Charles I and Parliament, 1625-29

• When did Charles succeeed to the throne?

  March 1625
• How did parliamentary disagreements initially begin?

  When the Commons refused to grant Charles the right to collect Tonnage and Poundage for life
• Why did Charles want to collect Tonnage and Poundage?

  in response to the disastorous Mansfield campaign
• What did the MP's suggest instead of granting Charles the right to collect Tonnage and Poundage?

  They suggested a grant should be made for a year
• Why did Mp's suggest a grant should be made intead of collecting Tonnage and Poundage?

  so Charles would be forced to call parliament regularly
• Who was Queen Henrietta Maria?

  King Charles' Catholic wife
• What did Queen Maria establish?

  Her own court of Catholic advisers
• What was the problem with Queen Maria having a court of Catholic advisers?


  Parliament was worried that the Queen would be able to influence the King's decisions due to her religion
• How did the King show more of his religious sympathies?

  By promoting Arminian clergy in the church and offering a position at court to Arminians such as Richard Montagu
• What did the planned war lead to?

  Conscription of troops and the forced billeting of troops in people's houses
• Whta was the problem with forced billeting of troops in people's houses?

  it was at a time when a serious outbreak of the plague had already disrupted the economy
• Why did the commons begin disussing impeachment proceedings against Buckingham?

  Due to a poorly trained and equipped naval expedition sent to attack the port of Cadiz in Spain led by Buckingham's nominee
• What did Charles do in response to the discussion regarding Buckingham's impeachment?

  He hastily dissolved parliament
• What does Charles' decision to call another parliament in early 1626 indicate?

  A serious lack of awareness
• What happened when parliament met in early 1626?

  They launched an attack on Buckingham for impeachment against him
• What did Charles do in response to the attacks against Buckingham?

  He was forced to dissolve parliament again without any grant of taxation
• How did Charles respond to the dissolvement of parliament in early 1626?

  By demanding a forced loan from all taxpayers
• What happened to those who refused to pay tax?

  They were punished by being imprisoned or conscripted into military service
• What did the public think of the forced loans?


  For many of the political nations, this was seen as a direct challenge to the law and existence of parliaments
• What happened to Lord Cheif Justice Carew?

  He refused to endorse the legality of the loan and was dismissed
• When was the Five Knights Case?

  November 1627
• What was the Five Knights case?

  A group of 5 knights refused to pay the forced loans
• What was the result of the 5 Knights case?


  The knights were imprisoned and sued for release under habeas corpus.
• Why was the result of the 'Five Knights case' a major confrontation in 1628?

  As Charles summoned another parliament to provide funds for the now desperate need for national defence.
• Why was Charles in need for national defence?

  The attack on Cadiz had been followed up by further deterioration in relations with France
• What did Buckingham's inept diplomacy lead to ?

  War and a failed attempt to support a Protestant rebellion in La Rochelle.
• Why were attacks on Buckingham by parliament later abandoned?

  Parliament were aware that confrontation could lead to another dissolution
• What was Parliament's new subtle strategy?


  The Commons voted a total of five subsidies in taxation and prepared the Petition of Right which they offered to the king
• What did the Petition of Right demand? (3)

  -King to reverse the decision made in the Five Knights case.

  -citizens would not be asked to pay forced loans, imprisoned without trial, or subjected to martial law

  -citizens would not be forced to provide free lodgings for soldiers
• Why did Charles end the session of parliament in 1628?

  Due to continuing complaints about Buckingham and the promotion of Arminians in the Church
• What was Charles' published revised version of the Petition?

  It asserted his right to continue collecting Tonnage and Poundage without a parliamentary grant.
• What happened to merchants who refused to give Charles the Tonnage and Poundage?

  Using the same justification of emergency powers in the national interest, he imprisoned them
• What happened to Richard Chambers?

  He was granted bail by the common law courts
• What happened to Richard Chambers after he was granted bail?

  Charles had him imprisoned by the Prerogative Court of the Star Chamber on direct royal authority
• Who was William Laud?

  A noted Arminian cleric who was appointed as Bishop of London by the King
• What was the benefit of The Petition of Right for Charles?

  It had offered the opportunity for reconciliation between Charles and parliament this diminished as a result of his actions.
• What happened to Buckingham?


  He was assassinated by John Felton
• When was Buckingham assassinated?


  August 1628
• When did parliament reassemble again?

  in January 1629
• What happened when parliament reassembled in January 1629?

  They began to look into breaches of the Petition, and the treatment of merchants who had refused to pay Tonnage and Poundage.