Charles Personal Ruke Flashcards
When was Long parliament
1640
When did Scots reject the new prayer book
1637
When did Charles decide on personal rule
1629
When did Henrietta Maria gain influence
After Buckingham’s death in 1628m
Why was Henrietta Maria unpopular with sections of the court
They resented her nationality and in particular her Catholicism
What did Henrietta Maria do, that caused huge controversy and wide spread Puritan anger
Inc when
In July 1626, she stopped to pray for Catholics who had died at the Tyburn tree
How did Henrietta Maria gain influence
W the help of the Marquis de Cateauney, the French Ambassador
What was the royal court
Who was in Charles court
extended household and all those who regularly attend to the ruler
Charles court inc his wife, privy council, important members of the nobility, courtiers, chaplains and priests, his household servants, bodyguard and emissaries from other kingdoms or visions to the court
Explain the Caroline Court
Charles’ character influenced his court which became more formal, orderly, moral and hierarchal
Buckingham dominated the court- controlling patronage
Charles attempted to reduce the size of his court-
ordering members of the gentry to spend less time at court and more time at home managing their estate
Eg in 1632, Charles fined William Palmer £1000 for remaining in London w out his permission
What were the problems facing Charles in 1629 (7)
Loss of Buckingham
Breakdown of relations w parliament
Dealing w key opposition figures
War w Spain and France
Lack of money
Divisions over the Church
Scotland and Ireland
What did people who negatively criticised Charles personal rule, call his rum
11 years of tyranny
Charles- establishing a royal image of authority —
Anthony Van Dyke was a Flemish Artist who became the leading court painter in England
He had established his reputation in the Netherlands and Italy as a court painter
He came to England 1632- at Charles invitation, and in the years which followed, completely transformed Charles’ image
How did Van Dyck project Charles’ authority
He made up for his lack of stature and immature appearance by various artistic devices
- painting him on horseback
- ageing him about 5 years
- giving his face a distant melancholy expression which was a sign on wisdom
- also incorporated a whole series of references which reflected Charles own views on Kingship
How did Charles seek to present his image
To create a better image for himself and his wife.
He was 5 foot 4 inched
and his wife was considerably shorter (makes them look shorter) - to make the Stuart rule look strong- glorify the Stuart dynasty
What limits are there to how successful Charles was in constructing his image
The court failed to associate he paintings with public relations
Propaganda didn’t always reflect his actions
Most of the paintings remained in the royal palace or in great aristocratic houses- propaganda was ineffective
Charles cultivated artistic and diplomatic links with the Catholic courts of the greater continental monarchies
His love of catholic European civilisation clashed w the prevailing political culture of English Protestanism
What are the uses and limits of portraits as evidence to historians
Use- learn how Charles wishes to be seen
Limit- didn’t acc show how Charles ruled or people’s opinions of the paintings
Or if the paintings worked
How did Charles change the culture of the court
Give figs
Favoured fine art and spend lavishly on improving the royal art collection
By his death, this numbered over 1700 paintings and sculptures
Eg 1628- purchased an entire collection of the Dukes of Mantua for £18,000
Charles love of Catholic European civilisation clashed w Puritan values
What it was Banqueting house
Originally built for occasions of state, plays and masques
Charles Aimed to eventually completely rebuild Whitehall Palace around Banqueting house but it was never completed
Place of his execution
What was installed in the Banqueting house in 1626 and why did it cause controversy
Charles commissioned a new ceiling for Banqueting house in 1635, painter by Pete Raul Rubens
The canvas was installed in 1626
The 3 main canvas’ depict The Union of the Crowns, The Apotheosis of James I and the peaceful reign of James
In the canvas he is being carried on the wings of a huge eagle to the seat of god
When was the new ceiling in the Banqueting house installed
1626
Why were Puritans not happy w the ceiling in Banqueting house
Puritans suspected Charles of Catholicism- due to paintings and ceiling and his wife being Catholic
What was the masque
A form of festive courtly entertainment in the 17th century
Inc music and dancing, singing and acting, within and elaborate stage design,
in which architectural framing and costumes were designed by renowned architect
Professional actors and musicians were hired for the speaking and singing parts
Other masquerade who didn’t speak or sing were courtiers
Anne of Denmark danced w ladies in masque 1606-1611(James wife) as did Henrietta Maria in 1630s
Charles appeared himself in the masques as a way of projecting his views of the monarchy
Why were puritans against the masque
Against Puritan beliefs
Example of Puritan opp in the masque
!
Prynne published ‘Histormastix’- attacked court for plays- and called actresses ‘whores’
Queen was taking part in it
Star Chamber fined him £5000, deprived of Oxford degree, expelled from Lincoln’s inn, pilloried, Top of ears cut off AND life imprisonment
1629 ish????
What was court like under James I
Disorganised, unwholesome, marked by sexual scandal, favouritism and even murder
How was Charles court diff to James
Formal regime- model of moral restraint, establishing an idea of royal virtue at the heart of the kingdom
How did the 1640 ecclesiastical canons promote Charles vision of Kingship
They inc an explicitly endorsement of the doctrine of the Divine right of king’s which every parish priest was to read 4X a year at morning prayers
How did Charles order for the chapel reflect his vision of Kingship
Show and be distant w your rank and don’t break them by talking to each other
Superiority
How did Charles progression of rooms reflect his vision of Kingship
The further from the entrance gate you are, the more superior- fewer people allowed in each room
How might have Charles have alienated country opinion
The court came to be seen as Catholic, exclusive , corrupt and unEnglish
What is the privy council
- The kings advisors
- Administration of central and local gov
- Acted as a court when the kings direct judgement was needed
They were the kings closest advisors who met to shape the Kings wishes into policy and ensure they were carried out
They met in private and ran committees dealing w key issues such as trade and foreign policy
Most important was the ‘cabinet council’ of the kings inner circle- as opposed to the full ‘common council’
The privy council because increasingly important in Charles absence
Although chiefly, and advisory body, the privy council could function as a prerogative court
Key members of the privy council (6)
William Laud- Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633
William Juxton- Bishop of London from 1633, Armenian and Lord Treasurer from 1636
Sir Thomas, Lord Coventry- keeper of the Great Seal
Henry Montague, Earl of Manchester- Lord keeper of the privy seal
Sir Francis Windeback (1582-1646) Secretary of State from 1632
Theophilus Howard, Earl of Arundel- appointed as special diplomatic envoy
After the dissolution of parliament some of Charles former enemies because members of the privy council
Who were they
William Noy (death 1634)
Sir Dudley Digges (death 1639)
Richard Weston (death 1635)
Sir Francis Cottington (death 1652)
Why was William Noy (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
Led an attack on monopolies in 1621
In 1632, he became attorney general and specialised in resurrecting and reintroducing King forgotten faces
Why was Sir Dudley Digges (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
Led the commons in criticising Buckingham
He sat on the Court of High Commission and became Master of the Rolls (1636)
Why was Richard Weston (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
1st Earl of Portland (1635)
Opposed Wars w Spain and France
In 1628- he became Lord High Treasurer
He persuades Charles to make peace w Spain
Why was Sir Francis Cottington (a member of the privy council after the dissolution of parliament) an enemy of Charles
Enemy of Buckingham
1628 became privy councillor
Became chancellor of Exchequer in 1629
What 2 things were working the prerogative Courts
The court of star chamber
The court of high commission
What was the court of star chamber
PART OF PREROGATIVE COURT
Consisted of members of the Privy council handpicked by the king
The crown could remove cases such as conspiracy or riot from the common-law courts and have them heard in secret before the court of the star chamber
Unlike in the commons law court, defendants could be ? In private
Star chamber could not sentence a man to death, but could inflict fines, imprisonment and corporal punishment
What was the court of Hugh commission
Part of PREROGATIVE COURT
The highest ecclesiastical court in the land, which could be used for enforcing religious uniformity
Cases where people are caught guilty- passed to star chamber for sentencing
What were Regional councils and name the 2 sections of it
These imposed the Kings authority on the far reaches of England
Council of North
Council of Welsh Marches
Regional councils- council of north
Based in York
Thomas Wentworth was President of the Council of the North from 1628
He argued that the authority of the king was ‘the keystone which closeth up the arch of government’
Used to reinforce Royal authority of powerful northern families
Regional councils- council of the Welsh Marshes
Based in Ludlow
Less important then Northern Council
Local Government structure
Lord lieutenants
Deputy lieutenants
Sheriffs
Justice of peace (JPS)
Constables
Local Government-
Explain Lord lieutenants
Org a local defence and in times of national emergency, mobilised the county militias into a national army
The crown appointed 1 lord lieutenant for each county
Local Government-
Explain Deputy lieutenants
- they acc did the work (of lord lieutenants) but were ill equipped to train amateur militias
Local Government-
Explain Sheriffs
The king chose the sheriff
Their main task was the administration of justice, holding alleged criminals in Gail and presenting them for trial at the county assizes
Sheriffs received judicial write and enforced the judgements of the courts
Also responsible for ship money
Local Government-
Explain Justice of peace
Judge lesser criminal cases
and send more serious cases for trial by jury under the supervision of the circuit judges
Privy council expected them to supervise poor relief, alehouse and maintaining roads
All had to attend assize Courts where national trials eg five knight case took place
Local Government-
Explain Constables
Has to police people and uphold the common law - drawn from local community serving 1 year unpaid at a time
Loyalty to the community they served and the king
What was the book of orders
Book of Orders- distributed to Justice of the Peace 31 Jan 1631
Regarded as the centre piece of Charles I policies towards the mass of his subjects during personal rule
Purpose of the book was to ensure ‘better administration of justice…relief of the poor and… reformation of disorders’
It greatly inc the control of Charles gov over what had until then been largely local affairs handled by the local gentry
Ways in which government reinforced Absolutism
Star chamber memebers handpicked by king
Book of orders reinforced the divine right - JPS shared this
King chose sheriff
Sheriff- responsible for ship money
Ways in which government safeguarded against Absolutism
Star Chamber couldn’t sentence to death
Charles former enemies- part of Privy council
How did Charles make Government more effective
Kings authority imposed throughout Eng
What limits were there on the effectiveness of gov
Deputy Lieutenants- ill equipped to train amateur militias
Constables- served 1 year unpaid at a time
-Pricy Council had enemy of Charles
Why would puritans be suspicious of Charles gov
Book of Orders -divine right- puritans dont strongly believe this- JPS share this
How did Charles I raise money w out parliament 1625-1629
Tonnage and poundage
Parliamentary subsidies
Free gift/ benevolence
Credit/loans from city of London
Forced loan
Pawning Crown Jewels in the Netherlands
Selling crown lands
Who opposed James I attempts to raise money thorough monopolies in 1621 parliament
William Noy
When was fiscal feudalism introduced
1631
What was the process of fiscal feaudalism known as
‘Searching for the Kings mines
What opp was shows towards the illegal taxes by merchants
In 1629- an attempted tax strike by merchants was broken by Charles,
and a leading merchant, Richard Chambers fined £2000 and imprisoned for speaking out against the illegal taxes
How did Charles attempt to reduce his income
Reduce spending on foreign affairs by concluding peace w
France (1629 Treaty of Susa)
Spain (1630 Treaty of Madrid)
Reform of Charles household to dramatically reduce its share of royal expenditure.
In 1628, the royal household cost 40% of Charles ordinary income, dropping dramatically in 1629-1630 (only to double in 1630-31)
How did Charles attempt to raise money
Fiscal feaudalism- non parliamentary methods for raising money
Name the 8 different fiscal feaudalism measures applied by Charles
Customs duty
Recusancy fines
Distraint of Knighthood
Monopolies
Wardships
Forest fines
Building fines
Enclosure fines
What was customs duty
How was it enforced
What impact did it have
fiscal feudalism
Including tonnage and poundage, this was a tax on imports and export
Granted to Charles for only one year in 1625
He continues to collect thru personal rule
In 1635- a new book of rates updated official valuations
Trade improved once England was no longer at war w France and Spain do customs revenue inc
1631-35- £270,000 pa
Inc again post 1635 to £425,000 pa
What was recusancy fines
How was it enforced
What impacts did it have
fiscal feudalism
Fines on those who refused to attend compulsory Church of England Sunday services
Enforcement was tightened up to maximise income
1620s revenue £5300 pa
1634- £26,866
What was distraint of Knighthood
How was it enforced
What impact did it have
fiscal feudalism
Anyone holding land worth £40 pa or more had to attend the coronation of a new monarch and to be knighted, or incur a fine
Not applied since Tudor times but revived in the personal rule
By 1635, revenue of 175,000 had been raised from gentlemen inc Oliver Cromwell
What were monopolies
How were they enforced
What impact did they have
Fiscal feaudalism
Buying a monopoly gave a corporation the sole right to produce, import or sell a product
Holding a monopoly by an individual had been made illegal in the 1624 Monopoly Act buy a loophole meant Charles could sell them to corporations
The most notorious monopoly for popish soap (by Sir Richard Weston) earned Charles £33,000
What were wardships
How were they enforced
What impact did they have
Fiscal feaudalism
The crown could administer the estate of an heir who inherited under the age of 22
Grants of wardships were exploited by loyal officials to maximise crown income
Raised 45000 revenue at beginning of personal rule
Cottington became Master of the court of awards 1635 and by 1640- annual revenues were £84,000, collected efficiently
What were forest fines
How were they enforced
What impact did they have
Fiscal feaudalism
Fines for any land owner who extended their boundaries into land belonging to the royal forests
William Noy scoured ancient maps and documents to identify encroachments and many landed families could not produce centuries old documentation to disprove his claims
£38,667 raised (20,000 from earl of Salisbury) at the cost of significantly angering rich and powerful land lenders
What were building fines
How were they enforced
What impact did they have
Fiscal feudalism
Fines for building beyond the chartered boundaries of a town
Rediscovered ancient chargers against which new buildings could be assessed
Burden particularly fell on builders working around London where over 60,000 new homes had been built since 1603
What were enclosure fines
How were they enforced
What impact did they have
Fiscal feaudalism
Fines on landowners for illegally enclosing (fencing for use as fields) common land
No new but strictly enforced
Seen as a fine on landowners wanting to improve their estate
When did Charles become solvent
1635- Laud commissioned a report in Weston’s management of Crowns finances.
He discovered that, while debt hadn’t been substantially reduced
Crowns income was ahead of expenditure
Lord Treasurer Weston played an important role in preventing any further inc in crown expenditure during personal rule
By the time Weston died 1635- Crown was solvent
Gov expenditure could not be reduced sig but means we’re found to inc revenue
Which financial methods were not entirely legal
Custom duty
Monopolies (but found loop hole)
Which source of income caused the most opposition and outrage
Monopolies and charging for positions at court
Ship money
What was ship money/how did it work
How did Charles use it
English kings had customary rift to fall on coastal communities to provide ships to defend the realm
If no ships were available a payment of ‘ship money’ could be made in lieu
In 1634- Charles levied coastal counties for ship money
In 1635- Charles issues a write demanding ship money not only from coastal counties- but from all English counties
What opposition was there to ship money and what did opp argue
Hampden (Buckinghamshire gentleman) refused to pay
King brought case against him in Court Exchequer 1637/8
Hampden lawyer Oliver St John insisted parliament was the proper body to vote taxation and as the country was not at war, Charles had time to call parliament
Hampden case- what did Charles argue
The king had the right to command his subjects to pay ship money when the kingdom was in danger
The kingdom faces emergency and it was the kings right and duty to provide for its security - poor navy threatened kingdom
(This was the same argument as the Forced loan but at this point Eng was at war w France and Spain)
Verdict of Hampden case
Crown won
7/12
Dozens of petitions against ship money were presented to the privy council and there were tax revolts 1639-40
Where was the Hampden case
Court of Exchequer
How successful was ship money??
1635
1637 (ship money trial)
1639
1635- 98% collected - paid quick
1637- 91% collected- V slowly
1639- 25% collected- slowly
SHORT TERM
Why was parliament suspicious of the kings religion
1625+- divide between puritans and Arminians depended
Charles promoted more arminians within the church AT A TIME where more members of the House of Commons were becoming increasingly Puritan
The two were V diff
Tension and conflicts
By 1629 religion eclipsed most other business in the House of Commons as MPS needed reassurance that Catholicism was not going to be reintroduced in Britain
When was laud ordained
1601
When was laud made Bishop of St David’s
1621
When was laud made chaplain to Buckingham
1622
When did laud oversee Charles coronation
1625
What parliaments did Laud give an introductory sermon
1st and 2nd
1625+6
When was Laud made dean of the chapel royal
1626
When was Laud made Bishop of Bath and Wells
1626
When was laud appointed to the privy council
1627
When was laud made Bishop of London
1628
When was Laud made chancellor of Oxford uni
1630
When was Laud made Archbishop of Canterbury
1633
How could Charles personal rule be seen as a financial success
Survived March 1629- April 1640 w our parliament
Victor in Hampden case- against opp
Solvent
Ended Wars reduced expenditure
How could Charles personal rule be seen as not a financial success
Some financial methods legal but Morally dubious eg court of wards
Financial methods caused opp
Ship money tax decreases
Charles had to call parliament in the end
Why was laudianism not called Arminianism
Laud developed his own particular vision of the Anglican Church- unique nature of his reforms
Why did laud want to reform the church
He wanted a ceremonial style of worship which lived to his idea of beauty of holiness
He was a ceremonialist- regarded sacraments as the essence of worship
How did Laud reform the church
Alter at East End of chancel and for it to be railed to avoid discretion
Church fabric to beautify church
1633- bishops were instructed to ensure ministers of parishes predicted sermons+ afternoon sermons be turned into catechising
At both national and local level, clergy were appointed to secular offices
Laudian had acquired a virtual monopoly on senior church positions
What evidence is there of the reforms being unpopular
Pamphlets - dishonoured laud
- all had to pay fine (Pynne, Burton, Bastwick) of £5000, wars cut off and life imprisonment (after bought to star chamber)
17000 immigrated to New Eng for religion
Robert Woodford, Steward is Northampton denounces the ‘rayne ceremony’s implanted by the ‘favours and promoters’ of superstitious and idealtry.
Some people had secret gatherings like the circle that met at Lord Brooks house in Warmeick castle
What evidence is there of the reforms being widely pop/accepted
Support from oxford and Cambridge to a lesser extent
Puritan opp - Puritan pamphleteers
1637- Prynne found himself again before the court of star chamber, along w other leading puritans John Bastwick and Henry Burton, accused of attacking the bishops
From prison Prynne had continued to publish anti-episcopal pamphlets such as Newes from Ipswich
Prynne ears cut off and his cheeks branded w SL ‘seditious libeller’
Bastwick and Burton— similar treatment being mitigated, pilloried and imprisoned
WIDESPREAD HORROR- happened to gentlemen
What did Prynne claim the SL on his chest stood for
Stigmata Laudis -
Stigma- wounds of Christ
Puritan opp - the Providence island company and the Saybrook venture
Through Warwick, pym was appointed treasurer of the providence island company, which sought to finance a Puritan colony on Providence island in the West Indies
brought Pym in contact w the Puritan magnates who were to become leaders of the parliamentarians during the 1640s inc Lord Brooke, Lorde Saye and Hampden
19 March 1631/2- Lorde Saye and Brooke w 10 others obtained from Warwick and his new ENG company, a patent to buy a tract of land (around 140 miles) from Narragasett River- Massachusetts.
John Winthrop- appointed governor
- he was an established colonist,
Several shiploads of new colonists were sent over from Eng
1633- Saye and Brooke purchased more land to create a plantation at Dover, Nee Hampshire
Saybrook settlement was to be the insurance policy/bolt hole got Lord Saye and Brook- if things go politically bad in the future
Saye insisted the colony should have an aristocracy e himself at the head and others he selects- the Massachusetts gov had none of it
In mean time m- political situation in eng deteriorating.
Saye and Brook lost I treat and then land was sold and became a part of Connecticut
Saye turned him interests to the providence island company
Puritan opp- Puritan nobles- name them
Robert Greville (Lord Brooke)
Robert Rich (earl of Warwick)
William Fiennes (Viscount Saye and sele)
William Russel (early of Bedford)
Puritan opp - Puritan nobles - Robert Greville (Lord Brooke)
Lord Brooke(Greville)-
thru father in law- came in contact w network of Puritan critics of Charles headed by Saye and sele at Broughton Castle Oxfordshire
-he invested in Puritan colonial venture - promoted by the Broughton Castle circle on providence island in West Indies and at Saybrook in New Eng
Puritan opp - Puritan nobles Robert Rich (Earl of Warwick)
Earl of Warwick (Robert rich)
March 1642- appointed lord High admiral against kings wishes
- parliament liked this- ensured parliaments control of navy
- even B4 civil war- Warwick’s ships transferred arms and ammunition from the northern arsenal at Hull to London
-SO KING TRIED TO DISMISS WARWICK FROM COMMAND
BUT W DISSENT FROM ONLY 2 CAPTAINS, THE FLEET ACCEPTED WARWICK AS ITS ADMIRAL AND DECLARED FOR PARLIAMENT JULY 1642
Puritan opp- Puritan nobles William Fiennes (Viscount Saye and sele)
1637- Saye attempted to force a test case over non payment of ship money but king chose to persecute Hampden instead
Broughton Cast le circle also engaged in colonial ventures
and financed the establishment of Puritan settlements at providence island to the West Indies and Saybrook in modern Connecticut
Saye- Scottish Covenanters sympathiser- didn’t support king in bishop wars- both previously imprisoned
Saye consistently supported Pym’s activities in House of Commons and remained a determined opposition leader in the House of Lords.
Puritan opp - Puritan nobles William Russel (earl of Bedford)
Lord general of House in parliamentarian army
Puritan opp - Puritan gentry - name them
Hampden
And defence lawyer- Oliver St John
Hesilrige
Puritan opp - Puritan gentry
Hesilrige
Held radical political and religious views and outspoken critic of Charles personal rule
Brought before court of high commission several times for non payment of fees and taxes and briefly imprisoned in tower on London
Until second wife’s brother, Brooke- he came in contact w the network of Puritan critics of King Charles headed by Saye and Sele
