How was James an active manager in his Scottish governance?
Was often delayed in official matters as he was hunting, but it allowed him to be present with the people and up to date on local affairs.
Who was James’ main support/informant in England, and when did he die?
1598 Earl of Essex proposed him as successor to Elizabeth, but he was a bad choice of ally as he was losing favour with the queen.
Executed in 1601.
What was the impact of the Gowrie Conspiracy (1600)?
Aug 1600: James assaulted by Earl of Gowrie’s brother which James believed to be a threat on his life.
Deep psychological shock
Reinforced paranoia and distrust
Why did James’s accession initially inspire optimism in England?
Experienced ruler
Clear male heirs (Henry, Charles)
Contrasted with late Elizabethan uncertainty
May 1603: Public celebrations on his journey south
➡ Smooth succession reduced fear of instability
How did James ensure continuity in April 1603?
Retained Robert Cecil (made Baron of Essendon, Aug 1603)
How often did James prmise to return to Scotland?
Every three years
What did James do in May 1603?
Renamed the border territories the ‘Middle Shires’ to reduce tensions. However, English saw Scotland as an inferior nation, Scots wanted to maintain their national identity.
How was James I’s court divided?
James initially wanted the court equally split between Englishmen and Scots, but this proved difficult. the English had a monopoly in office, but the Scots dominated the positions immediate to the King (court entourage, Bedchamber),
What were the Bye and Main Plots (1603)?
The Main Plot and Bye Plot were two overlapping conspiracies in 1603 to overthrow the newly crowned King James I, with the Bye Plot aiming to kidnap him for religious concessions and the Main Plot seeking to depose him and put his cousin, Lady Arabella Stuart, on the throne.
Involved Sir Walter Raleigh and Lord Cobham.
What year was the Gowrie conspiracy?
1600
What year was the Bye and Main plots?
1603
Why did James’s confirmation of the Privy Council backfire?
When rewards were not immediate, loyalty evaporated.
Sir Walter Raleigh and Lord Cobham were involved in the Bye and Main plots of later 1603 (difficult to assure loyalty both from those who felt neglected in the 1590s and those who were used to royal favour).
What was James’s core argument for Union in 1604?
Divine providence
Shared island, faith (Protestantism), and genealogy
Motto: “Unus Rex, Unus Grex, Una Lex”
“Unus Rex, Unus Grex, Una Lex”
One King, One People, and One Law
Why did James insist he was “not a foreign king”?
Claimed descent from Henry VII / Tudors
Why was the title “King of Great Britain” controversial?
Proclaimed in Oct 1604
Commons argued English law depended on an English king, without an English King order would collapse (can’t combine the laws, fears of a threat on national, legal identity)
How did James and the Commons fundamentally disagree on sovereignty?
James: Parliament derives power from the Crown
Commons: Parliament is a historical institution with inherent rights
There was an English belief in dominium politicum et regale - a form of limited monarchy, exemplified by England, where the king’s power is constrained by laws to which the people consent
When did the initial passion for a union fail?
1607
What did James I use as an excuse for his ideas of divine rule?
Devoted his opening speech to the 1604 Parliament to the union - it was orchestrated by divine hand (genealogy as direct descendent of Henry VIII, and Eng and Scot share one Island, share the Protestant faith, although the Gaelic north was vastly different to the south of Scotland and this dissimilar to the English).
What books did James I write?
Basilikon Doron (1599)
The True Law of Free Monarchies (1598)
Why did Scottish nobles resent post-1603 governance?
King now 800-mile round trip away
Reduced access to patronage
Restrictions tightened in 1611 to limit Scots travelling south
What role did Queen Anne play in Union?
Acted as leader of noblewomen
Used female networks to integrate elites
Cultural patronage softened barriers
How did the Gunpowder Plot affect Union debates?
1605: Plot delayed Union discussions until 1606
Guy Fawkes: ‘deeply Scotophobic’
- Timothy Harris (2013)
Why did the Gunpowder Plot strengthen James’s position?
Generated emotional loyalty
Gratitude for Protestant king with heirs (his stabilisation of the throne in times of crisis became clearer)
