James I: Parliament

• Parliament wanted James to be dependent on them


  With impositions, James would not need parliament and they would lose power
• Financial pressure on the crown

  Inflation during the 16th century had eroded the royal revenue and no longer covered the cost of parliament
• James wanted to tax people more


  But parliament did not want to
• By 1610 nearly £90,000 was given to the Scottish in gifts
• James paid off debt for three men which was £44,000
• Spent £36,000 on royal clothing
• Lionel Cranfield


  Aimed to reform royal finances and gain as much money as he could for the crown, which was hard with James' spending habits
• Lionel Cranfield was found guilty in 1624 of corruption and was later imprisoned
• First Parliament (1604 - 11 )


  • Scottish parliaments were much more of a tool to the crown than the English parliament was
  • Towards the end of parliament, James directly pointed out his divine right to MPs
  • James believed parliament was key in his government, which enabled him to have a good relationship with parliament
  • This parliament was dominated by several issues that raised constitutional questions about prerogative and parliamentary privilege (this allowed parliament to speech freely during proceedings without fear of legal actions)
• Buckinghamshire Election

  1604
• Goodwin

  MP for Buckinghamshire who had been annulled by the Court of Chancery for breaking a law by having two summonses for debt
• Second election in Buckinghamshire

  1. Goodwin replaced by Fortescue

  2. Seen as royal interference
• The commons wanted Goodwin reinstated


  James believed the commons were acting illegally
• James stressed his court of Chancery rather than the law

  Made it an issue about his prerogative
• Resolution of the issue

  1. James dismissed Goodwin and Fortescue

  2. Held new elections

  3. Acknowledged the Commons' claim to be the judge of some elections
• Buckinghamshire Election 1604


  1. Goodwin, an MP for Buckinghamshire, had been annulled by the Court of Chancery

  2. Goodwin was replaced by Fortescue which was seen as royal interference

  3. The commons wanted Goodwin to be reinstated

  4. James believed the commons were acting illegally and told the House of Lords and Commons

  5. James made it an issue about his prerogative by stressing his court of Chancery rather than the law

  6. James dismissed Goodwin and Fortescue and held new elections, acknowledging the Commons claim to be the judge of some elections
• Shirley's Case 1604


  MP Shirley was arrested for debt. This upset MPs who were keen to establish parliamentary privilege of freedom from arrest.
• Union of England and Scotland 1606


  Some MPs were annoyed that James refused to allow the commons to introduce ecclesiastical reforms. There was also discontent over wardship and purveyance.
• Some protested James' handling of all the political issues but not all felt the same. The commons was more united against the king on finance.
• Union of England and Scotland 1606


  The unification of England and Scotland was part of James' design for his new kingdom to be secure internally and have peace. The governor of the Fleet debtors' prison was sent to where Shirley was held until he was released
• This brought up concerns about the possibility of abolishing English laws and give the king absolute authority.
• Union of England and Scotland 1606


  James wanted to be declared "King of Great Britian, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith".
• Debates opened in 1606 November and the idea of the Union collapsed.
• Financial Reform and the Great Contract

  The first parliament failed to reach a solution about the Crown's financial difficulties
• Amid the arguments about the Union and Great Contract, James was alienated from his parliament as been in his angry letter in 1611
• Addled Parliament of 1614


  Lasted no more than 8 weeks before James dissolved it
• There was failure of the Great Contract
• Cecil's death and the selling of Crown lands reduced long-term income
• In 1614 James' debt was £680,000
• Competing political groups


  • Howard factions (who supported Catholic Spain)
  • Protestant faction who attacked them
• James appointed no Secretary of State to represent him and then picked the incompetent Winwood
• Financial issues remained a key issue
• Parliament of 1621

  At the start, parliament focuses on the abuse of monopolies, partly to attack Buckingham because it had been exploited by many courtiers as a means of attacking each other
• Foreign policy was part of the monarch's prerogative, parliament had no right to discuss it, however in 1621, James implied they could as a way of frightening the Spanish to agreeing to the Spanish Match
• The Commons, however, kept their anti-Spanish stance and produced a petition in December 1621 criticising the Spanish match
• James backtracked and stated that foreign policy was only up to him to discuss. This made the commons protest and declare it was their "birthright" to discuss it
• James ripped up the document from the Common's Journal and dissolved parliament
• The outbreak of the Thirty Years War and James' response put added strain on their relationship
• James saw himself as "rex pacificus" (peaceful king). He wanted to make peace with Spain, but the spread of anti-Catholicism made this unpopular and was the root of opposition to James in 1621
• Parliament of 1624

  James began to get ill from 1624, Charles and Buckingham were deeply involved in foreign policy