finances

• Charles wanted to reestablish strong finances as a response to James' debts
• How much did parliament grant Charles for the thirty years war in 1625?

  two subsidies totalling £140,000
• What did parliament do in regards to tonnage and poundage in 1625?


  They only granted Charles the right to collect it for a year, rather than the expected lifetime

  • Charles saw this as a direct attack on his prerogative when it was in reality mostly aimed at Buckingham's lack of success in foreign policy
• Charles continued to collect tonnage and poundage even after his one year parliamentary grant expired
• benevolence payments

  designed for emergency need in war, is voluntary

  • Charles does not gain parlimentary consent
• 1626– the forced loan 


  Charles used his prerogative to collect money equal to five subsidies

  everyone who could pay was expected to – Charles personally identified himself with the forced loan which showed him who was truly loyal to him.

  people who did not pay were imprisoned without trial
• How much was raised from the forced loan?

  £267,00 – 70% of the expected amount
• 1627 – case of the five knights


  5 knights who did not pay the forced loan were imprisoned without trial which went against habeas corpus (nobody should be imprisoned without trial, Magna Carta 1215)
• Parliament reaction to the case of the five knights

  Parliament thought that the king had overstepped his prerogative and this caused a strained, untrustworthy relationship
• Charles wanted the right to lock up anybody he wanted as all political opposition would be eliminated and the country would be more organised and easier to run
• 1627 – grievances of Parliament 


  taxation – no taxes to be collected without parliamentary consent

  no more billeting of troops – families in southwest have to house and feed soldiers which caused extra costs for parliament to the families

  end martial law
• 1628 – petition of rights


  no taxation without parliamentary consent

  no imprisonment without cause

  no quartering of soldiers on subjects

  no marital law in peacetime
• Charles eventually had to sign the petition as parliament threatened to not give him any money for his foreign policy – he signed it but found loopholes and was able to continue to collect tonnage and poundage
• 23rd August 1628 –Buckingham's assassination


  Stabbed to death in the Greyhound Inn by John Felton (discharged officer of navy from La Rochelle)
• Reaction to Buckingham's assassination

  Widely celebrated as people were so frustrated with having an incompetent leader of their military/navy