Hampton Court Conference facts for kids

The Hampton Court Conference was an important meeting held in January 1604. It took place at Hampton Court Palace. King James I of England met with leaders of the Church of England, including a group called the Puritans. They talked about how the church should be run. This meeting led to a new version of the Book of Common Prayer in 1604. It also led to the famous King James Version of the Bible in 1611.

Who Attended the Meeting?

The meeting was first planned for November 1603. But a serious outbreak of the plague caused it to be delayed. It finally happened in February 1604.

King James called this meeting because of requests from the Puritans. They had sent a document called the Millenary Petition. This petition supposedly had signatures from 1000 Puritan ministers. Some important people there included John Rainolds, who was a leader of the Puritans. There were three meetings over five days.

What Happened at the First Meeting?

The conference started with King James talking to his bishops. They discussed some of the Puritans' complaints. These included concerns about words like "Absolution" and "Confirmation." These words were seen as too Catholic by the Puritans.

After talking with the bishops, the King said he was "well satisfied." He felt that some things could be changed or made clearer.

Baptism and Church Rules

A bigger discussion was about private baptism, especially when done by women. King James believed that only ministers should perform baptisms. He eventually convinced the bishops to agree with him.

The King then looked at how the church enforced its rules. He wanted to stop Excommunication for small issues. He also wanted to review the quick trials in the commissaries' court. The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice would help with this.

The Puritans believed that church punishments should follow rules set by Christ. King James agreed that bishops should not be the only ones to decide on church discipline. He did not say exactly how this would be changed.

Overall, King James was happy with the first meeting. He had found agreements on many Puritan requests. He also avoided any major disagreements.

What Happened After the Conference?

Soon after the conference, Archbishop John Whitgift died. Richard Bancroft became the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Bancroft had argued against the Puritans at Hampton Court. The King then demanded that Puritan ministers follow all of the Thirty-Nine Articles. These were important rules of the Church of England.

However, the Hampton Court Conference also helped the Puritans. Led by Rainolds, they wanted people to understand God's word directly. This led King James to order a new translation of the Christian Bible into English. This translation became known as the Authorised Version. It was the only version allowed to be read in churches. Today, it is commonly called the King James Version.

The King's moderate approach helped him gain more support. His predecessor, Elizabeth I, had made strict anti-Catholic laws. King James tried to be more inclusive. This helped bring different groups together. However, it did upset the most extreme Puritans and Catholics.

See Also

• Gunpowder Plot
• Savoy Conference