Charles I: Personal Rule -> Financial policies during his personal rule Flashcards
Who were Charles’ chief advisers?
Sir Thomas Wentworth and William Laud
What did ‘Thorough’ refer to?
Involved making royal government much more efficient and effective through a centralised form of control
Who developed the concept of ‘Thorough’?
Spearheaded by Sir Thomas Wentworth who was despised by his former allies as ‘the great apostate’ and made Lord President of the Council of the North
What were the positives of ‘Thorough’?
- prerogative courts worked speedily
- better administration
- Centralisation of decision making led to a ‘thorough’ implementation of these decisions
What were the negatives of ‘Thorough’?
-JPs and officials were given a tough workload
- little recognition of the political sensitivities of the political nation
- enhanced role of the bishops and the Court of High Commission
- Centralisation of decision making and ‘thorough’ implementation of these decisions did not always produce the ‘right’ decisions
What was the nature of Charles’ royal court?
Replaced James’ court with a more formal, dignified regime and became a model of restraint, establishing the idea of royal virtue at the heart of the kingdom
Why was access to Charles limited?
Charles’ sense of dignity led to further formality
- the King became more remote, his semi-divine status was safeguarded by a strict hierarchy and proper etiquette
What were the key reasons for personal rule?
- foreign policy
- religion
- parliament
- finance
What examples of foreign policy led to the Personal Rule?
- Failure at La Rochelle in July 1627
- Failure at Cadiz in November 1625
What examples of religion led to the personal rule?
- the rise of William Laud
- Charles marriage to Henrietta Maria in May 1625
- the rise of more radical Puritan MPs e.g. Sir John Eliot and John Pym
What examples of parliament led to the personal rule?
- 1625 Parliament: T+P
- Charles’ personality/DRoK/royal prerogative
- Charles’ attempts to purge Parliament of opposition 1625-26
- 1626 Parliament calls for impeaching Buckingham
- the Duke of Buckingham 1625-1628
- The Three Resolutions - March 1629
What examples of finance led to the personal rule?
- 1625 Parliament: T+P
- The Forced Loan 1626-27
Who became greatly important during the Personal Rule and why?
The Privy Council gained even greater importance as there wasn’t a Parliament to govern
How did Charles enforce his will and that of the Privy Council?
Through key prerogative courts such as the Star Chamber and High Commission
What was the Court of High Commission made up of?
Privy councillors selected by the monarch
What was the Court of High Commission used for?
The Court of High Commission was the chief court of the Church used by Laud to enforce conformity
Why is it important to recognise that not every aspect of Personal Rule led to the total breakdown?
Society was deeply entrenched in kingship so it would be difficult to come into civil war
- in 1640, nobody would have put Charles on trial for treason
Why was finance a key issue for Charles during his personal rule?
Involvement in the Thirty Years’ War had been expensive and by 1629, Charles was in debt to financiers in the City of London to the sum of £2 million
What did Charles rely on to finance his personal rule without Parliament?
Charles relied on prerogative forms of income
What included prerogative forms of income?
- monopolies
- impositions
- wardships
- purveyance
- sale of titles
- tonnage and poundage
What were these methods of raising revenue regarded as?
Fiscal feudalism
What else did Charles do in 1629 and 1630 to save?
Secured peace with France in 1629 and Spain in 1630 through the Treaties of Susa and Madrid, withdrawing from the Thirty Years’ War
Why did the withdrawal from the Thirty Years’ War create issues?
Puritans were uncomfortable as they regarded the destruction of Catholicism a crusade
How much revenue did customs duties (T+P) bring for Charles and when?
Between 1631 and 1635, it brought Charles about £270,000 a year
- After a new Book of Rates was introduced in 1635, the revenue the Crown received from customs duties increased markedly to roughly £425,000 in 1639