Root and Branch
Encyclopedia
The Root and Branch Petition was a petition presented to the Long Parliament
on December 11, 1640. The petition had been signed by 15,000 London
ers and was presented to the English Parliament by a crowd of 1,500. The petition called on Parliament to abolish episcopacy "roots and branches".
The House of Commons
was reluctant to act on the Root and Branch Petition, though it did ultimately refer the petition to committee in February 1641.
This petition formed the basis of the Root and Branch Bill, which was drawn up by Oliver St John
and introduced in Parliament by Henry Vane the Younger
and Oliver Cromwell
in May 1641. After lengthy debates, the bill was defeated in August 1641. (Though note that Parliament did determine to exclude the bishops from the House of Lords
and passed the Bishops Exclusion Act
in December 1641. The Bishops Exclusion Act became effective in February 1642.)
The aims of the Root and Branch Bill would ultimately be achieved in October 1646, when Parliament passed the Ordinance for the abolishing of Archbishops and Bishops in England and Wales and for settling their lands and possessions upon Trustees for the use of the Commonwealth.
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...
on December 11, 1640. The petition had been signed by 15,000 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
ers and was presented to the English Parliament by a crowd of 1,500. The petition called on Parliament to abolish episcopacy "roots and branches".
The House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
was reluctant to act on the Root and Branch Petition, though it did ultimately refer the petition to committee in February 1641.
This petition formed the basis of the Root and Branch Bill, which was drawn up by Oliver St John
Oliver St John
Sir Oliver St John , was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.- Early life :...
and introduced in Parliament by Henry Vane the Younger
Henry Vane the Younger
Sir Henry Vane , son of Henry Vane the Elder , was an English politician, statesman, and colonial governor...
and Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
in May 1641. After lengthy debates, the bill was defeated in August 1641. (Though note that Parliament did determine to exclude the bishops from 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 passed the Bishops Exclusion Act
Clergy Act 1640
The Clergy Act 1640 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England passed in 1642 by the Long Parliament.-Preamble:...
in December 1641. The Bishops Exclusion Act became effective in February 1642.)
The aims of the Root and Branch Bill would ultimately be achieved in October 1646, when Parliament passed the Ordinance for the abolishing of Archbishops and Bishops in England and Wales and for settling their lands and possessions upon Trustees for the use of the Commonwealth.