Oxford Parliament (1644)
Encyclopedia
The Oxford Parliament was the Parliament
assembled by King Charles I
for the first time 22 January 1644 and adjourned for the last time on 10 March 1645, with the purpose of instrumenting the Royalist
war campaign.
Charles was advised by Edward Hyde
and others not to dissolve the Long Parliament
as this would violate the statute of 1641 which said that Parliament could not be dissolved without its own consent. So all members of the Long Parliament were summoned by King Charles to assemble for a session of Parliament to be held at Christ Church
Hall, Oxford
. 82 peers, which was most of the House of Lords
and 175 commoners which was about one-third of the House of Commons
heeded the summons and came.
The Parliament met a number of times during the English Civil War
and was seen by Charles as a way of raising revenue. However some of the members defected back to Westminster because they did not like his alliance with Irish Catholics and others argued strongly for a negotiated peace with the Long Parliament in Westminster Hall.
The first session lasted from January 22 1644 until April 16 1644. The second session was from October 8 1644 until March 10 1645.
Not much is known of its proceedings because all its records were burnt just before Oxford fell to Parliamentary forces in 1646.
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
assembled by King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
for the first time 22 January 1644 and adjourned for the last time on 10 March 1645, with the purpose of instrumenting the Royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
war campaign.
Charles was advised by Edward Hyde
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
and others not to dissolve the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
as this would violate the statute of 1641 which said that Parliament could not be dissolved without its own consent. So all members of the Long Parliament were summoned by King Charles to assemble for a session of Parliament to be held at Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
Hall, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. 82 peers, which was most of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and 175 commoners which was about one-third of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
heeded the summons and came.
The Parliament met a number of times during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and was seen by Charles as a way of raising revenue. However some of the members defected back to Westminster because they did not like his alliance with Irish Catholics and others argued strongly for a negotiated peace with the Long Parliament in Westminster Hall.
The first session lasted from January 22 1644 until April 16 1644. The second session was from October 8 1644 until March 10 1645.
Not much is known of its proceedings because all its records were burnt just before Oxford fell to Parliamentary forces in 1646.
See also
- List of Parliaments of England
- Oxford Parliament (1258)Oxford Parliament (1258)The Oxford Parliament , also known as the "Mad Parliament" and the "First English Parliament", assembled during the reign of Henry III of England. It was established by Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. The parlour or prolocutor was Peter de Montfort under the direction of Simon de Montfort...
- Oxford Parliament (1681)Oxford Parliament (1681)An English Parliament assembled in the city of Oxford for one week from 21 March 1681 until 28 March 1681 during the reign of Charles II of England.Succeeding the Exclusion Bill Parliament, this was the fifth and last parliament of the King's reign. Both Houses of Parliament met and the King...