James I Flashcards
When did James Stuart become King of England?
24 march 1603
What areas did James have power over as King?
- Foreign diplomacy as Head of State
- Declaration of war as commander-in-chief
- Legislation through the right to call and dissolve Parliament and through giving royal assent
- Religion as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England
What was the main way Parliament had power over the Crown?
Money in the form of subsidies.
Who had to pay for subsidies?
Members of the Political Nation, including the people who sat in Parliament who had to vote to give subsidies, meaning they were reluctant to grant them.
Given Parliament’s reluctance to grant subsidies to the Crown, what was the monarch forced to do?
Exploit their prerogative income.
What were the main forms of prerogative income?
- Crown lands - the crown had sold or rented land at fixed rates meaning they could not be adjusted for inflation, drastically reducing the amount of money they generated.
- Customs duties - taxes from imported goods. The crown could also temporarily sell the right to collect them to raise money quickly.
- Feudal dues - the crown had the right to control the estate of someone under the age of 21.
- Parliamentary subsidy - funds given by parliament for emergencies such as war.
Why was prerogative income a concern for parliament?
A financially self-sufficient monarch could do away them altogether and be absolutist.
What was happening to inflation when James I came to the throne?
It was on the rise.
What was central to the monarch conducting domestic and foreign policy?
Money
What happened to Crown expenditure during James’ reign compared to Elizabeth’s?
It doubled because James saw England as a land of plenty.
What did the Crown lack when trying to implement policy?
Administrative ability, with only 2000 civil servants, meaning they had to rely on the Political Nation.
When did James become James VI of Scotland?
13 years of age.
What type of monarch did James I see himself as?
Rex Pacificus, or, the peacemaker king.
When was the Millenary Petition presented to James I?
As he travelled to London to take the English throne in March 1603.
What was the Millenary Petition?
A list of Puritan requests calling for changes to the Church.
What did the Millenary Petition want changing?
They wanted modifications in church services, the freedom of ministers to not wear ceremonial robes, education requirements for ministers, and reform of ecclesiastical courts.
How did the population change between 1500 and 1650?
It nearly doubled.
What did the population change between 1500 and 1650 lead to?
- Inflation
- Food shortage
- Land shortage
- Unemployment
- Reliance on state poor relief
Why was there little change to the social order despite rising inflation and food shortages etc?
Belief in the ‘Great Chain of Being’.
What did the ‘Great Chain of Being’ assert?
That it was for the benefit of all to accept the position given to them by God.
What was the psuedo-gentry?
Merchants and doctors who created their wealth from their work rather than inheriting it. Some London merchants even had more money than those in the established aristocracy.
What happened to knighthoods under James I?
He allowed many of his courtiers to sell them which reduced their value.
When was the title of Baronet created and why?
1611; because knighthoods had become so devalued after James I had allowed his courtiers to sell them.
What is Presbyterianism?
This was the main religion in Scotland and James would have been bought up as Presbyterian. Their Church had no head but were governed by Elders, and they used the English Bible.
What is Puritanism?
The ‘hotter sort of Protestant’. They were an important minority in England. Their head was the monarch and they were governed by Bishops. They used the English Bible and were very plain in dress and buildings.
What is Calvinism?
These were the majority in England. Their head was the monarch and again they were governed by Bishops, but their dress and buildings were much more elaborate and decorated and believed in salvation through faith.
What is Arminianism?
They were a minority but gained influence under Charles I. They were seen by most Protestants as closest to Catholics in their beliefs. They had elaborate dress and building decoration, as well as use of the English Bible and Communion instead of a Sermon.
Who were the Catholics?
They were a minority in England but significantly they were a majority in Ireland. The Pope was the head of their Church, not the monarch, and were governed by Bishops. They used the Latin Bible and were very decorated in their dress and buildings.
What was James I’s attitude towards Catholics?
He was prepared to distinguish between ‘quiet’ and ‘factious’ Catholics, although this ran counter to popular feelings of anti-Catholicism throughout the country. It did prove to be effective at avoiding direct challenges from Catholics however.
When were Recusancy Fines issued?
May 1603
What were Recusancy Fines?
They were fines levied on anyone who did not attend the compulsory Church of England service on a Sunday.
Who were Recusancy Fines supposed to target?
Puritans and Catholics as they were more likely to be recusants and so this was seen as an attack on them.
What was the result of the Millenary Petition?
In July 1603 James announced that all income from impropriated tithes would go towards better salaries for church ministers.
The Hampton Court Conference was called in January 1604.
When was James I’s first parliament?
1604
What dominated James I’s first parliament?
The issue of parliamentary privilege which granted MPs freedom from arrest and freedom of speech while parliament was sitting.
Why was parliamentary privilege an issue?
Because the unwritten constitution made the line between parliamentary privilege and royal prerogative a continuous source of conflict.
When was the Treaty of London signed?
1604
What did the Treaty of London do?
Secured peace with Spain, reducing the crown’s expenditure.
Who were the Jesuits?
A Catholic order of religious men seen as the violent arm of the Catholic Church.
What happened in 1604 with regard to Jesuits?
Encouraged by Parliament, legislation was proposed and passed to clamp down on Jesuit activity.
When did the Hampton Court Conference take place?
January 1604
What was the only outcome of the Hampton Court Conference?
The start of the King James Bible.
When did James approve Bancroft’s Canons?
September 1604
What were Bancroft’s Canons?
Church laws which upheld many orthodox doctrines of the Church and other practices condemned by Puritans in the Millenary Petition such as the wearing of clerical dress, use of the sign of cross in baptism, and bowing to the name of Jesus.
When was the Buckinghamshire Election?
1604
What was the issue surrounding the Buckinghamshire Election?
Francis Goodwin’s election as MP for Buckinghamshire had been annulled by the Court of Chancery on the grounds that he was an outlaw. After hearing Goodwin’s case the Commons voted to reinstate Goodwin and saw the attempted replacement of him as royal interference. James believed the Commons were acting illegally by allowing an outlaw to sit as an MP, and made the provocative statement that “they derived all matters of privilege from him and by his grant”.
Who was the MP expelled by the Court of Chancery in the Buckinghamshire Election?
Francis Goodwin
Why was Francis Goodwin’s election overturned by the Court of Chancery in 1604?
They determined that he was an outlaw.
What was the outcome of the tension surrounding the Buckinghamshire Election?
Both Goodwin and Fortescue (Goodwin’s replacement) were dismissed and another election called, demonstrating James’ pragmatism.
What was Shirley’s Case?
The MP Thomas Shirley was arrested for debt. This was in breach of the parliamentary privilege of freedom from arrest.
When was Shirley’s Case?
1604
What did parliament do in response to Shirley’s Case?
They sent the governor of the prison Shirley was being held at to the Tower of London until Shirley was released.
When did Richard Bancroft become Archbishop of Canterbury?
December 1604
What did Bancroft’s appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury begin?
A push for conformity within the church.
Who were the Silenced Brethren?
They were the clergymen who refused to conform to Bancroft’s Canons and were expelled from the church as a result.
When was the Gunpowder Plot?
1605
Who masterminded the Gunpowder Plot?
Robert Catesby and Guido Fawkes.
