Chapter 9: Long Parliament, Pym, and outbreak of Civil War

• When did Long Parliament first sit?

  3rd November 1640
• What was Bedford's proposed financial settlement?

  • tried to bridge the gap between Crown and Parliament.
  • Bedford and his allies, including Pym in the Commons, proposed a compromise without any fundamental changes:
  • the abolition of the most confrontational financial and political aspects of the Personal Rule.
  • a return to an Elizabethan-based broad Protestant church.
  • a separate financial settlement (as agreed by Parliament) for Charles I.
• What was the result of Bedford's proposed financial settlement

  Bedford proposed to take role of Lord Treasurer with Pym as Chancellor of the Exchequer to carry this out, BUT Charles’ reluctancy followed by Bedford’s death in May 1641 made further progress difficult
• Issue with Wentworth

  Wentworth was regarded by many MPs as “the man with the potential to make Charles absolutist” so they focused on him and because he could be made a scapegoat. 
• Charles' relationship with Wentworth

  • Loyal to Charles and had shown he was capable of dealing with conflict in Ireland
  • Was to become Charles’ main adviser, to sort out growing problems such as bankruptcy and war with the Scottish Covenanters. 
  • Supported Charles’ desire to renew war with Scots while Parliament wanted peace
• Parliament's criticisms of Wentworth

  • Wentworth’s heavy-handed approach to the Irish situation and wanting to raise funds to fight the Scots
  • Safer to blame ‘evil’ councillors such as Wentworth and Laud for the Scottish crisis. 
  • MPs were split on their views on Wentworth. Moderates wanted his imprisonment while others wanted him executed, as did the Scots. 
• November 1640: Long Parliament started the impeachment process for Wentworth for attempting to bring the Irish army to England to help Charles control his country.
• Reasons for Wentworth's impeachment

  • Parliament hoped that without ‘evil councillors’ Charles would see the need for reform and rule with Parliament.
  • Removal of ‘evil councillors’ would allow them to be replaced with people Parliament viewed as ‘good government’.
• When did Wentworth's trial start?

  March 1641
• Bill of Attainder


  Allowed anyone who was seen as a threat to the state to be removed by Parliament without the need for a formal trial
• How did Parliament choose to proceed against Wentworth?

  With a Bill of Attainder
• Some Parliamentarians such as Warwick fully supported the Bill of Attainder; some were more cautious, such as Bedford. 
• February 1641: the Scots declared that they would not make peace unless there was an end to bishops in Scotland and Wentworth was dead. 
• • April 1641: Charles heightens political tensions and undermined Wentworth’s position by ordering all officers to return to their commands with the English army in the north.
  • Seen as a plan to use the army against Parliament + there were rumours that Charles would dissolve Parliament.
• What was the Army Plot (May 1641)?

  Pym revealed the rumours of a royalist ‘Army Plot’ to seize the Tower of London, release Wentworth and dissolve Parliament. 
• Effect of the army plot

  Spurred the Commons to pass the Bill of Attainder against Wentworth, 204 votes to 59. Shows how the majority were in favour of executing Wentworth but on the other hand only half of the MPs actually voted. 
• Why did Charles give his royal assent to impeach Wentworth?

  • The heightened atmosphere of the Army Plot
  • Protestation Oath
  • Increasing presence of the London crowd made him fear for his family (in particular his wife, who was Catholic). 
• Charles' reaction to Wentworth's execution

  Was said to have been less inclined to negotiate with Parliament
• Wentworth and Bedford’s deaths marked the end of the ‘bridge appointments’ scheme which may have led to settlement in 1641. 
• What was the London crowd/mob?

  Name given to Londoners who participated in politics and supported parliamentary causes. 
• Importance of the London mob

  • MPs were aware of the potential of mobilising Londoners’ support for their campaigns - i.e. 15,000 Londoners signed the Root and Branch Petition
  • Christmas 1641: radical MPs like Pym used the London crowd to put pressure on the Lords to exclude bishops.
• John Pym: leading figure of the Commons in 1640; considered chief opponent of Charles 
• Pym's aims

  • the removal and punishment of Charles’ ‘evil councillors’
  • a political settlement without the threat of being overturned by Charles
  • removal of the threat of Catholic popery and the establishment of a strong Protestantism.
• Pym's methods during Long Parliament (1)

  • the impeachment of Wentworth and Laud
  • the formation of a working alliance with the Scottish Covenanters occupying northern England as military protection for the Long Parliament
  • supporting Bedford’s ‘bridge appointments’ scheme
  • using pressures of parliamentary finance to control Charles’ political opinions - i.e. gave Charles income from tonnage and poundage only on a two-monthly basis
• Pym's methods during Long Parliament (2)

  • was the visible and vocal face of the radical attack on Charles’ prerogative with a dangerous appeal to the people outside Parliament.
  • using parliamentary committees to steer Parliament towards settlement.
• Historian David Farr on John Pym

  “Pym can be seen, and was seen by contemporaries, as a symbol of how Parliament became more of a threat to moderates than Charles was in 1641.” 
• What caused the development of constitutional royalism?

  The reaction that developed against Pym from the moderates. Also led to the formation of the Royalist party and the two divisions leading to civil war
• What was the Root and Branch Petition (1640)?

  The Puritan demand for the end of bishops and episcopacy
• Divisions caused by the Root and Branch Petition?

  • Pym supported the petition but did not want to destroy the Church - he wanted to remove Charles’ influence and allow locals more control of their church —> Churches could revert back to a moderate Protestant Church of England.
  • Clear disagreement as to what to replace Laudianism with - Laud was impeached 1640-41 but not executed until 1645
  • Many saw the dismantling of the Church structure (particularly the bishops’ removal) as undermining the whole order of society.
• Significance of the petition debate

  It “accurately prefigured subsequent political allegiance at so early a date.” (Historian David L. Smith)
• What was the Triennial Act (Feb 1641)?

  • Abolished ship money without parliamentary consent.
  • Also stated that Charles had to call a parliament every three years and that it should last for a minimum of 50 days - ensuring no Personal Rule
• What caused the emergence of the Royalist party?

  • Preventing Personal Rule: MPs could generally agree that they did not want Personal Rule to happen again, but how to prevent its repetition brought differences into the open.
  • Bill of Attainder: Some saw the use of this to remove Wentworth as constitutionally dangerous
  • Religion: Religious issues such as the role of bishops caused further division
• What were the Ten Propositions (24th June 1641):

  • Confirmed radicalism of Parliament
  • Made clear that Charles would need to make concessions, including:
  • parliamentary input into who was in his Privy Council
  • parliamentary control of those around the queen
  • parliamentary control over religious education for the royal children
  • There was little chance Charles would agree
• What was the Scottish reaction to the Ten Propositions?

  Many felt the radical in the Covenanting alliance had gone too far too fast
• August 1640: Earl of Montrose and 17 other Scottish nobles signed the Cumbernauld Band, stating the desire to defend the king —> signalled significant division in Scotland.
• • Charles left for Scotland in August 1641: Some of the Commons distrusted him and organised a Committee of people to be sent to keep an eye on him (incl.Hampden)
  • Some questioned whether this was necessary, leading to further division.
• What was the 'Incident' (Oct 1641) and what was its significance?

  • A royalist plot to kidnap Scottish Covenanters while Charles was in Scotland
  • Consequence: destroyed Charles’ hope of gaining further support
• Significance of the Irish Rebellion

  • Fear of Catholicism and imminent invasion heightened by distorted accounts of the massacres; ranged between 3,000 and 12,000.
  • Some Protestant English politicians became radicalised as a result of fear of Catholicism + wanted to avenge Protestant massacres.
• What was the Grand Remonstrance (November 1641) and what was its importance?

  • A list of criticisms of Charles’ government since 1625.
  • Showed why the king could not be trusted with control of the army
• Moderate reaction to the Grand Remonstrance

  Alarmed by its language and content; strongly anti-Catholic.