Charles I 1625-40

Question 1

Treaty of Susa

Answer 1

April 1629: Susa ends war with France

Question 2

Treaty of Madrid

Answer 2

November 1630: Madrid ends war with Spain

Question 3

Benevolence and forced loan

Answer 3

Imposed a benevolence (1626) and a forced loan (1627) which collected £240,000

Question 4

Cadiz (October 1625)

Answer 4

Attempted to capture fort of Cadiz but it was too well protected and they failed. Drunk the entire wine contents and returned home humiliated

Question 5

Cadiz (1626)

Answer 5

Charles had dismissed the Parliament to prevent Buckingham’s impeachment so lacked funding. Violent storms meant they didn’t reach the coast of Spain

Question 6

La Rochelle (1627)

Answer 6

Expedition going well until an unsuccessful attempt to storm the garrison, due to lack of reinforcements and too short ladders.

Question 7

Second (April 1628) and Third (September 1628) trips of La Rochelle

Answer 7

Led by Earl of Denbeigh but neither managed to break through the French Blockade at La Rochelle

Question 8

Laud and Montagu promoted

Answer 8

1628- Laud promoted to Bishop of London and Montagu to Bishop of Chichester

Question 9

Puritan conspiracy

Answer 9

The idea that a group of Puritan MPs were determined to use parliament to campaign against Charles

Question 10

Petition of rights

Answer 10

1628
Asked the King to acknowledge MPs four rights, they claimed they were not new but basic principles of English law
It was illegal to:
-Raise taxes without Parliament’s consent
-Imprison people without showing the cause of their imprisonment
-Impose the forced billeting of troops on civilians
-Impose martial law on civilians

Question 11

Five Knight’s Case

Answer 11

1627
Five men who had been imprisoned for not paying the forced loan demanded to know why they had been imprisoned and issued writs of habeas corpus.

Question 12

Forced Loans

Answer 12

1627
76 people were imprisoned for failure to pay
Sir Ranulph Crewe, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, was dismissed for refusing to support it.
Raised £240,000 and most had paid by the end of 1627

Question 13

Billeting of soldiers

Answer 13

50,000 soldiers were housed and fed by civilians on the coast due to wars with Spain and France

Question 14

Three Resolutions

Answer 14

2nd March 1629
Charles decided to close Parliament, as he knew it was unlikely that MPs would grant him tonnage and poundage
He ordered Sir John Finch to adjourn Parliament but when he tried to rise to declare the end of the session, Denzil Holles led a group of MPs who held him down in his chair until the Three Resolutions had been passed

Sir John Elliot called out the Three Resolutions which condemned anyone who:

• promoted Arminianism
• collected tonnage and poundage
• paid tonnage and poundage

Question 15

Distraint of Knighthood

Answer 15

1635
Men owning estates over £40 were supposed to present themselves to be knighted at the new King’s coronation but the selling of knighthoods for £30 meant the title had been devalued so many did not present themselves
Charles fined people for not claiming their knighthoods
Raised £170,000

Question 16

Forest Fines

Answer 16

1630
Declared the boundaries of royal forests to be those at the time of Henry II
Rockingham Forest went from 6 square miles to 60 square miles
Those living in the royal forest were fined
Most were small sums but the Earl of Salisbury was fined £20,000

Question 17

Ship Money

Answer 17

1635: 213,000/ 218,000 collected (96%)
1639: 53,000/210,000 collected (25%)

Question 18

Hampden Case

Answer 18

1637 - John Hampden refused to pay ship money and was taken to court

Judges ruled 7 to 5 in favour of the King, but it is significant that 5 of his own judges voted against him
Led to an increase in non payment

Question 19

Debt

Answer 19

Fell from £2 million to less than £1 million

Question 20

Punishing Puritans

Answer 20

In 1637 Bastwick, Henry Burton and William Prynne had their ears cut off for writing pamphlets attacking the religious views of the William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Question 21

Common Book of Prayer date

Answer 21

1633

Question 22

Common Book of Prayer problems

Answer 22

1637- Imposed the English Prayer Book with a few changes after discussions with Scottish Bishops but didn’t consult the Scottish Privy Council or the General Assembly of the Kirk
Opposition to these changes, rioting and violence when it was first used at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, July 1637
February 1638- Charles made it treason to protest against the prayer book

Question 23

1st Bishops’ War

Answer 23

June 1639 - Alexander Leslie, who had worked with Gustavus Adolphus led a determined and experienced Scottish force and Charles realised his troops were no match for them

Question 24

Treaty of Berwick

Answer 24

June 1639

Question 25

2nd Bishops’ War

Answer 25

July 1640

Charles did not receive money from Parliament as he dissolved them
English troops began to move towards Scotland as the Scots invaded Northumberland and Newcastle
Charles’ peers urged him to call Parliament

Question 26

Treaty of Ripon

Answer 26

October 1640

Ended the Second Bishops’ War
Scots could occupy Northumberland and County Durham
Paid £850 a day until peace was agreed
Charles was forced to call Parliament