What was ship money and how was it a cause of the Civil War?
Ship Tax was an established tax that was paid by counties with a sea border in times of war. It was to be used to strengthen the Navy and so these counties would be protected by the money they paid in tax; in theory, it was a fair tax against which they could not argue.
Why were people angry about ship money?
Ship Money was a tax that could be levied by the Monarch, without the approval of Parliament, during wartime on coastal communities. It was very unpopular and Parliament disagreed with the King over the tax, and the Ship Money Act of 1641 made it illegal.
What was ship money in the Civil War?
Ship money, in British history, a nonparliamentary tax first levied in medieval times by the English crown on coastal cities and counties for naval defense in time of war. It required those being taxed to furnish a certain number of warships or to pay the ships’ equivalent in money.
Was the ship money successful?
Ship money was enough of a financial success to help Charles to meet peacetime government expenditures in the 1630s.
Why did Hampden oppose ship money?
Ship-money is a tax collected in the coastal towns of southern England to build up a navy to defend the country. John Hampden, Parliamentary leader, refused to pay the tax because it had not been approved by Parliament. He went to trial in 1637 in Exchequer Court.
What did Charles do with ship money?
However, Charles hated working with MPs. He tried to get the money he needed by collecting taxes like ship money and tallage (a tax on landowners). Ship money was supposed to be paid by counties near the coast. It was supposed to be paid in times of emergency to raise money for the navy to protect the country.
How much did ship money raise?
One historian has called it ‘the most successful extraordinary tax in early modern (perhaps modern) British history’. Ship Money did not fill Charles I’s empty coffers and stave off bankruptcy. The additional revenues raised, about £200,000 per year, did not even fully fund the navy.
Why was the ship money tax illegal?
ship money was an occasional tax on property, traditionally levied in port towns for their protection by the navy. Because Parliament, together with its power to grant taxes, had been dissolved in 1629, Charles I lacked money both for the fleet and for other expenses. In 1641 Parliament declared ship money illegal.
Why did Charles I use ship money?
Ship-money is a tax collected in the coastal towns of southern England to build up a navy to defend the country. In 1634, King Charles I levied this tax without parliamentary consent. His reason was that is was an emergency tax to suppress piracy. Charles hoped that this “emergency tax” would turn into a permanent tax.
Who won Roundheads or Cavaliers?
Some 200,000 lives were lost in the desperate conflict which eventually led to the victory of the Roundheads under Oliver Cromwell and the execution of the king in 1649.
Who won the Civil War in 1642?
English Civil War
| Date | 22 August 1642 – 3 September 1651 (9 years and 12 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | England, Scotland and Ireland |
| Result | Parliamentarian victory |
Was Cromwell a Puritan?
Cromwell was a Puritan. Puritans were Protestants who wanted to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices. During his time as Lord Protector Cromwell banned, or imposed rules on many things in England.
Why was ship money important to the English Civil Wars?
It required those being taxed to furnish a certain number of warships or to pay the ships’ equivalent in money. Its revival and its enforcement as a general tax by Charles I aroused widespread opposition and added to the discontent leading to the English Civil Wars.
What was the result of the ship money case?
The resulting court case found for Charles I but by a very small margin, and the judgement, which in effect gave Charles the power to do whatever he wished, alienated almost the entire nation, including many who fought for Charles in the Civil War. Ship money was made illegal by the Long Parliament in 1641.
When did the demand for ship money end?
The demands for ship money aroused obstinate and widespread resistance by 1638, even though a majority of the judges of the court of Exchequer found in a test case… English Civil Wars: Personal Rule and the seeds of rebellion (1629–40)
What was the purpose of the ship money writ?
One of the financial measures implemented by Charles I in his attempt to rule without calling Parliament, and one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Civil War. The first ship money writ of 1634 simply requests the coastal towns to provide ships, following on from earlier acts of Elizabeth I.