Chapter 5: Relations and disputes with Parliaments, 1604-29

• When was James' first parliament?

  1604-11
• Problems with the First Parliament

  anything that raised constitutional questions (i.e. the relationship between James' prerogative and parliamentary privilege. 
• What was the Buckinghamshire Election?

  1604; James was unhappy because the new Buckinghamshire MP Francis Goodwin was an outlaw and he thought that the Commons was acting illegally. 
• What happened in the Buckinghamshire Election?

  • James replaced Goodwin with John Fortescue, a privy councillor —> was seen as royal interference.
  • James made the Buckinghamshire election issue a matter of constitutional dispute over the balance between his prerogative and parliamentary privilege.
  • However, once James asserted his defence of his prerogative he suggested a solution: both Fortescue and Goodwin would be dismissed and a new election held.
  • In return for the Commons’ acceptance of this, James acknowledged their claim to be the judge of some election returns.
• What was Shirley's Case?

  1604, MP Thomas Shirley was arrested for debt. 
• Why was Shirley's Case significant?

  • His arrest upset MPs who wanted to establish the parliamentary privilege of freedom from arrest while Parliament was sitting (excluded treason, felony, or breach of the peace).
  • To assert their point, Parliament sent the governor of the prison where Shirley was held to the Tower of London until Shirley was released.
• What was the Union of England and Scotland?

  1606, part of James' design for his new kingdom to be secure internally and to have peace with Europe
• What was 'The Form of Apology and Satisfaction' (1606)?

  A document drawn up by MPs, protesting James' handling of all his previous political issues he had dealt with. Not all MPs felt the same.
• What dominated the Commons session of 1606?

  The issues of union and finance
• What were the issues with the proposed Union?

  • Immediate intense opposition over the subject of union - i.e. disagreement over the name ‘Great Britain’
  • Some were concerned that the new state would abolish English laws because king (’the source of the law’) could rewrite the laws of a newly formed kingdom + give himself more opportunity to exercise absolute authority.
• Historian Pauline Croft on the Union

  hostility to the Union proved impossible to overcome. MPs opposed it on religious, legal, economic and political grounds. They also expressed a distaste for the Scots.
• What alienated James from Parliament?

  Parliament's anti-Scottish stance
• What caused the collapse of the Union?

  Parliamentary opposition
• What was the significance of the Great Contract?

  • Failure of the Great Contract: was the primary reason James dissolved his first parliament.
  • Negotiations of the Great Contract: further alienated James from Parliament, alongside the issue of Union and constitutional rights.
  • Consequence: despite dissolution, attachment of the Political Nation to the monarchy and the old constitution was still strong in 1610.
• Why was James' 1614 Parliament named the 'Addled Parliament'?

  lasted only 8 weeks, named thus due to its ineffectiveness
• What were the financial reasons for the failure of the Addled Parliament (1614)?

  • James called Parliament because of his financial need - Great Contract had failed, Cecil died and selling of Crown land reduced long-term income.
  • James’ debt was £680,000
  • Ability to levy impositions remained a source of conflict between the Crown and Parliament
• Why was manipulation of MPs a cause of the Addled Parliament's failure?

  • plans by the Crown to make deals in order to ensure parliamentary support for its policies were leaked. 
• Why was factional conflict a cause of the Addled Parliament's failure?

  Emergence of competing groups in politics caused political dysfunction
• Why was James' indecisiveness a cause of the Addled Parliament's failure?

  picked no Secretary of State until last minute, then picked the incompetent Ralph Winwood. 
• Why did impositions contribute to the failure of the Addled Parliament?

  stemming from 1606, remained a key source of tension between Crown and Parliament
• What were the key issues in James' 1621 parliament?

  Tension of finance, factions, favourites, foreign policy, and parliamentary privilege
• Why were monopolies an issue in 1621?

  England was not trading well with its partners + courtiers exploited monopolies as a means of attacking each other
• Why did MPs focus on the issue of monopolies?

  Partly because they could attack Buckingham, James' favourite
• What is an example of factional fighting caused by monopolies?

  Buckingham, Coke, and Cranfield encouraged Parliament to impeach Bacon, their rival, over monopolies
• What did the issue of monopolies suggest?

  The politics of this period were more about factional infighting than a Crown-Parliament split
• Why did foreign policy and parliamentary privilege become an issue in 1621?

  James implied MPs could discuss foreign policy as he wanted to frighten the Spanish into agreeing to the 'Spanish match'.
• Why did James advocate for the Spanish match?

  Adamant that it would be a means to negotiate an end to the Thirty Years War
• • 3rd December 1621: Parliament produced a petition criticising the Spanish match
  • James’ response was to backtrack and say Parliament could not discuss foreign policy because it was a part of his prerogative
• • 18th December 1621: Commons protestation where they declared Parliament’s ‘undoubted birthright’ to discuss matters such as foreign policy.
  • James’ response was to rip the document from the Common’s journal and dissolve Parliament.
• What was the Madrid Trip (1623)?


  Charles and Buckingham were sent to Spain to help complete the Spanish match.
• What was the outcome of the Madrid Trip?

  Led to Charles and Buckingham converting to favouring war against Spain due to the poor treatment they had received as a result of anti-Protestant sentiments. 
• Rex Pacificus


  translating literally to ‘the peaceful king’, that was how James viewed himself
• Issues faced by the 1624 Parliament

  • Main issue of foreign policy: whether England should intervene in the European war.
  • Anglo-Spanish War: caused by the failure of the Spanish match and Charles and Buckingham’s anti-Spanish policy.
  • Undermining of James’ authority: seemingly caused by the failure of the Spanish match and the common cause by Buckingham and Charles with MPs.
  • However: James pushed for a more aggressive foreign policy, which MPs were then reluctant to fund. Could be argued that James did this to make them realise how costly war was on England.
• When did James I die?

  March 1625; maintained a working relationship with the Political Nation right up until his death
• What were the financial issues of the 1625 Parliament?

  • Financing for war: Charles needed £1 million for war against Spain.
  • What Charles got: two small subsidies, and tonnage and poundage for 1 year.
  • Caused by his inability to explain his position
  • Saw the limited tonnage and poundage as a direct attack on his prerogative; decided to collect tonnage and poundage past the initial 1 year.
• Why was Buckingham an issue for the 1625 Parliament?

  source of tension because he wielded enormous amounts of influence (made Gentleman of the Bedchamber under Charles).
• Why was Arminianism an issue for the 1625 Parliament?

  Charles approved anti-Calvinist sentiments and showed he disregarded Parliament’s views (because he appointed Montagu as royal chaplain). 
• Why was Cádiz (1625) a failure?

  • Troops for Count Mansfield were raised by force and shipped to the Netherlands with no training and limited equipment.
  • Out of 6000 troops, 4000 died of disease and starvation.
  • English fleet failed to take the Cádiz port or capture the Spanish treasure fleet transporting gold from its South American colonies.
  • Seen particularly as a failure for Charles because he had to recall Parliament for funding.
• How did Charles antagonise the 1626 Parliament from the beginning?


  Had anti-Calvinist William Laud preach the opening sermon
• How did the 1626 Parliament antagonise Charles?

  They began impeachment proceedings against Buckingham