Restoration Key Terms

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RESTORATION SETTLEMENT

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The name given to all the various laws and agreements which were set up in the aftermath of the Restoration (1660) and set up the new government system of England under the Restored Monarchy of Charles II.

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CLARENDON CODE

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The religious laws passed by the Cavalier Parliament. There is some argument among historians as to which laws should be included. Set up the Church of England as the only official, accepted religion of England and penalised others.

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TREATY OF DOVER

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Secret agreement reached between Charles II and Louis XIV in 1670 in which Charles promised to convert England to Catholicism and ally with France in a war with Holland in return for large sums of cash. Negotiated by some of the CABAL Ministry.

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CABAL MINISTRY

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Government of England from 1667-1674, made up of five ministers who divided the responsibilities of government between them. Members often fell out and rivalled each other!

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ABSOLUTISM

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System of government in which the monarch rules with absolute power - i.e. without having to consult anyone. Such rulers can pass laws, raise taxes, etc entirely on their own say-so. Parliaments if they exist are powerless. Associated with Catholic nations by the English, e.g. Louis XIV in France.

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ATTACK ON THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

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Alleged attempt by James II to undermine and reduce the power and importance of the Church of England in the 1680s, including setting up the Court of Ecclesiastical Commission.

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GLORIOUS REVOLUTION

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Name given to the overthrow of James II in 1688-9. The name was developed because there was no violence in this overthrow and most people seemed happy with the outcome as well as the fact that parliament was given far more power and permanence by the settlement afterwards.

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CLARENDON

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Noble title of Sir Edward Hyde (1st Earl of Clarendon). He was Charles II's guardian and then his closest advisor and helper while in exile. He kept contacts with royalists in England and helped Charles write the Declaration of Breda, then served as his minister until 1667.

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DECLARATION OF BREDA

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Set of promises made by Charles Stuart and sent to the English Convention Parliament to help persuade them to restore the monarchy. It was a carefully written document made up something for everyone and items designed to calm any fears of revenge against former parliamentarians (except regicides!)

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HEARTH TAX

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A tax introduced in 1662 by the Cavalier Parliament which aimed to make up the shortfall between Charles expected income (£1.5 million) and what he really got (usually about £800,000). It taxed households according to the number and size of their hearths (fireplaces).

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POPISH PLOT

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Alleged plot by Catholics to kill Charles II, replace him with a Catholic ruler and recruit the help of foreign Catholic powers. This was made up by Titus Oates in 1678 but due to the general level of anti-Catholic feeling he was widely believed.

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REGICIDE

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Name given to any of the senior parliamentarians who had signed the death warrant of Charles I in 1648. They were specifically exempted from the Act of Pardon, Indemnity and Oblivion (1660) and were to be treated as traitors.

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EXCLUSION CRISIS

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A massive dispute between king and parliament, lasting from 1679-1681. Opponents of James, Duke of York, tired to pass a law excluding him from the succession. Charles fought tooth and nail to defend his brother's right to be king.

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RYE HOUSE PLOT

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Dangerous and clever plot hatched by extremist Whigs in 1683. Charles and James were to be assassinated on their way from Newmarket to London near the isolated Rye House. The plot failed and all who could be linked to it either fled abroad or were executed.

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RESTORATION

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Event in which the monarchy of England was re-established in the person of Charles Stuart as King Charles II in 1660. It had been abolished in 1649 on the death of King Charles I.

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LOYAL PARLIAMENT

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Highly royalist parliament made up largely of Tories elected in 1685 at the accession of James II. Showed strong support for the king and gave him a generous financial settlement.

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CONVENTION PARLIAMENT

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Parliament which met in 1660 and invited Charles Stuart to return as King Charles II. Convention refers to a parliament which is not called by royal command and is, therefore, technically illegal.

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CAVALIER PARLIAMENT

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Extremely pro-royalist parliament elected in 1661. Amusingly described as "more royalist than the king". Sat until 1679 and became more and more hostile to the king over its time.

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NON-CONFORMIST

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Any Protestant who refused to conform to the rules and teachings of the Church of England and was, therefore, not a member. Persecuted and harshly treated, e.g. the Conventicle Act 1664.

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INDULGENCE

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Royal prerogative power allowing the monarch to suspend the imposition of any law upon any individual or group. E.g. Charles issued an Indulgence in 1672 to release Non-Conformists from the Clarendon Code.