Part One: The Origins of the Civil War 1625-1642
Section One: The Emergence of Conflict and the End of
Consensus 1625-1629
Who’s Who?
George Abbot (1562-1633)- Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611
to 1633. Supported by James I due to his belief in religious
unification of Scotland and England. Unpopular with moderate
Protestants due to his Puritanism. Strongly anti-Catholic.
Charles I (1600-49)- Second son of James VI and I. Born in
Scotland and became heir to the throne in 1612 when his older
brother died. Charles had a speech impediment and a Scottish
accent. He was sick as a child and idolised his older brother and
sister. Henry died and Elizabeth moved away, Charles had to step
up to the title but he was a great believer in his royal prerogative
and Divine Right,
Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634)- ‘We shall never see his like again,
praises be to God’ -Coke’s widow. Coke was an experienced
lawyer and MP who opposed James VI and I’s belief in Divine Right
by reminding the King that no one was above the law. He was
unafraid to speak his mind and regularly challenged prerogative
powers. He helped draft the Protestation of 1621. He also drafted
the Petition of Right in 1628 after his disgust at Charles’s use of his
royal prerogative.
Francis Cottington (1579-1652)- Expert of Spanish matters under
James VI and I, secretary to Prince Charles in 1622 but his
opposition to Buckingham kept him out of high office. He became
Chancellor of the Exchequer in1629 and master of the Court of
Wards in 1635. 1st Baron Cottington.
Sir John Eliot (1592-1632)- A ‘Fiery spirit’- Charles I. Emerged
as leading critic of Buckingham (and by extension, the King) in
the Parliaments of 1625-29. He was arrested for refusing to pay
the Forced Loan and was involved in the presentation of the
Petition of Right and the Three Resolutions. Eliot was classed as
an extremist by many MPs, he was a great believer in ancient
rights. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1629, he
died there in 1632.
Henrietta Maria (1609-69)- Daughter of Henry IV of France and
sister of Louis XIII. She was used to the luxurious French court
and was a patron of the arts. A committed Catholic. Henrietta
spoke little English when she first married Charles. Due to her
Catholicism, she did not attend his coronation. She had a great
impact on court and later on politics.
Denzil Holles (1598-1680)- ‘Holles’s force and reputations are
the two things that give success to all his actions’ – Sir Ralph
Verney. Holles was a childhood friend of Charles and almost
joined him and Buckingham on the trip to Spain in 1623 but
instead he became increasingly associated with Parliamentary
opposition, especially the financial rights of Parliament. Holles,
Valentine and Coke held the speaker down during the Petition of
Right.
James VI and I (1566-1625)- Son of Mary, Queen of Scots.
James VI (of Scotland) and I (of England) was flexible thinker
and generally a successful ruler. He was a great believer in the
divine right of kings and had firm self-confidence. He saw
himself as able to rise above religious, political and foreign
divisions. He did not value Parliament. He viewed himself as
Rex Pacificus and he did not want to involve himself in the
European ‘Protestant cause’
Ben Jonson (1572-1637)- Playwright who was convicted for
murder, while in prison he became a Catholic. James VI and I
employed him to write and direct Masques.
William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (1573-1645)- Middle
class, entered Buckingham’s faction in the 1620s, became his
religious advisor in 1624. Did not understand the gentry’s
traditions, making him an easy target to some.
Richard Montagu (1577-1641)- Son of an Anglican clergyman. Montagu was well
educated and went into ministry, first in Somerset and then in Essex. He held many
Church posts, including Canon of Windsor and Archdeacon of Hereford. He had
been used by James VI and I to draft anti-Catholic material. He became a very
controversial figure in the 1620s, especially down to his writings: An Old Gagg for a
New Goose (1624) and Appello Caesarem (1625) in which he challenged the
differences between the Protestant and Catholic churches.
Wat Montagu (1603-1677)- Catholic friend of Henrietta Maria. Wrote Masques and
worked for a time as a secret agent. He helped Henrietta throughout the civil war and
the restoration; he even officiated her funeral.
Sir John Pym (1584-1643)- ‘He understood the temper and
affections of the kingdom as well as any man’- the Earl of
Clarendon. Pym led the Puritan group in the House of
Commons. He entered Parliament in 1621 and opposed
Buckingham’s pro-Spanish and pro-Catholic policies. He
attacked monopolies and supported the Protestation. He
rose to prominence during the impeachment and the Petition
of Right. He was most interested in religious issues and
worked to maintain the old Elizabethan middleway. During
the Long Parliament he gained the nickname King Pym.
Richard Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587-1658)- Staunch
Puritan who took an active role in mainland European
affairs during the 1620s and 30s. Championed Puritan
causes in the 1640s. He wanted to dissuade the king from
Arminianism so he proposed the York House Conference
(1626). The king was not persuaded.
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642)- Catholic bishop who was
appointed as chaplain to the French Queen in 1615.
Became chief minister to Louis XIII due to his political
ability. He attacked the Huguenots, promoted French
absolutism, reformed the army and navy and improved
France’s status in Europe.
Benjamin Rudyard (1572-1658)- ‘A man of great learning but
in debate, inept’- Sir John Eliot. Possessed great literary skill
which he exploited for speech writing. He trained as a lawyer
and travelled widely before taking up an important legal role at
the Court of Wards. He was MP for Portsmouth and made
many significant speeches in the Commons. In 1628 he said:
‘This is the crisis of parliaments, by this we shall know whether
parliaments will live or die’.
Sir John Selden (1584-1654)- ‘A man of deep knowledge but
very puffed up with self-confidence’- Sir Simonds D’Ewes. Son
of a minstrel who made a very advantageous marriage to a
wealthy heiress. He was a specialist in ancient English
constitutional law, to the upset of believers in Divine Right. He
helped create the constitution of Virginia. Became MP for
Lancaster in 1624 and became Parliament’s expert on
constitutional law. He was particularly concerned with arbitrary
rule.
George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628) - Middleclass favourite of James VI and I. He gained power as James
grew weaker and amassed wealth and titles. Made gentleman
of the bedchamber after replacing Robert Carr (after the
murder in 1616)
Thomas Wentworth (1593-1641)- Rose to great power under
Charles I, initially a strong opposer of Buckingham. In 1622 he
married Lady Arabella Holles, daughter of the Earl of Clare and
sister of Denzil Holles, all critics of Buckingham. He was an
efficient administrator and ruthless authoritarian. He was made
Earl of Strafford in 1640, shortly afterwards he was impeached
by Parliament, found guilty and executed.
Richard Weston (1577-1635)- Chancellor of the
Exchequer in 1621 and Lord Treasurer in 1628. Valuable
and influential minister who was Catholic and sympathetic
to Spain. He was moderate and wished to avoid war. 1st
Earl of Portland.