Charles' Personality Flashcards
Who was James the son of?
Who was killed on 19 June 1566?
What happened at the wedding party in Holyrood?
What happened as a result of Mary’s marriage with Bothwell?
James was the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Their marriage ended badly, and on 19 June 1566, David Riccio, Italian secretary and lover, was dragged from a room at Hollyroodhouse when him and Mary were at supper, and stabbed 56 times.
His father didn’t attend his baptism.
When Queen Mary attended a wedding party at Holyrood, an explosion reduced the house to nothing and Darnley was found naked and strangled. Complicity in the murder was unknown. A suspect was James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, whom Mary had fallen in love with.
Bothwell was exiled and Mary imprisoned when they married two and a half months after.
When was James’ ceremony at Stirling Castle, making him king?
When did people accept James’ rule?
Who used james for influence, and what happened to his grandfather?
On 19 July 1567, James, thirteen months, had his ceremony at Stirling Castle where only 1/10th of the nobility attended.
Many questioned legality of her abdication. When Mary assumed guilt in a Catholic plot to abdicate Elizabeth and kill her, they accepted James’ rule. Magnates used James to gain influence. Earl of Lennox, his grandfather, was wounded in attempts to kidnap Charles, and carried to Stirling Castle. James was five.
Who was James cared for by?
Which tutors was he appointed to, and what did they teach him?
What did Young teach him?
What did James advise Henry?
James was cared for by John Erskine, Earl of Mar, with a small royal household at Stirling. His emotional development was neglected with the Countess of Mar neglecting his mental health.
After his third birthday, he was appointed two tutors, George Buchanan, a humanist scolar who was severe, and Peter Young. Both educated him, telling him that Kings who were ungodly would be deposed or even killed, justifying Mary’s abdication in De Juri Regni apud Scotus; Charles disagreed and wrote of this in Basilikon Doron, 1599. He was taught from Young to hate catholics, and was very knowledgable in mythology, religion, politics, and classics.
He advised Henry if the libels continued to act in this way, reading their doctrine would give them power.
Why did Buchanan refer to Mary as an evil witch?
When was Mary found guilty of conspiring to murder Elizabeth?
What was James’ response?
Buchanan was charmed by Mary, but as part of the Lennox clan, with Darnley’s father as chief, he began to refer to her as an evil witch. James could not stand this. In 1586-87, Mary was found guilty in English court of conspiring with Anthony Babington to murder Elizabeth, James showed ambivalence, as he considered it foolish to value his mother before the crown, and wrote to Elizabeth to state the councillors should punish her. When she was executed, he whispered, ‘ now I am king.’
Who was Esme Stuart, and when did he enter James’ life? What did he give to poets? What did he become to James? What rumours followed? What was he made Duke of?
In September 1679, Esme Stuart, a French kinsman 24 years older, arrived in Scotland, and James showered him with honours and rewards. He gave patronage to Court poets led by Alexander Montgomerie, and James began to write poetry. Stuart became his Lord Great Chamberlain, providing 60 men-at-arms, and First Gentleman of the Chamber, running James’ Bedchamber and getting first choice at sleeping there, 24 men attended to King.
Rumours of their relationship followed. He was Duke of Lennox.
What did David Moysie claim about Lennox?
When did ministers of the Kirk react?
Who remained James’ closest friend, and when did he die?
Who considered him too influenced by men in his bedchamber, and who considered he trusted himself?
When was James in control?
David Moysie of the Privy Council claimed that Lennox was taking advantage of this young man, and in 1581, the ministers of the Kirk, roused to fury by the rise of a Jesuit, attempted to drive him from the realm. He died the year later, and Ludovich, his son, would remain James’ closest friend; in 1624, when he died as Earl of Richmond, he was buried in Westminster with royalty. Englishman Thomas Fowler considered James to be too influenced by men in his bedchamber, but the Earl of Kennie knew James trusted himself and nobody else.
By 17, James was in control, and in the 1584 parliament enforced his power over the government, through the clergy and magnates. His attempts in the north and south failed, with powerful clan chiefs, but in the border lands he had more power, he compelled subjects to stop throat-slitting and cattle rustling.
Where did James find most success, who was his chancellor?
What did he encourage?
What stopped James from punishing Earl of Huntly?
What did James’ cousin attempt to do?
James’ success was mostly to do with his Chancellor, Sir John Maitland, who staffed men from the gentry, whose advancement depended on government. He encouraged magnates to solve disputes in the law courts. Favouritism inhibited James from interfering when Earl of Huntly, leader of the catholic landowners of the north of Scotland, waged war on Earl of Moray, murdering him. James refused to intervene, and pardoned Huntly and his earls, not wanting to be a champion of protestantism. His cousin, Earl of Bothwell, attempted to conspire with witches and raid Holyrood palace where James was trapped in his bedchamber. Magnates were rallied and he was banished, with his estates divided.
Who did James want to tame, and what did he make them?
What were consequences?
How much was spent, and what pension did Elizabeth offer?
What attempts to increase currency in late 80s-early 90s were introduced?
What did the Octavians do?
How many were made redundant?
James wanted to tame magnates by making them crown pensioners. He ended up raising substantial sums, relying on localities when the government struggled to raise revenue. On his marriage to Anne of Denmark, £100,000 was spent. A pension of £4000 from Elizabeth, from 1586, did little to lighten his burden, as he came more in debt. Between 1583-96, attempts were made to increase income, adulterating currency, increasing Customs revenue from salmon and coal, and extracting heavy fines helped the Treasury, while the Octavians were established, whom would ensure James didn’t spend without consent from five of the eight commissioners, augmenting his income by £100,000 a year. 70 members of the Household were made redundant, and eventually Parliament were made to increase customs dues and introduce duties on imports. James had to remove them.
Who became principle of Glasgow university, and what did he claim?
What did James embark on?
What acts did Parliament pass?
Andrew Melville, a scholar, who became principle of Glasgow University, claimed that there were two kings in Scotland, one who was Christ Jesus, where James was a mere member, in 1596. James, as a member of the Kirk, had to listen to criticism. He embarked in a war against presbyterianism, and in May 1584, Parliament passed the ‘Black Acts,’ asserting royal authority over all states including spiritual.
Assemblies were not to be held without his permission.
Which catholics were admitted to the council in Scotland and how did the Kirk feel?
When were James’ policies attacked?
Who met with James in March 1596, and what did ministers do ?
What did David Black claim?
In November what was the King made to be accountable for, and what did he do?
What riots were raised, and what were the consequences?
Admission of Catholics like Alexander Seton to the Council infuriated the Kirk, and in the General Assembly of March 1596, his policies were attacked. In September, Melville met with James, and ministers continued to act badly, preventing trade with France and Spain, and rebuking the Queen for frivolity. David Black, a ,disciple of Melville’s, claimed all Kings are Devil’s children. A catholic conspiracy of episcopacy in Scotland was being made. In November, the King and Council were demanded by the General Council to account for negligence in hearing the Word. James ordered commissioners of the General Assembly who supported Vlack to leave the council and forbade speeches against him. The ministers raised a riot in Edinburgh, December, and so James moved himself and his courts to Linlithgow, and city fathers agreed no ministers would be appointed without the King’s consent. He asserted an Act in 1992 to convene the Assembly where and when he pleased in conservative regions north of the Tay, attending and negotiating with moderates, whose attendance was ensured by paying expenses.
What did James expect of England, and what was the reality?
In March 1603, James travelled South of London; he had been skilful in obtaining this prize, and expected England to be a promised land, a higher European power which was more prosperous than Scotland and promising milk and honey. England had experienced population growth alongside price inflation and a new gentry class of middling landowners, while the English Reformation had created deep divisions. The English crown was in desperate need of money as it was at war with Spain, and money was lacking to build a sufficient standing army, and relied heavily on a corrupt and inefficient central bureacracy
What had Elizabeth built up, and who was James criticised by?
However, Elizabeth had built up the idea of a glorious reign, and it was hard to follow. Meanwhile, his character was severely criticised by Sir Anthony Weldon, an English civil servant who wrote anti-scots diatribe in 1617, describing James in the Court and Character of King James as an unsavoury character who wore heavily quilted clothes to defend knife attacks, drank awkwardly due to an overly large tongue, and ogled young courtiers.
What did Gordon Donaldson consider of James, and what did Charles’ bishop Godfrey Goodman argue?
In the last 25 years historians have detached themselves from this view of James, such as Gordon Donaldson, who investigated his rule in Scotland, 1965, and considered him a ruler of ‘remarkable political ability.’ They doubt travelling to England worsened his political capabilities. Further investigation shows Weldon to be responsible for James’ black legend.
One of Charles’ bishops, Godfrey Goodman, argued in his Court of James I that he was a ‘most just and good king.’
What was the English problem?
What could Scots be used for, and what was ended, but what tensions arose as a result?
By 1603, James ruled England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, as James I, and James VI in Scotland. The Scottish troops could be used to establish control in Ireland and border sores between England and Scotland were ended. However, ruling multiple countries was bound to rise tensions, as it did in the 16th century with the Spanish monarchy imposing unified rule on provinces in Portugal, Catalonia, and the Italian peninsula. There were economic, social, and political differences. Ireland was Catholic, England was half-reformed as Protestant, and Scotland was Lowland with a Protestant Reformation. Different historical traditions and religious diversity would breed national suspicion.
What was the income problem?
Why had income declined?
An unreformed financial system was inherited, as with inflation expenditure rose. Income declined, this was primarily obtained through:
Crown estates, (later sold off), customs dues, (later became customs farming as this right was sold out to merchants from private syndicates for fixed charges), wardships, (faced heavy opposition), and subsidies which didn’t represent incomes.
Elizabeth’s response was to cut expenditure, but as a result of ignoring income, at war drastic measures were made by raising forced loans to earn cash.
As a result, as parliament was not alerted to this, their ancient rights were protested and fears of royal absolutist threats to their liberties appeared at the end of her reign.
