Charles I Government

 The origins of Parliament and the challenge to monarchical power began in June 1215 King John signed the Magna Carta to make peace with rebel barons who were displeased with the way John was ruling the country. Magna Carta established the principle that the King was subject to laws in the same way his subjects. 

During the reign of John's son Henry III (1216 to 1272), the rule of the country by an absolute monarch was ended. Following a power struggle between Henry and his barons, the noblemen won and the rebel baron's leader, Simon de Montford called the first Parliament in English history which had no prior royal authorisation.  Montford's parliament was a single chamber consisting of bishops, noblemen together with two knights from each shire and two burgesses from each borough.

From 1295 Parliament met at the palace of Westminster.

In 1341 the clergy and nobility met separately  from the knights and  burgesses which created an Upper Chamber (House of Lords) and a Lower Chamber (House of Commons), with the knights and burgesses sitting in the latter. The structure of the Lower Chamber would develop into the representatives being Members of Parliament representing constituencies. The monarch ceased to be a member of either chamber by the time Henry VII came to the throne in 1457, relying now on supporters in both chambers to influence the affairs of Parliament. 

In 1534 Henry VIII broke away from the authority of the Catholic Church in Rome and established himself as the head of the Church of England. The Church would no longer answer to the authority of the Pope in Rome, but to the King.  The Archbishop of Canterbury, the first and most senior Bishop of England was appointed by the King, thus consolidating the monarchs power within the church. 

During the Tudor period (1485 to 1603) the relationship developed between the Monarch and Parliament. The monarch could convene and dissolve Parliament whenever they wished. They did however look to the support of Parliament as a means to legitimise decisions and raise money through taxation.

Westminster the power base of Parliament

The day to day running of the country lay with the Privy Council. This consisted of advisers to the sovereign and the means by which the monarch exercised their power through their royal prerogative. The council could be a a place of intrigue and positioning for favour of the King, a power struggle within the court, and also another source of conflict with Parliament. 

Court of Charles I

On ascending to the throne Charles I retained James I & VI's principal adviser, the Duke of Buckingham, as his primary confidant. Buckingham 

Buckingham had accompanied Charles, when he was heir to the throne, to Madrid in in 1623 in an ill-fated attempt to arrange a marriage Infanta Maria, sister of Philip IV of Spain. It was Buckingham who negotiated Charles' marriage to the Catholic princess Henrietta Maria of France. This action together with his his monopoly of royal favour and patronage made him extremely unpopular with parliamentarians. 

George Villers
Duke of Buckingham

A member of either chamber could propose a Bill for deliberation by Parliament. As members of the Privy Council sat in Parliament, the monarchs proposals could be put to both chambers for consideration. In order for a Bill to be passed into law it had to be approved by a majority in both Houses of Parliament. The monarch would need to give royal ascent before it became an Act of law, giving them the power of veto, another area of contention between the monarchical and parliamentary power.

The House of Commons consisted of Members of Parliament 'elected' from County and Borough franchises. Each franchise returned two members. In addition the Cinque Ports each returned two members, as did the University franchises of Oxford and Cambridge. [1]  An exception was the County Palatine of Durham which was administred by a "Prince Bishop" who's powers dated back to medieval times. Durham did not return any MP's to Parliament. [2] 

Stuart England

In County franchises those allowed to vote was restricted to resident freeholders who's with a freehold value of land or property was 40 shillings a year. [3] 

The voting qualification in Borough franchises  varied. It could be based upon payments to local poor and church rates, or the ownership of a hearth on which to cook a pot. It may be based upon the payment of  monies to the king or local lord. [4] Some cities required those who voted to be freemen of that city. Some boroughs would only allow those who were members of the corporation that ran the town, often men under the patronage of local dignitaries. [5]

NEXT: Charles I Northumbria

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[1] The History of the Parliamentary Franchise RESEARCH PAPER 13/14 1 March 2013 page 5

Research Paper (parliament.uk)

[2] ibid page 8

[3] ibid page 8

[4] ibid page 10

[5] ibid page 11

Charles I in conflict with Parliament

 When Charles I issued the writ to convene Parliament on  2nd April 1625 the foundations of his conflict with Parliament were already in place.  

Religious tensions from his marriage to catholic Princess Henrietta Maria of France had raised concerns in Parliament that Charles would make concessions to English Catholics.

Charles' and the Duke of Buckingham were keen to mount a military and naval operations against Spain. However this would require additional funds which Parliament were reluctant to provide, concerned the previous funds had been wasted on the ill fated exploits of German Count Ernest von Mansfield. 

Charles I Parliament 1625

The Parliamentary session began in Westminster on 17 May 1625, moving to Oxford in August due to plague in London. Parliament's main concern was not providing funds for Charles, but the impeachment of Lord Buckingham. He was accused of monopolising power, mismanaging royal finances, and as Lord Admiral failing to defend English merchant shipping from piracy. 

Ignoring Parliament's calls for Buckingham's impeachment and frustrated at not securing sufficient funding for his activities, Charles dissolved Parliament on 12th August 1525. [1]

Despite the lack of funding, Charles and Buckingham sent 10,000 English troops supported an Anglo-Dutch fleet to attack the Spanish  of Cadiz. The expedition launched  their attack early November 1625,  a venture that ended in failure. 

Attack on Cadiz 

Religious tensions worsened. An English fleet loaned to Louis XIII was used against his protestant opponents, French Calvinist Huguenots, angering Parliamentarians. Buckingham supported the theological concept of Arminianism, often regarded as being catholic in it's outlook, and it was felt that this was influencing Charles and his court.

It was against a background of suspicion of the Kings' religious intentions, and the failure of the Cadiz expedition, that Charles was forced to convene Parliament as he was desperately short of money.

Parliament began on 6th February 1626 and again proceedings would become dominated by the desire to impeach Buckingham who was blamed for the ongoing religious problems and the failure of the Cadiz expedition. Formal charges were laid before the House of Lords in May. Charles convinced that the Commons would only supply him with funding if Buckingham was removed,  decided to save the Duke by dissolving Parliament on 15th June. [2]

Despite the lack of funds, Charles and Buckingham dispatched a second fleet to Spain, which was another failure. Many vessels were unable to sail as they were so poorly equipped, those that did were forced to return to port by violent storms. Charles's woes were exacerbated when news that his uncle the Danish King Christian IV had been defeated in battle by the Catholic League. Despite the desperate financial situation, he looked to help support the Danes. 

Charles did not want to call Parliament to raise the funds necessary for his foreign policy aspirations. He therefore imposed  forced loans on his wealthier subjects and encouraged the church to preach sermons as to the loans legitimacy based upon his concept of the Divine Right to rule. The loans did raise funds, though they were deeply unpopular and some noblemen refused to pay resulting in their imprisonment with out trial. Charles also imposed martial law to govern sailors and soldiers engaged on expeditions as well as to force citizens to billet troops without their consent.

Whilst the raising of funds was intended to be used to support the Danish King, a worsening of Anglo-French relations over the winter of 1626 to 1627 had developed into conflict. French Protestant Huguenots rebelling against the increasing threat to their religious and political freedoms had appealed to England for assistance. Charles and Buckingham used funds to dispatch an expeditionary force to La Rochelle where the Huguenots were besieged. One again, an expedition that ended in failure.

Siege of La Rochelle

Despite the set back, it was decided to mount another expedition to support the Huguenot's. Lacking funds, Charles was forced to summon Parliament, issuing a summons at the end of January 1628. As a gesture of goodwill the King released those imprisoned for refusing to pay the forced loans.  

Parliament went into session on 17th March 1628. They agreed to provide funds to the King in return for him accepting a Petition to Right confirming the rights and liberties regarding taxation, imprisonment without trial, billeting of troops without consent and the use of martial law.

Right Of Petition 1628

The King eventually agreed to the Petition, however, there was still disagreement over the tonnage and poundage levies, duties   paid by merchants on imports and exports, often regarded by monarchs as their right to receive.  These levies were essential to the Kings finances and remained unresolved when the Parliamentary sitting ended in June. 

During the summer of 1628, Charles assembled a fleet under the command of Buckingham for another expedition to support the French Huguenots at La Rochelle. Buckingham would not however mount the operation, he was murdered by a disgruntled Army officer in August 1628. The fleet sailed under a new commander, but achieved little.   

Murder of Duke of Buckingham 

Parliament reconvened in January 1629. The issue of the tonnage and poundage levies continued to be main area of disagreement between the King and the Parliamentarians. The dispute resulted in King Charles ordering Parliament to adjourn, to which the Commons refused. Charles responded by having his main opponent Sir John Elliot arrested together with nine other MP's.

Charles disgruntled over the failure to secure the concessions he wanted for the tonnage and poundage levies and angry at the level of opposition from MP's, dissolved Parliament on 10th March 1629. [3]

Parliament dissolved

He would not convene Parliament again for another 11 years, during the intervening period Charles would govern by the Kings personal rule until 1640.

NEXT: Charles visits the North 1633

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Sources: History of Parliament Online - Survey Chapters 

[1] The Parliament of 1625 | History of Parliament Online

[2] The Parliament of 1626 | History of Parliament Online

[3] The Parliament of 1628-1629 | History of Parliament Online

Author: Andrew Thrush