CHARLES I, King of Great Britain and Ireland: b. Dunfermline, Scotland, 19 Nov. 1600; d. London, 30 Jan. 1649. He was the second son of James VI and Anne of Den mark. James succeeded to the crown of Eng land in 1603, and on the death of Prince Henry in 1612 Charles became heir-apparent. Little is recorded of him previous to his romantic journey into Spain in 1623 in company with Buckingham, in order to pay his court in per son to the Spanish Infanta. Through the arro gance of Buckingham this match was pre vented, and the Prince was soon after con tracted to Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henry IV of France. In 1625 he succeeded to the throne on the death of his father. The first Parliament which he summoned, being much more disposed to state grievances than grant supplies, was dissolved; and by loans and other expedients an expedition was fitted out against Spain (1626) which terminated in disgrace and disappointment. In the next year a new Par liament was summoned, and the distrust and jealousy prevailing between the King and this assembly laid the foundation of the misfor tunes of his reign. The House of Commons held fast the public purse, and he intimated a design of following new counsels should they continue to resist his will, and suddenly and angrily dissolved them, after a short session, While they were preparing a remonstrance against the levying of tonnage and poundage without consent of Parliament. Charles then began to employ his threatened mode of raising funds by loans, benevolences and similar un constitutional proceedings; which, however partially sanctioned by precedent, were wholly opposed to the rising spirit of civil liberty and to the constitutional doctrine which renders the Commons the guardian and dispenser of the public treasure. His difficulties were further increased by a war with France, in tended to gratify the private enmity of Buck ingham, who added to the odium against him by an ill-fated expedition to assist the Hugue nots of Rochelle (1627).
In 1628 the King was obliged to call a new Parliament, which showed itself as much op posed to arbitrary measures as its predecessor, and after voting the supplies prepared a bill called aA Petition of Right, Recognizing all the Legal Privileges of the Subject, which, not withstanding the employment of all manner of arts and expedients to avoid it, Charles was constrained to pass into a law.
The assassination of Buckingham in Au gust 1628 removed one source of discord, but the Parliament which met in January 1629 manifested so determined a spirit against the King's claim of levying tonnage and poundage by his own authority, that it was suddenly dis solved, and Charles was determined to try to reign without one. For this purpose, having judiciously terminated the pending wars be tween France and Spain, he raised Sir Thomas Wentworth, after celebrated as Lord Strafford, to the principal place in his councils. This able statesman had begun his political career in op position to the court, but having been gained over, was by his austerity, talent and firmness, a fit instrument to curb the spirit of resistance to prerogative, which had become so strong among the Commons. In ecclesiastical affairs Charles, unhappily for himself and the Church, was guided by the counsels of Laud, then bishop of London, a prelate whose learning and piety were accompanied by a zeal as indiscreet as intolerant.
Under these counsels about 11 years passed away in the execution of plans for raising money without the aid of Parliament, with other dangerous expedients. The arbitrary courts of high commission and star chamber, in the hands of Laud, also exercised in many instances the most grievous oppression. In 1634 ship money began to be levied, which being strictly applied to naval purposes, the nation at large acquiesced in it with less than usual repugnance; and some writers, who at tacked the court in opposition to the prin ciple, were treated with so much severity that others were deterred from following their example. So desperate did the cause of liberty at this time appear, that great numbers of the Puritans emigrated to New England. It was in 1635 that Hampden commenced his resist ance to the payment of ship money, the right to levy which, without authority of Parliament, he was determined to bring before a court of law. His cause was argued in 1638 for 12 days in the Court of Exchequer; and although he lost it by the decision of eight of the judges out of 12, the discussion of the question pro duced a very powerful impression on the public mind.