with the kind of Church he wanted. William Laud, who was to become head of the Church of England under Charles, had been Buckingham’s chaplain and religious confidant since 1622. Buckingham hosted a conference on religious doctrine at his London home, York House, in 1626, hoping to win support for Arminian views within the Church of England. Buckingham became Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1626 and used his position to suppress predestinarian teaching at what had been the hot bed of puritanism.
buckingham’s extravagance
As a result of his accumulation of offices and titles, Buckingham’s income was £20,000 a year by the 1620s. Yet his debts stood at £70,000 when he was assassinated. In part, this was because he spent £3,000 a year on clothes.
buckingham’s assassination
Buckingham was stabbed to death in 1628 at the Greyhound Pub in Portsmouth whilst eating his dinner. He was in Portsmouth to organise yet another military campaign against the Spanish. The assassin, John Felton, was an army officer who had been wounded in the failed attempt to help the Huguenots in 1627 and was owed a least a year’s pay. The general public considered Felton to be a hero, although he was hanged for his crime later the same year. Buckingham was given a lavish funeral and his body was interred at Westminster Abbey in a spectacular tomb with the inscription, “The Enigma of the World”.
two perspectives of the period [1629-1640]
- The Parliamentary View: ’11 years of tyranny’ – a negative view of the 1630s.
- The Royalist View: ‘a period of stability and good governance’ (at least until 1637). This view highlighted the positive achievements of the 1630s.
1629
timeline overview
Parliament dissolved and no Parliaments for 11 years!
Peace with France
1630
timeline overview
Future Charles II born
Peace with Spain
1631
timeline overview
Book of Orders -reforms local govt
(many fear absolutism)
Charles introduces ‘fiscal feudalism’ to raise money
1632
timeline overview
Thomas Wentworth made Lord Deputy of Ireland
John Eliot dies of fever in Tower of London
1633
timeline overview
William Laud appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Laud introduces Arminian reform to the Church
1634
timeline overview
Arminian reforms introduced to Ireland
1635
timeline overview
Ship Money extended to all counties
1636
timeline overview
Religious and political opposition grows
[a turning point]
1637
timeline overview
Hampden Case (a Puritan ex MP taken to court for refusal to pay Ship money. Despite Charles controlling the appointment of the judges, five rule against the King
Trials of Prynne, Bastwick and Burton Puritan critics of Charles’ religious policies pilloried, branded and had ears chopped off
English Book of Common Prayer extended to Scotland
Prayer Book Rebellion in Scotland (opposing the introduction of the English Prayer Book)
1638
timeline overview
Religious non-conformity made treasonous
Scottish National Covenant forms to organise rebellion
1639
timeline overview
‘The First Bishops War’ = Charles vs the Scots
Pacification of Berwick: a truce (effective victory for Covenanters)
1640
timeline overview
The “Short Parliament” (April to May) is called and swiftly dissolved after failing to grant supply
Scots invade Northern England, resulting in the Treaty of Ripon
Charles is forced to call another Parliament, which becomes known as the “Long Parliament” as it survives until 1660.
Why did Charles embark on the Personal Rule?
4 key issues - foreign policy, finance, religion and Buckingham
additional factors - divine right, parli radicalism
divine right
Charles’ belief in his Divine Right. Charles saw Parliament’s actions between 1625-9 as a direct challenge to his authority as a ruler ordained by God. His belief in divine right meant that he expected unquestioning obedience to his will from MPs.
Parliamentary radicalism
Parliamentary radicalism. Charles saw Parliament’s attempts to criticise his religious and foreign policies as infringing on the royal prerogative and exceeding the traditional role of Parliament to present local grievances and provide supply.
3 instances to show Parliamentary radicalism
The refusal to vote tonnage and poundage for Charles’ lifetime in Charles first Parliament in 1625 was a departure from tradition.
The 1628 Petition of Right – a set of demands to prevent the King from levying tax without Parliament’s consent which was a veiled attack on the Forced Loan 1626.
The 1629 Protestation. Charles viewed Parliament’s attack on Arminianism in the first resolution of the protestation as a radical attempt to interfere in Charles’ prerogative as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The tone of the Protestation was confrontational and extreme. Furthermore, the restraining of the Speaker to prevent the dissolution of Parliament before the passing of the resolutions of the Protestation was viewed by Charles as further evidence of Parliament’s radicalism.
problem with financial policies during personal rule
- Structural issue: cost of government was higher than ordinary income.
- Charles had increased debt from the inherited figure of approximately 1 million to over 2 million.
- The poor relations that had developed between Charles and Parliament between 1625 and 1629 meant that Charles was unwilling to call Parliament for financial supply so he had to find ways of doing without Parliament.
3 solutions to financial probs
1.Reduce expenditure (streamline the cost of government). i.e. financial ‘prudence’.
- Peace. War is a significant cost for the government of early modern Britain and is unaffordable without taxation.
-Peace with France, April 1629
-Peace with Spain, November 1630
-Revenue from trade continued to grow because of the prolonged peace - Economising - streamlining the cost of government.
- Use prerogative rights to collect more finances through ‘ordinary income’. This became known as ‘fiscal feudalism’.
- Continue to collect taxes without Parliament’s consent, e.g., collect tonnage and poundage despite only being voted for the first year of Charles’ Parliament
economising under Weston
C’s financial policy
The Royal Household cost £260,000 per year to maintain. Finding ways to economise would reduce the pressure on the royal finances.
Richard Weston, Earl of Portland, became Lord Treasurer in 1628, just after his elevation to the peerage. He was a client of Buckingham and had been an MP since 1614. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 1621 and became one of the crown’s principal spokesmen in Parliament. However, he was unpopular with his fellow MPs because of his association with Buckingham. Nonetheless, he had a great deal of experience of financial matters because of his previous experience as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Weston succeeded in raising the crown’s revenue and reducing its debt, but had less success in containing expenditure.
He* increased the revenue from recusancy fines* from £5,000 in 1630 to £26,000 in 1635 and strongly favoured the policy of fining members of the gentry who were eligible for knighthoods but had not taken them up. Distraint of knighthood as it was known raised an extra £175,000.
Overall, Weston raised the crown’s ordinary income by 25%, raising it to over £600,000 a year.
He managed to reduce the* crown’s debt from £1.5 million to £1.16 million in 1635*.
However, he had only limited success in reducing expenditure. He reduced grants of pensions and annuities by 35% and managed to halve military and naval spending but this was more due to the end of the wars with Spain and France than any of his efforts. In particular, he was not able to reduce the huge waste in the royal household. For example, each day’s ration to feed the court was over £25. This was enough to feed nearly 2,000 people for a year. Spending on the royal household remained stubbornly at £260,000 a year because courtiers had a vested interest in this extravagance because they either benefited directly or sold the waste.
economising under Juxon
William Juxon, Bishop of London and Arminian, succeeded Weston a year after his death in 1636. The position was put into commission for a year because there was factional in-fighting over who would succeed Weston. In the end, Archbishop Laud got his way and had his supporter appointed. This was highly unusual because no cleric had been a treasurer since the Reformation.
Juxon was able to **increase the rent from the customs’ farm by £22,500 in 1638. **
Income from the impositions created in 1608 almost tripled between 1636 and 1640 (£55,000 - £140,000). Additional impositions and customs duties raised an extra £106,500. This meant the crown was raising close to £250,000 a year, the equivalent of five parliamentary subsidies. As mentioned above, **revenue from wardship also significantly increased in this period, by £26,000. **
Customs duty including Tonnage and Poundage
Definition/nature of the method
Extra-Parliamentary taxes on imports and exports.
In 1635 a new Book of Rates increased the amount of tax resulting in a huge increase in income.
Customs duty including Tonnage and Poundage
Problems with the method – i.e. the reason it caused opposition.
Charles had only been granted the tax for one year in 1625 but continued to collect it for the whole of this period.
Parliament had complained about it in two documents – the Petition of Right and the Three Resolutions
Customs duty including Tonnage and Poundage
Effectiveness as a financial measure.
1631-35: £270,000 PA
1635: £425,000 PA
Recusancy fines
Definition/nature of the method
Fines on those who refused to attend compulsory Church of England services.
recusancy fines
Problems with the method – i.e. the reason it caused opposition.
Laud’s religious reforms during this period took the church in an Arminian direction. This angered their religious opponents the Puritans
Recusancy fines
Effectiveness as a financial measure.
1620s: £5,000 per year
1634: £26,000 per year
Distraint of Knighthood
Definition/nature of the method
Anyone holding land worth £40 or more had to, in theory, attend the coronation of a new king to be knighted. If they did not attend they received a fine even though this practice had not been used since medieval times.
Distraint of Knighthood
Problems with the method – i.e. the reason it caused opposition.
Not employed since early Tudor times (1480s), this innovative method of raising money hit the lesser gentry particularly hard. Oliver Cromwell was one of the many victims.
Distraint of Knighthood
Effectiveness as a financial measure
By 1635, £175,000 had been raised
monopolies
Definition/nature of the method
The Crown sold corporations the sole right to sell goods in the kingdom.
monopolies
Problems with the method – i.e. the reason it caused opposition.
Parliament had legislated against the crown granting monopolies to individuals in 1624 declaring that they were a sign of corruption. Charles got around Parliaments law by selling the right to corporations, not individuals.
New monopolies such as ‘Popish Soap’ raised concerns about Catholic corruption at court.
monopolies
Effectiveness as a financial measure
For every £100,000 that went to Charles, £750,000 went to monopoly holders
Popish Soap brought in £33,000
wardship
Definition/nature of the method
The Crown could administer the estate of an heir who inherited land before they became 21.
wardship
Effectiveness as a financial measure
1629: £45,000 per year
1640: £84,000 per year
