OCR Specification focus:
‘Laud’s religious policies and reaction; Wentworth and Thorough in England and Ireland; Scotland and the Bishops’ Wars’
This section explores how religious and political reform under Charles I deepened division. It covers Laudian policies, Wentworth’s authoritarian strategies, and the Bishops’ Wars.
Laudian Reforms
Charles I appointed William Laud as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633. Laud sought to reform the Church of England by emphasising ritual, ceremony, and strict uniformity.
Key Features of Laudianism
Beauty of holiness: Churches were adorned with decoration, stained glass, and elaborate altars. The focus was shifted from preaching to ritual.
Altar policy: The communion table was moved to the east end, railed off, and treated with reverence, reminiscent of Catholic practice.
Chancel of St John’s, Corby Glen, with a 17th-century communion rail enclosing the altar at the east end. The rail and eastward focus exemplify Laudian ceremonial uniformity and reverence for the altar. The source note that rails also deterred animals is incidental to the syllabus focus. Source
Suppression of Puritan practices: Laud opposed extempore preaching and curtailed Puritan influence in parishes.
Uniformity: Bishops and clergy were instructed to enforce strict adherence to the Book of Common Prayer.
Laudianism: A movement within the Church of England under Archbishop Laud promoting ceremonial uniformity, hierarchy, and the beauty of holiness, often seen as sympathetic to Catholicism.
Laud also strengthened the Court of High Commission and the Star Chamber, institutions that prosecuted dissenters. Punishments were severe, as seen in the branding and mutilation of Puritan pamphleteers such as William Prynne, Henry Burton, and John Bastwick in 1637.
Reaction to Laudian Reforms
The reforms provoked widespread opposition, especially among Puritans who viewed them as a betrayal of Protestantism and dangerously close to Catholicism. Opposition was:
Religious: Fear of a return to Catholicism.
Political: Concerns that religious conformity was linked to authoritarian rule.
Cultural: The alienation of the gentry and middling sort who valued preaching.
Wentworth and ‘Thorough’
In 1632, Thomas Wentworth became Lord Deputy of Ireland. His approach, known as ‘Thorough’, aimed to centralise royal power, enforce obedience, and maximise revenue.
Principles of ‘Thorough’
Absolute authority: Government should be obeyed without question.
Efficiency and accountability: Officials were expected to serve loyally and competently.
Royal prerogative: Emphasis on the king’s right to govern without parliamentary interference.
‘Thorough’: A policy associated with Wentworth and Laud stressing strict enforcement of royal authority, efficiency in governance, and suppression of opposition.
Wentworth in Ireland
Wentworth transformed Irish governance by:
Reviving royal finances through rigorous tax collection and monopolies.
Undermining traditional elites, favouring loyal officials over established nobility.
Enforcing Anglican conformity, alienating both Catholic majority and Puritan settlers.
In England, he sought to strengthen royal authority by enforcing conformity and suppressing political opponents, often collaborating with Laud.
The Bishops’ Wars
Conflict in Scotland revealed the explosive consequences of Charles I’s religious policies.
Causes
Scottish Kirk: Strongly Calvinist, with traditions of local control and opposition to hierarchy.
The Prayer Book of 1637: Imposed by Charles and Laud, it was seen as Anglican and quasi-Catholic.
Nineteenth-century illustration of the St Giles’ riot (23 July 1637) associated with resistance to the Scottish Prayer Book. It visualises popular mobilisation that fed directly into the Covenanting movement. As a later artistic rendering, stylistic details reflect the illustrator’s era rather than 1637. Source
Scottish resistance: The National Covenant (1638) united nobles, clergy, and laity in opposition, pledging to defend their religion.
Course of the Wars
First Bishops’ War (1639): Charles raised an inexperienced English force; the Scots mobilised effectively. Charles signed the Treaty of Berwick, conceding without battle.
Etched plan of Charles I’s encampment near Berwick-upon-Tweed during the First Bishops’ War (1639), complete with compass and a keyed list of regiments. It shows the English camp south-west of Berwick and indicates the route toward Duns, where the Scots assembled. Regimental detail exceeds the syllabus requirement but aids spatial understanding of the campaign. Source
Second Bishops’ War (1640): Charles attempted again, but Scottish forces invaded northern England, occupying Newcastle. The humiliating Treaty of Ripon required him to pay the Scots £850 a day until a settlement.
Consequences
The wars exposed Charles’s financial weakness, forcing him to recall Parliament after eleven years of Personal Rule.
They undermined his religious authority, as his vision of uniformity collapsed.
The victories of the Scots emboldened opposition in England, contributing to the breakdown of royal power.
Connections Between Reforms, ‘Thorough’, and the Bishops’ Wars
The three elements of this subtopic—Laudian reforms, Thorough, and the Bishops’ Wars—are interconnected in their challenge to Charles’s authority:
Laud and Wentworth sought to strengthen royal control through religion and governance.
Their methods alienated significant groups: Puritans in England, Irish elites, and Scottish Presbyterians.
The attempt to impose religious conformity directly triggered armed resistance in Scotland.
The combined effect was to deepen mistrust of Charles I and to expose the fragility of his rule, laying foundations for the coming political crisis.
FAQ
Critics argued that Laudian reforms resembled Catholic practices by emphasising ceremony, the altar at the east end, and ritualised worship.
Puritans feared these changes undermined Protestant simplicity and blurred the line with Rome, especially at a time when suspicion of Catholic influence was strong in England.
Wentworth sought to weaken the traditional Irish nobility by bypassing their authority and appointing loyal officials.
He enforced tighter royal control through:
Greater taxation, particularly via monopolies
Heavy-handed use of prerogative courts
Limiting the influence of the Irish Parliament
This alienated both Catholic landowners and Protestant settlers, deepening resentment.
Pamphleteers like William Prynne, Henry Burton, and John Bastwick used print to criticise Laud’s reforms.
Their punishment — including branding and mutilation — became symbolic of religious repression, fuelling sympathy among Puritans.
Pamphlets circulated widely, keeping dissent alive even without parliamentary debate during Personal Rule.
The National Covenant united nobles, ministers, and ordinary Scots in rejecting Charles’s religious changes.
Its significance lay in:
Combining defence of religion with opposition to royal policy
Providing an organised structure of resistance
Legitimising rebellion by presenting loyalty to God above loyalty to the king
It marked a turning point where protest became collective and nationwide.
The English army was poorly trained, ill-equipped, and demoralised compared to the experienced Scottish forces.
Key weaknesses included:
Reliance on reluctant conscripts rather than professionals
Shortages of money, supplies, and equipment due to weak royal finances
Low morale, with desertions common
These failings forced Charles to concede treaties rather than achieve military success.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks):
Identify two features of William Laud’s religious reforms that provoked opposition in England during the 1630s.
Mark Scheme:
Award 1 mark for each valid feature identified, up to a maximum of 2 marks.
Moving the communion table to the east end and surrounding it with altar rails. (1 mark)
Emphasis on ceremonial worship and the “beauty of holiness” rather than preaching. (1 mark)
Suppression of Puritan practices such as extempore preaching. (1 mark)
Increased use of the Court of High Commission and Star Chamber to enforce conformity. (1 mark)
Question 2 (6 marks):
Explain how Charles I’s attempts to impose religious uniformity in Scotland led to the outbreak of the Bishops’ Wars.
Mark Scheme:
Level 1 (1–2 marks): Simple or general answers with limited detail. May offer a descriptive account with little explanation.
Example: “The Scots did not like the Prayer Book and so they resisted.”
Level 2 (3–4 marks): Clear explanation with some detail, showing awareness of causation.
Explains how the 1637 Prayer Book was viewed as an Anglican and quasi-Catholic imposition.
Notes that resistance grew into widespread protest, such as the signing of the National Covenant in 1638.
Level 3 (5–6 marks): Developed explanation with precise detail and clear links to the outbreak of the Bishops’ Wars.
Explains that Charles I’s insistence on the Prayer Book in 1637 provoked riots such as at St Giles’ Cathedral, leading to national opposition.
Describes how the National Covenant (1638) united nobles, clergy, and ordinary Scots in opposition to Charles’s religious policies.
Links this opposition directly to the Bishops’ Wars, showing how Charles’s attempts at religious uniformity escalated into military conflict.
