Parliment after 1588 Flashcards
1) Succession
Peter Wentworth told Elizabeth her name would live in ‘infamy’ unless she named a successor
November 11, 1591, arressted He was interrogated and imprisoned until 1593
When he was released he attempted to force Elizabeth to name a successor again and was re-imprisoned until his death in 1597.
. He was arrested again on December 3, 1593, and remained in custody until his death.
Wentworth died in prison on March 6, 1597.
2) religion
1593—bill aiming to treat Catholics and Puritans harsher was resisted. The Catholic part was passed, but MPs (Walter Rayleigh) opposed harsher laws on Puritans.
May 24, 1593 - Act against seditious secreaties
Whit gift / Bancroft crackdown- Catholics were forced to stay five miles close to their homes, to stop them joining up with other Catholics
George Blackwell became the Archpriest of England on July 5, 1598.
leads English Catholics to reject, fear reprisals, parliament/liz give printing press, propaganda against Blackwell
1601 - MPs put forward a more catholic bill to end plurality (priests having several jobs), but Archbishop Whit gift argued it wasn’t part of the prerogative and the bill was scrapped.
Recusancy fines over £20 – over 3500, see how less then 1% practicing Catholics by end of reign, success to limit Catholicism by protestants, but puritans fail to bring major change
3) war and tax
Parliament partially fund the war (£480000 in 1589, however the war had cost £1 million up to that date – costs over 126000 – 1/2 yearly income
1588 - borrowed £75 000 from wealthy subjects.
1588 – forcibly borrows 56000 of city of London at 10% p/a
1593 -have spent 7 million - Cecil claimed 300,000 was needed.
Raleigh argued that any tax increase show not fall on the poorest, however he was ignored and taxes went up again.
Bacon opposes – nobility must sell gold, Raleigh opposes as causes poverty
1600- Elizabeth forced to sell £200 000 of crown lands
4)monopolies
July 28, 1597- Robert Wingfield – writes ‘sundry enormities and monopolies and the abuse of them’ – issue as cause inflation
Elizbeth employs this as a chance to appear gracious, removes few but adds more
1601 – Treasurer Buckhurst – petition against monopolies, holders ‘blood suckers’
30th November 1601 – Golden speech removes main ones, much beloved
Finances not that bad compared against the Spanish. Charles V had a debt of 36 million Ducats.
Purveyance
Purveyance (the right for Elizabeth to buy certain goods, like horses, for below the market rate). 1593 MP’s voted to give Elizabeth generous taxes
In return they wanted Elizabeth to reform the system of purveyance. Cecil told the MP’s this was a part of Elizabeth’s prerogative, but Elizabeth agreed to look in to it, some reform to appease
