Charles I: Personal Rule 1629-38

• Eventually made peace with France and Spain in 1629.
• Attended Privy council regularly and followed up decisions. Increased the amount of Bishops in the Privy council too.
• Strengthened his personal deputies William Laud and Thomas Wentworth.
• Relied of Henrietta Maria.
• Wanted a image of honour, (Van Dyck paintings).
• Justice was given via Prerogative courts like Star Chamber.

1629-30:

• Dissolved Parliament from 1629-40.
• Said they never understood him.
• Attempted Absolute Monarchy.
• Merchant Richard Chamber refused to pay Tunnage and Poundage was imprisoned.
• 9 MPs were arrested forcing the speaker to sit in his place.
• Sir John Elliot was imprisoned. Moved prison to prison to avoid Habeas Corpus.
• Habeas Corpus could release him as trial was unfair.
• Charles could rule personally if financially independent.
• King prerogative could allow him to change right/power of Church and state how he liked.

• Privy councils with key officials and advisers of King.
• Lord Lietenant in counties controlled by Privy council. 
• Responsible for raising troops.
• Individual privy councillors were incharge of Prerogative courts, i.e. Star chamber, Chancery Regional councils of North.
• This structure helped royal control.
• Charles made sure his ideas were understood.
• Laud and Wentworth were his key advisers. 
• Their detail on policies was nicknamed Thorough.
• Wentworth worked in Ireland and the North, made sure royal authority was achieved.
• Laud worked in the Churches, responsible for 'Book of Orders'. 1631.
• Book of Order instructed JPs how to collect poor laws, treat beggars, move goods etc.
• Government, Council and Prerogative courts were effective

• But in 1635, JPs had to collect Ship money, issue Book of Orders and Supress a Scottish Rebellion in 1637.
• Unsuccessful  attempt to help the poor when JPs had to set wages when they were going to pay them.
• Overode local interests to benefit the King and advisers.
• Star Chamber unheld rights of nobility.
• 1632 damaged the Earl of Suffolk John Saville for his rivalry against Wentworth
• They eventually supported Parliament in the civil war.
• Wentworth was less sympathetic to Irish.
• Used Irish Parliament for money and alienated relgious groups there.

RELIGION AND BISHOPS:

• Resented no. of Bishops in Privy council.
• In 1632 Laud made his friend Francis Windebanke Secretary of the state.
• In 1635 when Lord treasurer Weston died, he was replaced with Cleric William Juxon and was resented by many as this was usually a position for nobility.
• Churches were decorated again.
• Authors that criticised them were punished in Prerogative Courts.

SHIP MONEY:

• Without Parliament funds he had to fix financial weaknesses.
• William Noy helped him find various way of ancient money making.
• Charles best money making scheme was a new tax called ship money.
• Ship Money was significant.
• Ship Money targets were set by the King to be collect from country as a whole.
• Placed a burden on Local justicies.
• Offered a real financial independence. 
• Earned £100,000+ a year.
• Was used for Navy defence but was extended to inland areas.

OPPOSITION:

• Political elite resented it.
• John Hampden 1637 refused to pay and was put on trial.
• Was succefully collected until 1637 civil war.
• Distracted the privy council.
• 1635 saw £5,000/200,000 was collected.

CROWN LANDS:

• 1630, Commission for detective titles examined titles and leases on tenants.
• New rents were imposed..

FEUDAL DUTIES:

• Men owning freehold land of £40 a year meant that they had to pay for a Knighthood title.
• Raised £165,000 in 1635.
• Court of Wards and Liveries collect £50,000.

MONOPOLIES:

• East Indian Company monopoly given.
• Worst scanda was Popish Soap when a group of Catholics were fraudulent.

CUSTOMS DUTIES:

• Tunnage and Poundage continued to be collect and price rose via trade.
• New Impositions made £50,000 from 1631-35.

LAUD'S REFORMS

• Laud became Archbishop of London in 1633. 
• Put in new rules for Bishops.
• Preaching only allowed in Sunday mornings/evenings.
• Catechism replaced afternoon, placed key belief from Anglican prayer books in forms of QandA.
• Catechism replacing Preaching showed Laud emphasis on ritual and authority.
• Weekday lectures banned removing a favourate Puritan demand.
• Foeffes were challenged, a group of Puritan who bought Parishes to allow good quality preaching were bought/banned by Laud.
• Puritans felt attacked.
• Churches were decorated, music was played, Church bells restored.

• Charles and Laud saw this as bringing beauty to the Church.
• Replaced preaching with ceremonies.
• Music and ritual caused a joy for worship.
• Catechism brought unity

• Many thought banning preaching was devil works.
• Left many in darkness.
• Decorations and Statues were seen as symbol worshipping.
• Purtians saw that the Catholic mass was idol worshipping.
• Protestant faith felt attacked.
• Fact that Clergy railed off by Clergy saw them superior than Laity.
• Charles and Laud saw this a way off improving religious supervisions.
• Many Laymen saw this as way to renew Catholic Church Clerical Pretensions.
• Bishops in the Privy council, Catholic traditon being reimposed and new clergy status saw this as restoring absolutism and Catholicism.

CATHOLICS:

• Catholic influence at court created fears.
• Henreitta Maria could be Catholic, her priests were allowed to convert others and Lord treasurer Weston was Catholic.
• 1635 Charles and Pope's Ambassador wanted a growing friendship.
• Those who didn't obey were prosectued in High Church and Star Chamber like Burton, Bastwick and Prynne who attacked Laud and the Queen.
• They were gentry but were  still mutilated, crowd was horrified.

• Many opposed Charles and Laud.
• Radical Puritans saw Church as Unacceptable. 
• Bancrofts persectution in 1605 led to small congregations in Holland.
• Many formed Millinarian and Baptist Ideas from John Smyth.
• John Lulburne was a protege of Bastwick.
• He tried to smuggle Dr Bastwick's sermons from Holland which was printed with no license.
• He was sentenced to be pillored.
• He warned everyone about the evils of Bishops, he was imprisoned but freed by MP Oliver Cromwell when a Long Parliament was called.
• Radicals and Separatists were isolated.
• Moderate Puritans posed a real threat.
• Saw Laud and Charles as a threat to England.
• Charles overrode law and Parliaments to get a Absolute monarchy.
• Leaders of Puritan interests, e.g. Earl of Bedford fled to New England.