17th Century England

Lesson 7: The Road to War 1642

No Turning Back

In April 1642, Charles, now in the north, decided to try and take Hull back from its Parliamentary commander and garrison. He sent the Duke of York, his son, to dine with the Governor, but later in the evening, followed on himself.

When Charles approached Hull, that he saw how far things had changed and what he faced. The gates to the city were closed in his face, the Governor refusing to let the King of Great Britain into his own city. Charles was forced to retreat, but it was a huge embarrassment to him and one which must have made his blood boil.

Soon, he would receive a further insult when Parliament sent its document called the Nineteen Propositions. It was a revolutionary document, calling for Charles to allow Parliament to choose officers of state, control the armed forces, reform the Church of England as established by law and, most insulting of all, it demanded control of his children's education.

Charles drafted a reply, telling the Parliament that if he accepted this, then, "We may be waited on bareheaded, we may have our hand kissed, the style of majesty continued to us and the King's authority declared by both Houses of Parliament may still be the style of your commands; we may have swords and maces carried before us and please ourself with the sight of a crown and sceptre ... but as to the true and real power, we would remain but the outside, but the picture, but the sign of a King."

Charles went on more damagingly to claim that the laws of the land were jointly made by King, House of Lords and the House of Commons as chosen by the people. In this regulated Monarchy, government was entrusted to the King who had the powers of making war, choosing advisors and preventing insurrection, and in whom must reside the power necessary to conserve the laws in their force, the liberty of the subject and properties. Parliament would act as a bulwark to prevent abuse of this power, the Commons through impeachment and raising of taxes and the Lords through their role as a high court.

Charles said that if Parliament had their way then, "the common people would discover that all this was done by them, but not for them and grow weary of journeywork and set up for themselves, call parity and independence liberty, devour that estate which had devoured the rest, destroy all rights and properties, all distinctions of families and merit and by this means this splendid and excellently distinguished form of government end in a dark and equal chaos of confusion."

The King was, after all, the undoubted anointed King of lawful succession and what he spoke of was the laws as all men could remember as previously normal.

Important ministers began drifting to York to be at the King's side now, and almost half the House of Lords left Parliament for the King by mid 1642. Since March and April, both sides had been raising soldiers, but Parliament had the distinct advantage of holding the Capital, the Royal Navy, the Tower of London with its arms and ammunition, and also most of the richest towns and cities.

By July, Charles had about him roughly 3000 soldiers and 800 horsemen, while Parliament had mustered about 10,000 men under the Earl of Essex, whom it appointed as its military commander.

Charles meanwhile had been joined by his brilliant young nephew Prince Rupert, who became General of the Horse. Charles deliberated and anguished himself until he finally raised his standard and declared war on his Parliament on 22nd August 1642. The English Civil War had begun.

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