Houses of Parliament, London England

When we talk about the events that led up to the start of the English Civil War, it probably comes as no surprise to see it was down to the points of disagreement listed.

1) Religion: Catholic vs Protestant vs Puritan

2) Politics: King Charles I vs Parliament

3) Money: Increasing Taxes

Tensions had been rising for many years before the country was plunged into war, so lets take a deeper look at why it eventually happened:

1) Religion: Catholic vs Protestant vs Puritan (and others)

Religious tensions in England started way before the Stuart-era when King Henry VIII declared that the English church would no longer be ruled by the Catholic Pope in Rome, but rather he, as King, would become the Supreme Head of the new Church of England. 

This didn’t go down well with a large section of the population and led to many stark and bloody battles, skirmishes and disagreements (some of which endure to this day). 

Henry ruled with an iron fist to keep control, but following his death, the death of his only son, Edward, and the execution of Lady Jane Grey, who Edward named as his Protestant successor, a new power struggle ensued between Henry’s two daughters. 

His eldest, Mary, was born to Henry’s Catholic wife, Catherine of Aragon. Once she took the throne, she attempted to revert the country to Catholicism. Her reign saw the persecution of Protestants, earning her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary’. 

Following Mary’s death in 1558, Elizabeth, Henry’s daughter by his protestant Queen, Anne Boleyn, ascended the throne. Queen Elizabeth I was Protestant-leaning, and her reign ultimately proved to be one of relative stability after years of bloodshed. 

In 1603, Elizabeth died childless, which brought an end to the Tudor period. 

Despite a lot of political manoeuvring for a suitable successor, it was James Stuart, King James the sixth (VI) of Scotland, who was confirmed as the next English King. When he took the throne, he became King James first of England (and Ireland, which existed as a separate Kingdom under the English crown). 

By the time he took the English throne, religious turmoil was rife, not just in England, but across Europe, too. Although the official religion of England was Anglican, this had fractured into a number of different groups, from the High Anglican Church of England to the Puritan movement. In addition, the official religion of Scotland was Presbyterian, governed by elders rather than bishops. There also remained a significant minority of Catholics intent of causing trouble.

King James firmly believed in the absolute power of the monarchy (a view he passed down to his son, Charles) but it was the Catholic dissidents he had most firmly in his sights, especially following the gunpowder plot to blow up parliament in 1605. 

For the Anglican churches, he was happy (at least to start with) to let these religions co-exist. 

When his son, Charles Stuart, took the throne to become King Charles I of England and Scotland, he was no longer prepared to allow the status quo to continue. He believed the Anglican Church of England should be unified across the Kingdom (England and Scotland) and with the help of his Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, he set about introducing reforms to the Church of England. 

The aim was to introduce religious and political unity. The reforms were principally to emphasise the hierarchy of the church (giving more power to bishops and archbishops), mandate elaborate worship practices including kneeling for communion, which required the installation of altar rails, the inclusion of stained-glass windows in churches, and strict adherence to the liturgy via a new Book Of Common Prayer. 

He began these changes in Scotland but underestimated the fury and opposition of the Presbyterian church who, along with the Puritans, favoured simpler, more austere worship. Eventually, this resentment overflowed, leading to the Bishop’s Wars of 1638-1640.

The upshot was, in 1640, the Scottish invaded the north of England (Northumberland) and held key towns like Newcastle, crucial for the supply of coal. The King was eventually forced to negotiate and had to pay the Scottish £850 a day for the time they occupied parts of northern England.

Finding the money for this, was something Charles couldn’t do without the help of Parliament.

2) Politics: King Charles I vs Parliament

The mounting debts due to the Bishop’s War came on top of already substantial financial difficulties inherited from King James’ expensive court and foreign policy, which had been further increased by Charles I’s failed military expeditions in Europe. King Charles desperately needed Parliament to grant him more funds, but the relationship between the two was already strained over key issues of taxation, royal authority, and religion.

As early as 1628, Parliament had sought to limit the King’s powers, but the disagreement between the two culminated in 1629 when Charles decided to rule without Parliament. This period, often called the time of Personal Rule, ultimately lasted for eleven years. You can also sometimes find it referred to as the Eleven Years’ Tyranny.

By 1640, and the conclusion to the Second Bishops’ War, Charles was in such need of money that he was forced to recall Parliament. The first sitting lasted three weeks before the King was again so furious with them that it was disbanded (now called the Short Parliament). Only six months later, however, he was forced to recall them for a second time. 

This time, Parliament lasted considerably longer (the Long Parliament), but the newly elected MPs (Members of Parliament) were not prepared to give the King the money he wanted without gaining constitutional reform. Essentially, they wanted to limit the King’s prerogative (his absolute power) and assert greater parliamentary authority over taxation, legislation, and royal appointments. The King was unsurprisingly infuriated by this, which led to increasing tensions between the two sides.

3) Money: Increasing Taxes

In the 1640s, London was a bustling hub of trade and commerce. That meant that any threats to its income, from taxes or otherwise, were not taken lightly.

In the years of Personal Rule, the King made every effort to raise money to cover his existing debts and maintain his royal authority, despite the fact this was a process that should have been overseen and approved by Parliament.  

Although the King’s tax raising efforts kept the crown solvent for a time, the fact that he had proceeded without Parliament’s consent severely undermined trust in the monarchy. It also contributed directly to the constitutional crisis that erupted into civil war.

Taxes imposed by the King:

Forced Loans (1626-1627)

• Charles demanded “loans” from his wealthy subjects, under threat of imprisonment for non-compliance. Several prominent individuals who refused to pay were jailed, which lead to legal challenges against the King 

Tonnage and Poundage

• This was essentially another name for customs duties on imports and exports. It was traditionally granted by Parliament to a monarch for life, but Parliament refused, granting them for one year only. Despite this, Charles collected them anyway, provoking intense opposition.

Ship Money (1634-1639)

• This was originally a levy on coastal towns in times of war to fund naval defense, Charles, however, expanded the tax to inland counties and demanded it during peacetime. This turned public opinion sharply against Charles.

Distraint of Knighthood (1630 onwards)

• In desperation, Charles revived a medieval law that allowed him to fine landowners with estates worth over £40 per annum who had not presented themselves to be knighted at his coronation. Thousands who may have been supporters of the monarchy were fined for failure to comply.

Taking Sides

By 1641, tensions across the country were rising. This was most evident in the City of London, where people of influence began siding with either the King or Parliament.

Those who supported the King, wanted the stability the monarchy brought, despite the difficulties. They were largely members of the aristocracy, who had been honoured by King Charles, or his father James, or who supported the unification of the church and/or the changes the King and Archbishop Laud were proposing.

Those supporting Parliament included merchants who objected to ever increasing taxes, as well as those who were vehemently opposed to the religious changes. This was particularly the Puritans, but also those who believed that the changes were part of a move back towards Catholicism. Although the King insisted that this wasn’t the case, his argument wasn’t helped by the fact that he had a Catholic wife (Henrietta Maria, previously a French princess), who liked to flaunt her faith.

Each of these dynamics will form the backdrop to my new, as yet unnamed, series, which will be set between 1641 and 1663.

Further details will be added to the site as they become available.

For details of my other series, visit: https://www.valmcbeath.com/