Cavalier Parliament facts for kids

King Charles II of England, around 1661–62. He is wearing his special robes for important Parliament meetings.

The Cavalier Parliament was a very important group of lawmakers in England. It met from May 8, 1661, until January 24, 1679. This Parliament was the longest in English history, lasting for almost 18 years! It happened during the reign of Charles II of England. Most of its members strongly supported the King, like the "Cavaliers" from the English Civil War. It was also called the Pensioner Parliament because many members received money or "pensions" from the King.

What Was the Cavalier Parliament?

The Cavalier Parliament began after the Restoration of King Charles II to the throne. Its main goal was to bring back stability and order to England after years of civil war and a period without a king.

Key Laws and Changes

One of the first things the Cavalier Parliament did was to confirm the laws made by the previous Parliament, the Convention of 1660. They also made sure that the King had full control over the country's armed forces.

Laws About Religion

The Parliament wanted to make the Church of England the official church again. They passed several laws to do this, often called the Clarendon Code. These laws included:

• The Corporation Act 1661: This law made sure that only members of the Church of England could hold important local government jobs.
• The Act of Uniformity 1662: This law required all church ministers to follow the Church of England's prayer book.
• The Conventicle Act 1664: This law made it illegal for groups of more than five people to meet for religious worship outside the Church of England.
• The Five Mile Act 1665: This law stopped non-Anglican ministers from living within five miles of towns or places where they used to preach.

There was also the Quaker Act 1662, which specifically targeted a religious group called the Quakers. These laws aimed to stop people from rebelling and to control what was published.

Laws About Money and Trade

The Cavalier Parliament also focused on making England's economy stronger. They believed in a system called Mercantilism, which meant they wanted England to export more goods than it imported.

• They made laws to help English industries, like stopping the export of raw materials such as wool.
• They encouraged the American colonies to produce raw materials for England and buy English goods.
• They changed laws about grain to help English farmers, making it easier to export wheat and harder to import it.
• They even stopped the import of Irish cattle to protect English beef producers.
• To encourage trade, they made it easier to export gold and silver coins. They also made it free to mint new coins at the Royal Mint.

Taxes and Social Issues

The Parliament needed to raise money for the King. They introduced a new tax called the hearth tax in 1662. This tax was unpopular because tax collectors had to enter people's homes to count their fireplaces.

They also changed the laws for the poor. The Act of Settlement and Removal (1662) made it harder for poor people to move to different areas to get help. They had to stay in their home parish.

Other interesting laws included:

• Licensing the first hackney carriages (taxis) in 1662.
• A law against "excessive gaming" (gambling) in 1663.
• An act to build toll gates on the Great North Road to help pay for road repairs.

Parliament During Difficult Times

In 1664, Parliament changed a law so that the King was only "suggested" to call Parliament every three years, instead of being required to.

In 1665, Parliament met in Oxford to avoid the Great Plague of London. The next year, after the Great Fire of London in September 1666, Parliament passed laws to help rebuild the city and settle disputes between landlords and tenants.

The Great Fire of London in 1666.

The Cabal Ministry

After a difficult war with the Dutch, Parliament blamed the King's chief minister, Edward Hyde. He went into exile. This led to a new group of ministers, known as "the Cabal". This group included Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale. They started to work together more like a modern government "cabinet."

Foreign Policy Changes

The Cabal surprised Parliament by forming an alliance with the Dutch Republic, England's recent enemy. Many in Parliament still saw the Netherlands as a threat to English trade. Because of this, King Charles II secretly made a deal with Louis XIV of France, planning to divide the Netherlands. This was called the Treaty of Dover.

The Rise of Political Parties

Within Parliament, especially in the House of Commons, members started to form groups with different ideas. One group, led by Sir William Coventry, was called the "Country Party." They were suspicious of corruption and the King's foreign policy. They also worried about his loyalty to Protestantism.

Another group, supporting the King's council, was called the "Court Party." These two groups were the early beginnings of what would become the Whigs and the Tories.

Parliament's Growing Power

The House of Commons began to feel more powerful. They argued with the House of Lords about who had the right to change money bills. The King's ministers found it harder to control the Commons.

The Third Anglo-Dutch war started in 1672. The King needed money for the war, so he called Parliament again in 1673. Public opinion had turned against the war. Parliament was also upset about the King's "Declaration of Indulgence" which allowed more religious freedom for Dissenters and Catholics. Parliament argued that the King could not suspend laws passed by Parliament without their approval.

To get the money he needed, the King had to cancel the Declaration. Parliament also passed the first Test Act in May 1673. This law required anyone holding a public office to deny Catholic beliefs and take Anglican communion. This was a big moment because it showed Parliament's power over the King.

Changes in Leadership

After the Test Act, many members of the Cabal resigned. The King's own brother, James, Duke of York, also resigned because he was Catholic. This made many people worry that England might have a Catholic king in the future.

The secret Treaty of Dover with France was also leaked, causing a big scandal. King Charles II decided to pull England out of the war.

The Danby Ministry

After the Cabal, King Charles II chose Thomas Osborne (Earl of Danby) as his chief minister. Danby was a strong supporter of the Church of England and enforced the Test Act.

The focus of political drama shifted to the House of Lords, where Shaftesbury led the opposition. In the House of Commons, the Country Party grew stronger. They worked closely with Shaftesbury.

Conflicts and Long Breaks

Shaftesbury and his group tried to pass laws that would limit the King's power and remove Catholics from London. They even considered accusing James, Duke of York, of serious wrongdoing. The King quickly stopped the session to prevent these laws from passing.

The next year, Shaftesbury tried to remove Danby from office. Danby responded by trying to build a "Court Party" in the House of Commons, giving money to Members of Parliament (MPs) to gain their support. This is why the Cavalier Parliament was also known as the "Pensionary Parliament."

The King then kept Parliament out of session for 15 months, a period known as the "Long Prorogation." When Parliament met again in 1677, some members argued that the long break meant Parliament was dissolved and new elections were needed. This idea worried many MPs who didn't want to lose their seats.

The Popish Plot and Parliament's End

The King wanted Parliament to fund England's re-entry into a war with France. Danby arranged for the King's niece, Mary, to marry William III of Orange, the Dutch leader. This was meant to show England was on the Protestant side. However, Parliament was slow to provide money for an army. Some historians believe MPs were paid by the French to delay funding.

A picture showing William Bedloe telling Parliament about the Popish Plot.

In 1678, a major event called the Popish Plot caused a lot of fear. People believed there was a Catholic plan to kill the King and take over England. When Parliament met in October 1678, they were very angry. They passed a law to exclude Catholics from Parliament and the King's court (though James was still allowed).

It was also revealed that Danby had secretly negotiated with the French King, promising England would not join the war against France. Parliament immediately tried to remove Danby from office. To save Danby, King Charles II agreed to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections.

The Cavalier Parliament officially ended on January 24, 1679, after nearly 18 years. The next Parliament was called the Habeas Corpus Parliament.

Who Led the House of Commons?

The Speaker of the House of Commons is like the referee or leader of the debates.

• From 1661 to 1671, Sir Edward Turnour was the Speaker.
• In 1673, Sir Job Charlton was elected but resigned quickly due to illness.
• Sir Edward Seymour then became Speaker and served until 1678.
• Sir Robert Sawyer briefly took over but also resigned due to health.
• Sir Edward Seymour returned as Speaker until the end of the Cavalier Parliament.

How Parliament Sessions Worked

In England, a King's reign officially started on the day the previous King died. So, even though Charles II returned in 1660, his "regnal years" officially began on January 30, 1649 (when his father, Charles I, died). This means the Cavalier Parliament started in the 13th year of Charles II's reign.

The Cavalier Parliament had seventeen different sessions. A "session" is a period when Parliament meets.

• An "adjournment" is a short break within a session.
• A "prorogation" officially ends a session.
• A "dissolution" ends the entire Parliament, meaning new elections must be held.

Laws passed by Parliament are often named after the King's regnal year. For example, "15 Charles II c.4" means the fourth chapter of a law passed in the 15th year of Charles II's reign. If a session crossed two regnal years, it might have a double label like "19 & 20 Charles II."

Some sessions did not pass any new laws, so they don't have a legal label. The dates in old records can sometimes be confusing because the "legal year" used to start on March 25, not January 1.

The Cavalier Parliament was dissolved (ended) on January 24, 1679.

Images for kids

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  Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, a key leader of the "Country Party" in Parliament.

See Also

• English Restoration
• List of parliaments of England