Divisons in parliament Flashcards
Presbyterian beliefs
• Abolish episcopacy
This groups of MPs wanted to abolish episcopacy and replace it with a Presbyterian system like the Scots.
Who was the spokesperson of Presbyterian?
Denzil Holles, who was involved in writing the Newcastle Propositions.
Presbyterian beliefs
• Settlement with Charles
Presbyterian favoured a negotiated settlement with Charles and the prompt disbanding of the New Model Army
Independent beliefs
• freedom of worship
Instead of a single national church, the Independents believed that each Christian congregation should be autonomous
Who were the supporters of Political Independents?
Oliver Cromwell and Lord Saye and Sele
Independent beliefs
• Force a settlement
The Independents wanted to force a settlement on the King rather than continue with protracted negotiations.
Presbyterians’ plan for the NMA
The Presbyterians planned to disband much of the army with only eight weeks’ arrears of pay, they were owned £3 million, and send 12,000 of them to Ireland.
Who led the Middle group and what did they want?
Oliver St John
They favoured a negotiated settlement like the Presbyterians, but were no longer prepared to deal with Charles’s inflexible demands.
Discontent among soldiers
• Send to Ireland
The soldiers were aware that the Presbyterians intended to send some soldiers to Ireland and disband the rest, and they were still owed significant arrears of pay
What did the agitators think of their role?
They felt they should have a say in the peace settlement because they had played an important role in defeating the Royalists
Impact of the seizure of the king in June 1647
• General Council
A General Council of the army was established, consisting of both officers and Agitators.
What did the General Council do?
The Council met to discuss political issues including their grievances against the Presbyterian MPs
What did the Representation of the Army demand?
Mind June 1647 Henry Ireton demanded the expulsion of eleven Presbyterian MPs and fresh elections with a wider electorate
The situation during the initial stages of the army revolt
By mid-August 1647 the Independents and the army were in a position of strengths. There was considerable unity between officers and rank-and-file soldiers.
The Heads of the Proposals
• Parliament’s control
Parliament would nominate key officers of state for ten years, and would control the militia for ten years
The Heads of the Proposals
• Bishops
There would be continued used of bishops in the Church of England but a restriction on their coercive powers
The Heads of the Proposals in comparison to the Newcastle Propositions
The Head of the Proposals were more reasonable to Charles than the Newcastle Propositions.
Initial position of the Presbyterian in 1646
The Presbyterians were the largest and most dominant group in parliament but as Charles delayed his response to the Newcastle Propositions throughout 1646 and into 1647, their position became weaker.
Increasing power for the Independents
• Seats in the Commons
Seats in the House of Commons that had become vacant were filled by ‘recruiter’ elections. Many of these were won by Independents in late 1646, including religious radicals, such as Major General Thomas Harrison.
Rise in Presbyterian power
• Charles’s custody
The Presbyterians were boosted when Charles was transferred to their custody in January 1647.
City of London and the army
In December 1646 a petition from the City of London demanded that parliament disband the army because it contained so many radicals
Presbyterians’ stance on the NMA
From the beginning of negotiations, the Presbyterians hatched a campaign against the New Model Army, which they viewed as a seedbed for religious extremism.
The Presbyterians’ plan on the army
The Presbyterians planned to disband much of the army with only eight weeks; arrears of pay, but they were owed £3 million, and send 12,000 of them to Ireland
The Commons’ vote March 1647
In March 1647, the House of Commons voted that only Presbyterian and non-MPs should serve as officers. The army, backed by the Independents, refused on 29 May 1647
