Multi-Kingdom Crisis 1637-42: Opposition across the realm and SP

Question 1

How did Charles cause the Scottish Rebellion?

Give 2 points

Answer 1

His lack of consultation threatened the independence of the representational bodies e.g. plmt and the kirk

Ignored their growing discontent over the imposition of religious uniformity, especially through the episcopacy

Question 2

When did opposition first become evident?

Answer 2

1637 riot in St. Giles’ Cathedral led to more demonstrations in Glasgow and Edinburgh - forced PC to leave in Oct 1637

Question 3

What did Charles’ refusal to grant concessions to the Scots trigger?

Answer 3

Feb 1638 Pres. radicals Archibald Johnston of Wariston and Alexander Henderson formulated Scottish National Covenanters - manifesto against religious policy and maintained Pres. as Scottish religion

Question 4

What did Charles do to allow him time to raise an army against the Scots?

Answer 4

Allowed them to call a religious General Assembly at Glasgow in Sept 1638

Question 5

What measures did the General Assembly of the Covenanters challenge?

Answer 5

Annulled Laud’s canon laws and abolished the episcopacy

Question 6

How did Charles’ initial army compare to the Covenanter force?

Answer 6

Charles’ army was 15,000 strong by Apr 1639 - poorly trained and low morale

Scots were motivated, united and experienced - led by Scot mercenaries from the 30 years war

Question 7

What did Charles do to avoid calling plmt in 1639?

Answer 7

Negotiated the Truce of Berwick in June 1639 - agreed to dual disbandment and a General Assembly of the Scottish Church at Edinburgh and plmt

Covenanters distrusted Charles - refusing to disband while assembly dismantled royal power in Scotland

Question 8

Why did Charles recall Thomas Wentworth in 1639?

Answer 8

Lord Deputy of Ireland returned in Sept 1639

Advised Charles to call a plmt for war subsidies - SP failed and Scots crossed river Tweed in 1640

Question 9

What did the occupation of Newcastle force Charles to do?

Answer 9

As the coal economy was centred there, in Oct, Charles was forced to accept the Treaty of Ripon - stated he would pay the army’s living costs while on English soil - £850 a day

He had to call a second plmt to obtain the funds to pay as a result

Question 10

What were the 4 factions in Ireland by 1629?

Answer 10

Irish Catholics, Old English, Scot Pres and New English

Question 11

TWE did England control Ireland?

Answer 11

Though the 1608 plantation policy brought over more settlers, control was limited to Dublin and the Pale - yet were more radical and resented Laud’s impositions

Question 12

What did Wentworth’s appointment as Lord Deputy entail?

Give 3 results

Answer 12

Enhanced power of the crown and CofE over Irish

Increased customs duties

Authoritarian style of governance alienated the different groups and with his departure tensions rose

Question 13

When did the Irish Rebellion begin?

Answer 13

Oct 1641 - Irish Catholics launched a pre-emptive strike against Protestants in Ulster, killing at least 3,000, although the figure was exaggerated by contemporary sources

Question 14

What fears did the Irish Rebellion stir in England?

Give 2 concerns

Answer 14

Created fears that Catholic influence may spread into England

Phelim O’Neill’s forged document, the ‘Catholic Wave’, suggested Charles had given them his support

Question 15

How was opposition against Charles’ policies in England initiated?

Answer 15

Nobles like William Fiennes brought legal action against ship money and John Hampden was taken to court for non-payment in Nov 1637

Question 16

What had Charles hoped to gain from the ship money trial?

Answer 16

He wanted to make an example of Hampden, but suffered politically by only achieving a narrow victory of 7-5

Question 17

What did English opposition show about the attitude towards Charles’ policies

Answer 17

Most opposition was religiously motivated, but was emblematic of wider discontent which lacked a political outlet

Question 18

Why was the SP called?

Answer 18

To confront the 1637 Scottish Rebellion

Question 19

What was the relationship between the monarch and plmt like at the start of the SP?

Answer 19

General opposition to the PR policies was present, though the MPs were not unified over this, and Charles retained support from the Lords - gained favour in Commons by declaring ship money illegal

Question 20

Why would MPs not vote for subsidies for Charles at the start of the SP?

Answer 20

Some MPs like Pym and Fiennes were in league with the Covenanters and were determined to obtain significant concessions and a long-term solution from Charles - shows how far Charles alienated the PN

Question 21

What was said after the opening speech of the SP?

Answer 21

MPs explained that the attack upon England was not as great of a threat as upon the liberties of its people - MPs were more concerned with their own king than preoccupied with invasion

Question 22

How did Charles react to the failure of the SP to grant subsidies?

Answer 22

He dissolved it less than a month into the session and arrested his leading critics; Fiennes, Warwick and Brooke from the Lords, and Hampden and Pym from the Commons

Question 23

How did Charles attempt to gain money after the SP?

Answer 23

He appealed to the Council of Peers, which in turn presented him with its own grievances in the Petition of the 12 Peers in Aug 1640, refusing to grant subsidies without plmt being called