What was the ship money tax?

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.

Why was ship money so unpopular?

It was levied on our ancestors every year until 1640. It was very unpopular and Parliament disagreed with the King over the tax, and the Ship Money Act of 1641 made it illegal.

Why was the ship tax introduced?

Definition. Ship Money was a tax applied by medieval monarchs to English coastal communities to pay for ships for the Royal Navy and so ward off pirates and enemies of the state. During the reign of Charles I of England (r. 1625-1649), the tax was used for other purposes and applied to other, inland communities.

Who opposed ships money?

John Hampden
Ship money was enough of a financial success to help Charles to meet peacetime government expenditures in the 1630s. Payment was, however, refused by John Hampden, a wealthy Buckinghamshire gentleman landowner.

How did ship tax cause 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.

What was the 11 years tyranny ‘?

The Personal Rule (also known as the Eleven Years’ Tyranny) was the period from 1629 to 1640, when King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland ruled without recourse to Parliament. The King claimed that he was entitled to do this under the Royal Prerogative.

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.

When was the Ship Money case?

On 12 June 1638 the court found in favour of the Crown, by a majority of only 7 to 5. Ship money was declared illegal by Parliament in 1641.

Was Charles 1 Catholic or Protestant?

Charles, a High Anglican with a Catholic wife, aroused suspicion among his Protestant countrymen. As a result of these tensions, Charles dissolved parliament three times in the first four years of his rule.

Why was William Laud impeached?

In December 1640, he was impeached on a charge of treason and detained in the Tower of London. The Lords acquitted him in 1644 but, in the midst of war, the Commons moved an Act of Attainder which they forced the Lords to pass. Laud was beheaded on 10th January, 1645.

Why did Charles I need so much money?

The King was weakened in this war because many of his English subjects sympathised with the Scots in their opposition to his religious policies. In June 1639 an uneasy truce was called. Charles, knowing that he needed money for the inevitable renewal of war, reluctantly summoned a Parliament for April 1640.

Did religion cause the English Civil War?

Religion was a major cause of the English Civil War. It was part of a Europe wide conflict between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.