The Causes Of The English Civil War

 

Elizabeth I was the last of the true monarchs who held the reigns of power firmly in their hands. James weakened the power of the monarchy by his weak leadership and starting a power struggle with Parliament that ultimately the monarchy could not win.

King James had developed a strong belief in the divine right of kings, God’s as appointed and anointed leader. However, it was to be James who started the process of decline in the power of the English monarchy. James still firmly believed that God makes kings, God is never wrong, so a king appointed by God is never wrong. This tenet was known as the divine right of kings. Parliament did not assemble regularly, it was called at the command of the monarch as required. This meant Parliament as was called at the king's summons it was expected to do as the monarch told it. The Parliament was an assembly whose duty was to advise and support the king, enact the laws, pass taxes and govern the country in the name of the monarch. To do as the king told, to advise and not to argue against the Royal will.

James was however at an enormous disadvantage James needed Parliament more than Parliament needed him. They controlled the finances of the realm and they could keep and could keep James short of much-needed funds. An example of their power to make James life difficult came in 1611. The Customs duties of the realm formed a substantial part of the king's income. Parliament had control of Customs duties and had originally granted the crown permission to collect this duty. The members of parliament voted to revoke this in an attempt to bring the king to heal. James responded by dissolving Parliament and was to keep this suspension in force for 10 years. The king's Privy Council was made up of some of the most powerful men in the country. They were appointed to deal with the kings day to day business and without the mandate of Parliament had no power to assemble. James decided to form the council without the mandate of parliament. The first priority was to raise money to rule effectively without the commons, the loss of the Customs duties had been a severe blow. James, however, turned to other sources of funds, some of his major sources of available revenue were to be.

• The issuing Royal grants of monopoly, a form of trading licence
• The sale of titles and knighthoods, no one refused the offered honour.
• The sale crown property the Dutch Towns of Brill and Flushing in 1616.
• The dowry bride for Prince Charles of £500,000.

James dispensed with parliament and simply took over the administration of the country, and appointing members of the nobility to assist him. This engaged parliamentary members who regarded it as their legitimate duty to run England. This effectively divided the ruling classes into what was to become the two sides in the eventual conflict of The English Civil War. James passed away on the 27 of March 1625, leaving Charles to try and repair the damage of the last 10 years.

Charles And Parliament

The inheritance Charles received from James was somewhat of a poisoned chalice.

Charles had a very different personality compared to James, unfortunately, he inherited his fathers' attitude and this take on his fathers battle of wills with parliament, with disastrous consequences. Charles was arrogant, conceited and a strong believer in the divine rights of kings. He had witnessed the damaged relationship between his father and Parliament and considered that Parliament was entirely at fault. Like James, he found it difficult to believe that a king could be wrong. From 1625 to 1629, Charles argued with parliament over most issues, but money and religion were the most common causes of arguments.

The Arguments Religious

Charles was brought up to believe in the divine right of kings. Parliament as a whole had quarrelled with his father James over this issue and was determined to limit this royal prerogative. This king would not govern according to his own will. The Puritans and Calvinists did not trust Charles and his tolerance of Catholics, he was even married to one.

At this time a very damaging rumour for Charles`s cause started to circulate. It stated that Charles was considering returning all the land and property confiscated from the church by Henry VIII back to the church. This was a very real threat to the English nobility and gentry. This was to reduce the support for Charles, even amongst ranks of the more tolerant gentry.

The Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud, Richard Montagu and other popish High Church clerics had received his support for some time. When it came to religious wars, Charles failed to send military support to aid the Protestant armies engaged in the 30 years war, was very unpopular. The Bishops Wars of 1639 and 1642 were caused by his attempt to force the Scots to adopt William Lauds Anglican high church religious practice.

William Laud was arrested and tried by a Parliamentary court, even though there was little evidence against him, he was found guilty. He was executed on January 10, 1645, at Tower Hill, London.

The Arguments Civil

Later Queen Henrietta Maria was to play an important part in the early life of her grandson James Crofts, The Duke of Monmouth 1649-1685. In 1657 young James had been abandoned by his mother Lucy Walters. Charles II who acknowledged his illegitimate son and gratefully allowed Henrietta Maria to take charge of his care at court. The years of exile and the strain of the civil war in England were catching up on Henrietta Maria, Samuel Pepys when he met her wrote of her as " a very little, plain old woman"