Stuarts - Chapter 5: Relations and disputes between parliaments (1604-29)

Question 1

Character of James

Answer 1

• Extremely trusting to Scottish advisers
• Schooled as a Presbyterian
• James hardly understood the rights or the temper of the English Parliament, and he thus came into conflict with it.

Question 2

James I View of the monarchy

Answer 2

• Stated God places kings on the throne and that they have unrestrained power
• Are able to act above the law and not subject to -judicial procedures
• Saw Parliament that served him if he needed it

Question 3

Character of Charles I

Answer 3

• Poor speaker and had stammer
• Disapproved of father’s court and favoured hierarchal approach to government
• Believer in Divine Right
• Angered easily, less evident when he became King in 1625

Question 4

Charles I

Views of monarchy

Answer 4

• Difficult to access and viewed outsiders with suspicion
• Appointed Arminian chaplains who believed in the Divine Right
• Ceremonies surrounding visits exercised in France were introduced

Question 5

Charles I Aims

Answer 5

Restore order and decorum to royal court

Maintain order in the Church

Establishing a financial base

Secure Authority of the monarchy

Control over Three Kingdoms

Question 6

Finance

Underlying problems

Answer 6

Elizabeth inherited a Crown debt over 250,000 when becoming Queen

Inflation affected value of commodities and money

Series of bad harvests in 1590s

Fighting Spain since 1585 ->Could not rely on ordinary revenue and forced to sell Crown assets

Question 7

Finance

Success

Answer 7

Book of Rates 1608 introduced and Cecil became James’s adviser

Cranfield in 1618 established commissions -> reduced spending by half

Between 1603-13, main exports were cloth had increased steadily

James used monopolies to reward favourites. Monopolies were continued to be used and sold to individuals

Question 8

Finance failure under James I

Answer 8

Book of Rates was resented because new custom duties were introduced

Mistakenly believed that England (cash cow), gave £100,000 to his Scottish courtiers

1624, Statute of Monopolies passed, greatly reducing the Crown’s ability of sell monopolies and patients

Question 9

Impact of Foreign Policy under Charles 1625

Answer 9

Asked a loan of £60,000 from CoaL merchants

Commons refused Tonnage and Poundage and excise tax for life

MPs granted T and P for one year, Parliament dissolved

Question 10

Impact of Foreign Policy 1626

Answer 10

Buckingham attacked by Parliament -> responsible for foreign policy failures

Parliament dissolved and forced loan. Refused -> imprisoned or army

Question 11

Impact of Foreign Policy 1627

Answer 11

Over £200,000 was successfully raised from forced loan

Gentry involved ‘Five Knights Case’ were told by court, been specially detained by King (Royal tyranny)

Question 12

James I and First Parliament 1604-10

Answer 12

First session: 1604
Unite kingdoms of England and Scotland
Drafted Robert Cecil and faced opposition

Second session: 1605-6
Gunpowder Plot
Unity with legislation targeting Catholics although financial settlement was hard to come by
Granted subsidies worth £400,000

1607-10
Parliament did not meet
Introduction to Great Contract in 1610

Question 13

What were Charles’s expectations of the new Parliament? (1625)

Answer 13

• He believed the new Parliament would be as cooperative as the last one
• That they would grant him all of the money requested for the war against Spain, and tonnage and poundage for life

Question 14

How did James inadvertently create a hostile Houses of Commons?

Answer 14

He bestowed lordships on many of his allies in the commons, meaning those left in the commons were hostile whilst the lords was allied.

Question 15

[Finance] Why didn’t the commons trust James?

Answer 15

His extravagant spending created the impression that he couldn’t be trusted with any money he was granted by parliament.

Question 16

[Foreign Policy] Why didn’t the commons trust James?

Answer 16

There were fears that he was too close to Catholic powers through his relationship with Count Gondomar (Spanish Ambassador). His mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was a Catholic and there were worries that James would grant more tolerance for Catholics, or become one himself.

Question 17

Why was parliament so intent on war with Spain and intervention in the Palatinate in 1624?

Answer 17

There was a lot of anti-Spanish vitriol fuelled by a fear of Catholicism and also nostalgic memories of defeating the Spanish Armada. In the Palatinate, they also saw Protestantism as being under threat from Catholic Habsburgs.

Question 18

How did James’ damage relations with the parliament at the end of the 1621 parliament?

Answer 18

He declared he would have nothing to do with parliament in the future.

Question 19

Why was the 1614 parliament known as the ‘Addled Parliament’?

Answer 19

No legislation was passed.

Question 20

Why did James’s policy towards Recusancy fines outlined in 1621 damage both his finances and his relationship with parliament?

Answer 20

Parliament wished for them to be pursued more vigorously, but James was eager to try and improve relations with the Catholic Spain.

Question 21

What promise did Charles make to Louis XIII of France that would effectively ruin any chance of a successful relationship with parliament upon his ascension to the throne?

Answer 21

He promised to lift restrictions on Catholics in England.

Question 22

How did the electorate contribute to the failure of the Great Contract?

Answer 22

They expressed concerns about the annual tax payments that would have been necessary to provide James with a regular income.

Question 23

How did Cecil’s departure from the commons and subsequent replacement with Sir Edwin Sandy damage James’ relationship with the commons?

Answer 23

Cecil was well respected in parliament and was a soothing presence and member of the Privy Council, whereas Sandy was a veteran of the commons who would vehemently rebuke any perceived attack on the privileges and protocols of the commons.

Question 24

How did Sir Edwin Sandy set the precedent for a rocky relationship when defining the terms of James’ proposed union between England and Scotland?

Answer 24

He stipulated that any union would mean that Scots would be ruled by English laws under an English parliament.

Question 25

How did fighting between factions in the houses of commons lead to a lack of progress in the 1614 parliament?

Answer 25

The Pro-Spain and Anti-Spain groups were so divided on foreign policy matters.

Question 26

Why was Charles not ‘supposed’ to become Monarch?

Answer 26

Charles was the second son of James, his first son, Henry, was heir to the throne until his death in November 1612.
Following his death Charles became the new heir to the throne, something which he was unused to.

Question 27

What approach did Buckingham take toward Charles following his succession to the throne?

Answer 27

Buckingham was originally disliked by Charles due to the close relationship which he had with his Father.
However, Charles was a very lonely person, and was susceptible to overtures of friendship from Buckingham.
Buckingham wanted to develop a friendship with Charles to remain relevant after the inevitable death of James.

Question 28

What area of foreign policy did Buckingham have considerable influence over?

Answer 28

The direction of the War with Spain.

He was responsible for several mishaps during the war, which were both embarrassing and financially costly.

Question 29

How did Charles respond to the poor Military Leadership of Buckingham?

Answer 29

He refused to accept the fact that Buckingham was incompetent.

Question 30

How many subsidies did Parliament grant James in 1624?

Answer 30

Three Subsidies —

The purpose of which was to secure Ireland, Support the Dutch and to rebuild and improve the Navy.

Question 31

How did James’ military strategy effect Charles relationship with Parliament?

Answer 31

Parliament wanted a war with Spain in 1624, James wanted to avoid this, and intended to regain the Palatinate while avoiding full scale war.
This caused much of the money allocated in 1624 to be wasted, or spent against the will of Parliament.
This made it much harder for Charles to get funding for the military, it also made parliament more restrictive.

Question 32

How did Charles’ marriage to Henrietta Maria cause conflict?

Answer 32

When the Spanish Match collapse, many people in Parliament were happy, and celebrated the event.
So when Charles instead married a French Catholic, this was not much more popular than the Spanish Match.

Question 33

List the overall reasons as to why Charles had a difficult relationship with Parliament: (Up to 1629)

Answer 33

• Charles’ personality and his personal views on Divine -Right and the role of the Monarch.
• Foreign Policy Problems - War with Spain.
• Financial Pressures.
• Support of Buckingham.
• Religious Issues.

Question 34

When was the first Parliament?

Answer 34

June - August 1625.

Question 35

What were the problematic contexts surrounding the 1625 Parliament?

Answer 35

An outbreak of the Plague in London meant many MP’s were unwilling to expose themselves to the disease.
Henrietta Maria had just arrived from France, this brought Religious issues up from the various radical MP’s who remained, despite the Plague.

Question 36

How was Foreign Policy an issue in the 1625 Parliament?

Answer 36

Charles and Buckingham were unwilling to explain much of their plans to Parliament, as Charles did not see any reason why he should have to.
Eventually, they made it clear that a Naval Expedition to Cadiz was needed.
Charles also hoped to subsidise a Danish invasion of Germany, but how much this would cost was not clear. Parliament wanted more details.

Question 37

How was an Finance an issue in the 1625 Parliament?

Answer 37

MP’s became unhappy when he insisted granting subsidies should take precedence over any other issues, which must be kept until a later session.
They reluctantly granted £140,000 worth of Subsidies and Tonnage and Poundage for a single year. (Most Monarchs had been granted this for life.)

Question 38

How was Buckingham a problem in the 1625 parliament?

Answer 38

Buckingham lacked the support of much of the Privy Council. (They believed Buckingham had a monopoly of influence over Charles.)
Questions had begun to be asked about the Military Experience (or lack thereof) of Buckingham, and how he was in the position of Lord Admiral of the Navy without any previous military experience.

Question 39

How was Religion an issue in the 1625 Parliament?

Answer 39

MP’s were concerned about the relaxed enforcement of the Penal Laws.
Charles was not willing to listen, so Parliament threatened to withhold financial support until he granted their demands.
Parliament began to attack Richard Montagu, who was an Arminian, who Charles defended.

Question 40

When did Charles dissolve the 1625 Parliament?

Answer 40

12th August 1625.

Question 41

When was the Second Parliament?

Answer 41

February - June 1626.

Question 42

What were the circumstances surrounding the 1626 Parliament?

Answer 42

The Military Expedition to Cadiz was a complete disaster, and deficiencies in Leadership were soon revealed to be the main cause.
Charles became suspicious of the intentions of Parliament, when they continued to pursue Buckingham.

Question 43

How was Foreign Policy an issue in the 1626 Parliament?

Answer 43

The invasion of Cadiz was being ran from a poorly provisioned and supplied fleet.
The army had poor quality clothing, and lacked food / water, so they ended up drinking wine and becoming drunk on the streets of Cadiz during the invasion.
Many MP’s (Such as Elliot), blamed the failure of Charles and Buckingham for the death of the soldiers and the failure of the expedition.

Question 44

How was Finance an issue in the 1626 Parliament?

Answer 44

Finance was a less important issue during the 1626 Parliament compared to the 1625 Parliament, due to the influx of other issues which took precedence.
MP’s were determined not to grant subsidies until their grievances were addresses properly by Charles.

Question 45

How did Charles attempt to remove Parliamentary opposition during the 1626 Parliament?

Answer 45

Charles appointed former MP’s to the position of Sherrif so that they could not stand for election.
All this achieved was the removal of several moderates from Parliament, which caused radicals to rise in rank.

Question 46

How was Buckingham an issue in the 1626 Parliament?

Answer 46

Both houses were comitted to take action against Buckingham.
Eliot wanted to impeach Buckingham for High Treason and for Posioning James.
The House of Lords were opposed to Buckingham due to the fact Charles had imprisoned a member for speaking out against Buckingham.

Question 47

How was Religion an issue in the 1626 ?

Answer 47

The Religious situation had begun to ease due to increased enforcement of the Penal Laws, and due to the fact Charles had sent his Wife’s Servants back to France.
However William Laud had begun to rise in power, he preached a Sermon at the opening of Parliament, and had begun to increase his power.

Question 48

How did Charles initially attempt to raise money without the consent of Parliament following the 1626 Parliament?

Answer 48

He initially asked MP’s to give him a ‘free gift’ of funding, however the vast majority refused unless Parliament’s consent had been given.
The City of London, only offered Charles a small amount of money (£20,000), compared to previous loans.

Question 49

Following an initial failure to gain funds, What did Charles decide on to get money?

Answer 49

Charles implemented a Forced Loan.
He was in grave need of funding to rebuild the navy as war against France was looking increasingly likely.
This raised £240,000 but was deeply unpoplar among the public

Question 50

What happened to those who resisted Paying the forced Loan?

Answer 50

Those who refused to pay risked either being conscripted to join the Navy, or were imprisoned.
Several radical MP’s were imprisoned in the Tower as a result, including John Eliot and other radicals.
They used the precedent of ‘Habeas Corpus’ to be brought to trial without indefinite imprisonment.
At trial, the Judges faced a difficult decision, but ruled Charles could detain indefinitely through his Perogative as it was a ‘Matter of State’.

Question 51

What happened between 1626-1628 in regard to to Buckingham?

Answer 51

Buckingham was responsible for yet another Military catastrophe.
Buckingham’s Navy failed to invade the French port of La Rochelle as scaling ladders were too short - due to poor planning on the part of Buckingham the invasion was another disaster.
This reconfirmed what Parliament had previously been saying about the need to impeach and remove Buckingham.

Question 52

When was the Third session of Parliament?

Answer 52

March-June 1628.

January-March 1629.

Question 53

At the beginning of the third Parliament what did Charles do to pave the way for a better outcome than the previous two Parliaments?

Answer 53

He released those whom he had imprisoned.
He allowed his Secretary of State, Sir John Coke, to communicate with MP’s, rather than Charles communicating Directly. This avoided needless irritation.

Question 54

What issues did MP’s raise during the third parliament?

Answer 54

• Perogative - MP’s were concerned about it’s use for unlawful taxation and imprisonment.
• Billeting - He had billeted troops into households in the south-west and had not paid what was due.
• Martial Law - Was imposed on areas (South-West) where the troops were stationed.
• Foreign Policy - Failure to invade La Rochelle lead by Buckingham.

Question 55

What was the Petition of Right?

Answer 55

The Petition of Right was a less radical solution to the ‘Bill of Rights’ proposed by John Eliot and other Radicals.
This was to define the powers of the King, and to prevent Charles from interpreting his perogative as he deemed fit.
Charles agreed to the petition in order to receive the funding for a second expedition to La Rochelle. He intended to avoid the petition using technicalities later on.

Question 56

What action did Eliot take regarding Religion between 1628-1629?

Answer 56

Once the unhealthy summer had arrived, most of the moderate MP’s had left London. This gave the radicals an ideal moment to push for Religous reform, in the absence of the moderates.
Eliot drew up a remonstrance protesting about the growth of Arminianism.
He went on to impeach Richard Manwaring, for a sermon on the issue of the Divine Right which he had preached in 1627.

Question 57

How did the Third session of Parliament end?

Answer 57

It came to an end on a sour note due to disputed between MP’s and Charles over the legality of his collection of Custom Duties.

Question 58

What issue(s) from the 1628 parliament hindered progress in the beginning of the 1629 parliament?

Answer 58

The refusal on both side to not give in to outstanding matters in the Petition of Right

Question 59

What two main reasons from the petition were most prevalent in the 1629 sitting of parliament?

Answer 59

• Customs duties

- The religious question and the rise of Arminianism

Question 60

Why were Customs duties an issue in the 1629 parliament?

Answer 60

Charles had argued that the petition of rights didn’t outright ban the levying of Customs duties specifically so he continued collecting them and even imprisoning and impounded the goods of merchants who refused to pay

Question 61

Why did the religious question and the rise of Arminianism cause an issue in the 1629 parliament?

Answer 61

A series of deaths among bishops had lead to Charles being able to fill those positions with 8 new bishops of his choice. This included Laud as bishop of London and Montagu as Winchester. This was provocative on the part of Charles as they were unpopular with many MPs

Question 62

Who led the radical MPs in the 1629 parliament?

Answer 62

John Eliot, MP for Cornwall

Question 63

Which moderate MPs did the radicals defy the efforts of to calm the situation?

Answer 63

• Nathaniel Rich in the commons

- Saye, Sele and Warwick in the Lords

Question 64

Why did Charles adjourn the 1629 parliament?

Answer 64

He was unwilling to compromise on the two main issues and anticipated that they would not grant him tonnage or poundage for life

Question 65

What was the reaction of the radical MPs to the adjournment of the 1629 parliament?

Answer 65

While Black Rod hammered on the door to the Commons for prorogation to the lords, Eliot, Denzil Holles and Benjamin Valentine held down the speaker while they ‘passed’ 3 resolutions

Question 66

What were the 3 resolutions forcibly passed in the 1629 parliament?

Answer 66

• Those advertising popish or Arminian innovations in religion were ‘capital enemies to this kingdom’
• Those who participated in the collection of Customs duties were ‘innovators in the government’ and ‘capital enemies to this kingdom’
• Those who paid Customs duties were ‘betrayers of the liberty of England and enemies to the same’

Question 67

What was Charles’ revenge on the agitators of the events of the 1629 parliament?

Answer 67

Arrested 9 MPs and weren’t allowed to claim parliamentary privileges for their ‘political subversion’

Question 68

Which MPs were sent to the Tower of London after their arrest?

Answer 68

Holles, Eliot and Valentine accsued for raising sedition between King and People

Question 69

Which MP died in the Tower of London in 1629?

Answer 69

John Eliot

Question 70

When was Valentine released from the Tower?

Answer 70

1640