• Cromwell’s son Richard succeeded him in 1658, but lacked the authority and competence of his father. Too much social unrest for some, who had enough of the Puritan experiment. Charles II returned to England in 1660. No bloodshed; the monarchy and the Church of England were restored.
FROM THE DEFINITIONS SECTION OF English Puritanism from Cromwell to Wesley Lipscomb University - Anglo Educational Services By Dr. Lionel Laborie, Goldsmiths, University of London 5 March, 2015. https://www.academia.edu/11289655…
• The monarchy and the Church of England were abolished. The republic was proclaimed. Toleration Act (1650) introduced freedom of religion and repealed legal requirements to attend church on Sundays for both Protestants and Catholics. Jews were readmitted into the country in 1656. • Protectorate (1653-1658): Cromwell became ‘Lord Protector of the Commonwealth’ in 1653 after the failures of the Rump and Barebone Parliaments. Authoritarian regime, Censorship abolished, but theater and the arts too. Ruled for the people, but not by the people. • Cromwell was a moderate Puritan. As a gentleman, he opposed arbitrary taxation as well as the ‘levelling’ movement within the Puritan revolution (=> class distinction and private property part of English identity, in his view). As an Independent, he believed in freedom of conscience and religious toleration => no persecution for religious reasons under his rule. However, blasphemy and licentiousness were severely repressed.
• Religious dissenters: • Baptists: separatists who believed congregations should be autonomous. Baptists composed of several groups, divided over infant baptism. They advocated baptism by immersion. • Levellers: led by John Lilburne (1615-1657) => active in the New Model Army; promoted political and social action => advocated a more egalitarian society (universal suffrage, abolition of primogeniture…) • Diggers: led by Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1660). Defined themselves as the ‘true Levellers’ => opposed private property and advocated use of public land for the people. They created agrarian communities in various parts of England (St. George’s Hill, Surrey), where they grew food to share with the common people. • Fifth Monarchists: believed Christ’s Second Coming on earth was imminent. They were active among the New Model Army and saw Cromwell as an instrument of God. They advocated a theocracy and social reforms (abolition of taxes, poor relief…) to prepare for the millennium, including the use of force if necessary. • Quakers: led by George Fox. They believed in an indwelling spirit or ‘Inner Light’ => mocked for their enthusiastic (=> quaking) preaching. Quakers were regularly arrested under Cromwell not for their beliefs, but for disrupting church services and public order. • Ranters: also believed in an indwelling spirit. They denied the reality of sin (antinomianism) => accused of being religious libertines => smoked, drank, fornicated… The Blasphemy Act of 1650 directed at them. • Floating boundaries between denominations => Ranters and early Quakers often confused as the same.
• Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658): from a landed gentry, Puritan family in Cambridgeshire. Intermarriage with families from similar backgrounds => several relatives sitting in the Long Parliament in 1640. • Triennal Act (1641): forced Charles I to call Parliament at least every 3 years. • Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593-1641) impeached and executed. • Oct. 1641: Irish rebellion against English rule. Repressed by Charles’ army, but growing fear that he might also use it against his own people in England. • Grand Remonstrance (1641): list of political, religious, social and financial objections presented by the Parliament (led by John Pym) to the King. It demanded further reformation of the Church and parliamentary control over the army. The Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud (1573-1645) impeached and imprisoned. • Jan. 1642: Charles sends royal guards to arrest 5 MPs (including Pym), in response to the Parliament’s growing opposition to his authoritarian rule => civil war became inevitable. • Archbishop Laud executed for treason, 1645. • The Westminster Assembly (1643-48) => ordered the removal and dismantlement of images, altars and even organs from parish churches because they were deemed reminiscent of Catholic liturgy. Parishes ignore these directives in several parts of the country. • New Model Army: created by Cromwell in Feb. 1645. • Based on individual merit rather than social status or wealth => no class distinction. • Defeated the royal army at the battles of Naseby and Langport (1645). • Putney debates (Oct.-Nov. 1647): discussions between the Levellers and the New Model Army on the future of England => roots of English democracy. • Growing demand for individual freedom. Independents asked for full religious freedom from any form of ecclesiastical structure => called for religious tolerance. • Some argued that the common people ought to be represented in Parliament (the Levellers called for universal suffrage), while Cromwell and his party believed only the landed gentry should have the right to vote (=> defense of private property and social status).
• Trial of Charles I • Col. Thomas Pride’s Purge (Dec. 1648): pro-Presbyterian MPs were removed from Parliament by the New Model Army => remaining MPs were pro-Independent and hostile to the king. They formed the Rump Parliament (1648-1653). • 1 Jan. 1649: Charles I accused of tyranny and treason against his own people by the Rump Parliament => severe blow against those defending the divine right of kings theory. • 20 Jan. 1649: Charles found guilty: ‘For all which treasons and crimes this Court doth adjudge that he, the said Charles Stuart, as a tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy to the good people of this nation, shall be put to death by the severing of his head from his body.’ => breach of the social contract between the King and his people.
• 30 Jan. 1649: Charles executed in front of Banquet House, Whitehall.
Puritanism = second generation theology => sought to advance and complete the work of the early reformers. Quest for purity => Puritans constantly challenged the beliefs, practices and mores of their time. • Protested against the English Reformation, which in their view did not go far enough. Desire for a revival of the Church (=> evangelical revival in 18C) • The expression of Puritanism as a growing dissenting voice also owes its success to the printing press. At least half of the 100,000 titles published between 1558 and 1700 were religious works. A strong proportion of these were puritan writings (autobiographies, conversion narratives, diaries…); many were written in prison and became bestsellers (Fox, Baxter, Bunyan…). Puritans not only made use of the printed medium, but they also strongly encouraged the spread of literacy to give people direct access to the Bible => Puritans championed freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. They often published anonymously and with clandestine of foreign presses to avoid fines and censorship. • All believed in the doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide), the doctrine of grace (sola gratia) and the primacy of the Scriptures (sola scriptura). • They strongly believed in the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and therefore minimised the value of good works in reaching one’s salvation => Emphasis on discipline and repentance (austere image).
• Puritan = derogatory term => Arminians within the Anglican Church used the term ‘Puritan’ against orthodox Calvinists as a synonym for ‘killjoy’, while the Puritans thought of themselves as ‘God’s Elect’. Definition not set in stone, but evolved over time => Royalists used it as a label to stigmatise rebellious MPs during the Civil War, while the term designated nonconformists after the Restoration (1660).
• Puritanism => broad label for a wide movement: • All were Calvinist, all believed in predestination, and all believed it necessary to purify the Anglican Church from its remaining Catholic components (garments, liturgy …) • Presbyterians: wanted a system of Church government based on a hierarchy of Elders. Opposed separation from the Church. • Independents or Congregationalists, wanted each congregation to be legally independent of every other one. The individual Church was the highest authority
• Separatists wanted to separate from the established Church altogether. • => two main Puritan currents: those advocating reform of Church structure vs those emphasis freedom of conscience and religious toleration.
• Not merely a national movement => colonial America.
FROM THE DEFINITIONS SECTION OF English Puritanism from Cromwell to Wesley Lipscomb University - Anglo Educational Services By Dr. Lionel Laborie, Goldsmiths, University of London 5 March, 2015. https://www.academia.edu/11289655…
Until 1736, English law allowed courts to convict and execute people for witchcraft. However, once the law had been repealed, it didn’t mean that belief in the craft was eradicated.
80 years later, a trial took place in Yorkshire that caused huge media attention. According to broadsheets from the time, a woman named Mary Bateman was executed for ‘witchcraft and murder’.
Mary wasn’t formally accused of witchcraft -- she was prosecuted for fraud as well as murder, but the media highlighted her popularity for telling fortunes and making charms and referred to her as the ‘Yorkshire witch’.
It was her claims to be able to cure people which led to the death of her victim, Rebecca Perigo. In 1808, Mary treated Rebecca with white powders for a nervous or spiritual ailment, instructing her to mix them into a pudding. Rebecca died a week after eating it.
Authorities found corrosive mercury powder on Mary, leading to her arrest, charge of murder, and hanging at York Castle on 20 March 1809, 3 days after her trial.
The story of the ‘Yorkshire Witch’ drew 5,000 people to witness Mary’s hanging, with more lining the road to see her coffin travel to Leeds General Infirmary, where hospital staff charged 3 pence to view her corpse.
The story of the ‘Yorkshire Witch’ and physical evidence of protective measures like witches’ marks demonstrate that belief in witchcraft and the supernatural was widespread until the late 19th century.
Throughout the 20th century suspicions around witches and magic in England began to reduce. However, it’s important to remember the lives lost during past centuries, when the fear of the unknown, accusations and misunder- standings led to tragic consequences.
Since we have no page for The Netherlands per se, I'm posting this here as being the place annotators will find it easiest. There's a new history book out:
A HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDSFROM THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY Third Edition By Friso Wielenga -- Translated by Lynne Richards Published by Bloomsbury Academic
INTRODUCTION:
Every country’s history is informed by its geographical position and its interaction with the world beyond its borders. There is no doubt that this applies to the Netherlands more than many other nations.
Situated on a major hub between continental Europe and other parts of the world, the Dutch have a centuries-old trading tradition. During the 17th century, this small country on the North Sea was a leading economic, political, cultural and scientific power, and reverberations from this past ... still resonate all over the world to this day.
Today’s foreign tourists get an impression of this flourishing era when they visit Amsterdam or admire the art treasures in the many Dutch museums.
... questions about how this small federal republic could possibly have reached such heights usually remain unanswered. So, too, do questions about the Netherlands after the 17th century, when it had to find a place for itself as a small country surrounded by major powers.
What international position has the Netherlands sought since its decline in the 18th century, and what role has it played since then in Europe and beyond?
When it comes to political culture, many people think of the Netherlands as a country where tolerance and democracy gradually developed into today’s permissive society. But is that true? ...
Needless to say, questions also arise about the shady sides of Dutch history: the economic boom in the 17th century as well as the prosperity in the centuries that followed are inextricably linked to the Netherlands’ colonial past. It took a long time before the associated violence and history of slavery received the appropriate level of attention in historical considerations.
... This book has been written for those seeking answers to such questions. The reception enjoyed by the earlier German, Dutch and English editions indicates there is broad interest in a concise history like this. ... It has also attracted the interest of many members of the general public.
The hope for this current edition is that it will be able to contribute to greater knowledge about this small land on the North Sea with its many international contacts.
The site where Hazlitt’s [HOTEL] on Frith Street, Soho, now stands has a fascinating history. Behind it once stood the grand Monmouth House, originally planned by James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (the illegitimate son of Charles II). After his execution in 1685 the house was purchased by Sir James Bateman, Lord Mayor of London.
Sir James Bateman’s son, William (later the 1st Viscount Bateman), demolished the stables on the east side of Frith Street …
The Kitab-ı Bahriye records a contentious moment when “the eastern Mediterranean became Ottoman” and the western Mediterranean became a realm of naval skirmishes between the Ottomans and Habsburgs of Spain. Both the original and revised manuscripts have been lost, but more than 40 copies survive. Click on the link below to see a manuscript copy made in the 17th or 18th century from the Walters Art Museum. It contains more than 240 maps that collectively chart the coasts of the Aegean, Adriatic, Black, and Caspian seas, roaming from Palestine through North Africa to southern France. Illustrated in rich, primary colors, the coastlines have a looping, fractal quality. The maps are rendered mainly in a flat, planimetric view, but topographical elevation breaks perspective, for mountains get illustrated as they might appear when seen from afar by a navigator at sea, and are brightly colored.
We do not know what led to Piri death. He commanded the 1548 reconquest of Aden, a former Ottoman territory in Yemen that had fallen under Portuguese control, and received a financial reward.
After an attack on Hormuz in Persia failed, Piri sailed to Cairo, where he was executed in 1554, either due to errors at Hormuz or for “financial indiscretion”.
Words from the Kitab-ı Bahriye serve as a memorial: “I have always been an eager and willing lover of the sea. Knowledge is infinite. By no effort can its end be found.” https://publicdomainreview.org/co…
“Knowledge Is Infinite”: Manuscript of Piri Reis’ Book of Seafaring (ca. 17th Century)
“Hearken to the secrets I reveal and from them know and discern my aim”, wrote the Ottoman cartographer Piri Reis in his Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Seafaring). “It was with God’s guidance that it became my habit to roam the seas. And so it was: and were I to live forever I would always be at sea.”
Born circa 1465–70, likely in Gallipoli, Piri began his sea life around 1481, working as a corsair with his uncle, Kermal Reis, for 14 years. It was a time of literal sea change: the sailors saw the fall of the Emirate of Granada — a coastal stronghold and the last Muslim polity in Spain — heard news of the “discovery” of North and South America, and witnessed the Ottoman Empire’s fresh outposts in Algiers and Tripoli.
In 1495, Piri and his uncle stopped being pirate, and began serving Sultan Bayezid II, and joined in the Ottoman-Venetian war (1499–1502).
Tragedy struck in 1511 when Kermal’s ship sank in a storm, causing Piri to write “many men go off thinking they will return: those who do not are those who knew little about where they were going. . . The world is vanity; it is every man’s lot to live and die.”
In 1513, Piri started making maps that were among the most accurate of the day. First a world map, only 1/3 of which survives, which combined information from about 30 charts, including one supposedly made by Christopher Columbus from one his uncle had pilfered from a Spanish ship.
On the strength of Piri’s cartography, the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha chose him to pilot a mission to Egypt, where the Vizier was tasked with reforming the local civil and military administration following a revolt. Seeing Piri often consulted a copy of the Kitab-ı Bahriye that he had assembled in 1511, Ibrahim encouraged him to “polish up this book well, all of it, so that it may be much used, [wherever] there are those who will listen.”
Piri dedicating a revised version of the book to Suleiman the Magnificent in 1521.
"Many of [LONDON'S] most famous landmarks would not have been possible without coal. ... But without the tax on coal we might not have seen St. Paul’s Cathedral or the Embankment take shape." https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
We don't page an Encyclopedia page for coal, so this brief history of its importance to the growth of London is going here:
On 30 September, 2024, the UK switched off its last coal-fired power station. From now on, no mains electricity will be generated in this country from the burning of coal. It’s a big step in the drive towards green energy.
We’ve been generating electricity from coal for over 140 years. The first coal-fired plant in the world opened right here in London in 1882, when Thomas Edison lit up Holborn Viaduct from a nearby coal generator. ...
Given that not a gram of coal was ever mined from the bowels of London, it is surprising just how important the substance has been to the city’s development. One could almost rewrite London’s history from the perspective of this calorific rock. It has provided warmth and light to generations of Londoners. At the same time, its soot begrimed our buildings and shortened the lives of thousands if not millions of Londoners, who inhaled the irritant particulates. Oh, and that whole climate change thing too, obviously.
Many of our most famous landmarks would not have been possible without coal. ... But without the tax on coal we might not have seen St. Paul’s Cathedral or the Embankment take shape. Coal ended the Great Stink and vanquished cholera, by powering the steam engines that removed sewage and circulated fresh water. It brought us the railways, which reshaped London, and society, like no other technology.
Without coal, there would be no Bert the chimneysweep.
The countless ways in which coal has shaped the capital is a huge topic. It could fill a book. So rather than publish an overly long essay I [The Londonist: Time Machine] thought I’d get my hands dirty and put together this sooty graphic.
Since we are discussing things after the Diary, I guess all this isn't a spoiler: "Of course, SP's problem (and the Navy's) was that Charles blew a lot of the money raised on good times with the ladies."
I won't argue that Lady Castlemaine walked off with more than she should have -- or that Nell Gwyn had a golden bed in the 1670's, which seems excessive (let's hope it was only gilded) -- or that Charles II's love of expensive clocks would have driven any mistress out of her mind, BUT in the 1660s (which we are concerned with) he also: . undertood to pay off the considerable debt left by the Interregnum, . fought an expensive (and unnecessary, to my mind) war which entailed rebuilting ships, castles and fortifications, . rebuilt London's infrastructure after the fire, . rebuilt England after the plague, and . attempted to compensate the thousands of Royalists for their services during the Past Unpleasantness.
These were all expensive undertakings, and historians seem to agree that Parliament exercised their control over Charles by consistently under-funding him personally and the government. Their fear that he would build a domestic army made them parsimonious.
And left Charles open to influence from abroad. As we know -- but Pepys doesn't appear to have cottoned onto yet -- Charles is trying to balance the budget at this moment by selling an expensive asset (Dunkirk) while being paid to take on others which are better placed for England's planned expansion (Tangier, Mumbei, and trading privileges in Brazil and the other Portuguese possessions). Remember, they considered the plantations of New England as being part of England. I don't think the concept of an empire was fully formed yet. (What the inhabitants of New England thought about that was, of course, totally different. They had gone there to escape.)
We love to present Charles as a womanizing fool, but during most of the Diary he was surrounded by wise councillors and was on the job in a responsible manner. I've read that he didn't need much sleep, and partied at night, and was at his desk by 7 a.m. every day -- like Pepys he did his business, and then had fun in the afternoon when he could.
By the Stop of 1672 those wise influences were long gone, and Charles was looking for the next get-rich-quick idea, and hoarding power by keeping the members of the CABAL guessing and in states of need-to-know. I submit that Pepys' 1660 Charles II was a different king than the one who authorized The Stop -- not understanding the ramifications of what he did.
And they didn't have real deficit spending until the Bank of England under-wrote those debts -- which happened 40 years after the Diary. Yes, Pepys could pay people with IOUs and Tally Sticks, but the Navy's reputation goes down the drain really fast if and when they couldn't make good on these obligations. Keep reading.
So Pepys had models of 2 Royal James ships. He is hanging a model of the first today. How naughty of the boys to mishandle his second model -- I'd lock it up in a trunk for safe keeping as well!
Maritime Bristol in the Slave-Trade Era by Nicholas Rogers REVIEW: Explores the maritime history of Bristol, a leading slave port in the 18th century
Delves into the hazards of the slave trade, its recruitment of seamen, its fractious labour relations and mutinies, and how these were resolved by law. One chapter examines in detail how a shipwright sought redress for his ill-treatment aboard a slave ship and how sensitive the merchant elite were to insider criticism; another reveals how partial the Admiralty courts were to captains as sovereigns of their ships.
The book also tracks the chequered fortunes of a New York/Bristol merchant family during the American war, the patterns of investment in mid-century privateering, which illustrate how money from slave-trade activities was mobilized for this speculative enterprise, and how naval impressment was used for political purposes.
The book concludes with a chapter on why Bristol failed to emulate other culturally vibrant towns and cities in opposing the slave trade in the first phase of abolition.
In the wake of the Edward Colston (1636 –1721) controversy, this book contributes to the ongoing debate as to how slavery has shaped British society. Hardcover 9781837651511 June 2024 Buy $110.00 / £80.00 https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781…
GrannieAnnie: There was no money, so what work would you like Pepys to be doing? A few weeks ago the Commissioners must have done everything to get a fleet ready for the trip to Lisbon. Now what? No doubt the office is open, and what must be done is getting done. Pepys' clerk, Thomas Hater, had worked there for years, and could handle everything except the official signatures on the documents. They hadn't invented deficit financing yet -- when the Exchaquor's closet was bare, there really was no money. And you could only go so far on credit before your reputation was ruined, and in Pepys' day, reputation was everything.
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page: ✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003 Sack Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site: A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South. and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender for what he's drinking): https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB Encyclopedia page. So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page: ✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003 Sack Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site: A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South. and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender for what he drank): https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the POSSET Encyclopedia page. So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Besides Sack's 2 annotations pn our WINE Encyclopedia page, Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB and POSSET Encyclopedia pages.
So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page: ✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003 Sack Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site: A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South. and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender): https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB and POSSET Encyclopedia pages. So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; this day's Sack Posset must have been a flavored version suitable for children, but he genuinely seems to have enjoyed the real thing, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page: ✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003 Sack Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site: A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South. and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender): https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB and POSSET Encyclopedia pages. So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
Comments
Third Reading
About Oliver Cromwell
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
• Cromwell’s son Richard succeeded him in 1658, but lacked the authority and competence of his father. Too much social unrest for some, who had enough of the Puritan experiment.
Charles II returned to England in 1660. No bloodshed; the monarchy and the Church of England were restored.
FROM THE DEFINITIONS SECTION OF
English Puritanism from Cromwell to Wesley
Lipscomb University - Anglo Educational Services
By Dr. Lionel Laborie, Goldsmiths, University of London
5 March, 2015.
https://www.academia.edu/11289655…
About Oliver Cromwell
San Diego Sarah • Link
PART 2
• The monarchy and the Church of England were abolished. The republic was proclaimed. Toleration Act (1650) introduced freedom of religion and repealed legal requirements to attend church on Sundays for both Protestants and Catholics. Jews were readmitted into the country in 1656.
• Protectorate (1653-1658): Cromwell became ‘Lord Protector of the Commonwealth’ in 1653 after the failures of the Rump and Barebone Parliaments. Authoritarian regime, Censorship abolished, but theater and the arts too. Ruled for the people, but not by the people.
• Cromwell was a moderate Puritan. As a gentleman, he opposed arbitrary taxation as well as the ‘levelling’ movement within the Puritan revolution (=> class distinction and private property part of English identity, in his view). As an Independent, he believed in freedom of conscience and religious toleration => no persecution for religious reasons under his rule. However, blasphemy and licentiousness were severely repressed.
• Religious dissenters:
• Baptists: separatists who believed congregations should be autonomous. Baptists composed of several groups, divided over infant baptism. They advocated baptism by immersion.
• Levellers: led by John Lilburne (1615-1657) => active in the New Model Army; promoted political and social action => advocated a more egalitarian society (universal suffrage, abolition of primogeniture…)
• Diggers: led by Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1660). Defined themselves as the ‘true Levellers’ => opposed private property and advocated use of public land for the people. They created agrarian communities in various parts of England (St. George’s Hill, Surrey), where they grew food to share with the common people.
• Fifth Monarchists: believed Christ’s Second Coming on earth was imminent. They were active among the New Model Army and saw Cromwell as an instrument of God. They advocated a theocracy and social reforms (abolition of taxes, poor relief…) to prepare for the millennium, including the use of force if necessary.
• Quakers: led by George Fox. They believed in an indwelling spirit or ‘Inner Light’ => mocked for their enthusiastic (=> quaking) preaching. Quakers were regularly arrested under Cromwell not for their beliefs, but for disrupting church services and public order.
• Ranters: also believed in an indwelling spirit. They denied the reality of sin
(antinomianism) => accused of being religious libertines => smoked, drank, fornicated…
The Blasphemy Act of 1650 directed at them.
• Floating boundaries between denominations => Ranters and early Quakers often confused as the same.
About Oliver Cromwell
San Diego Sarah • Link
• Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658): from a landed gentry, Puritan family in Cambridgeshire.
Intermarriage with families from similar backgrounds => several relatives sitting in the Long Parliament in 1640.
• Triennal Act (1641): forced Charles I to call Parliament at least every 3 years.
• Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593-1641) impeached and executed.
• Oct. 1641: Irish rebellion against English rule. Repressed by Charles’ army, but growing fear that he might also use it against his own people in England.
• Grand Remonstrance (1641): list of political, religious, social and financial objections presented by the Parliament (led by John Pym) to the King. It demanded further reformation of the Church and parliamentary control over the army. The Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud (1573-1645) impeached and imprisoned.
• Jan. 1642: Charles sends royal guards to arrest 5 MPs (including Pym), in response to the Parliament’s growing opposition to his authoritarian rule => civil war became inevitable.
• Archbishop Laud executed for treason, 1645.
• The Westminster Assembly (1643-48) => ordered the removal and dismantlement of images, altars and even organs from parish churches because they were deemed reminiscent of Catholic liturgy. Parishes ignore these directives in several parts of the country.
• New Model Army: created by Cromwell in Feb. 1645.
• Based on individual merit rather than social status or wealth => no class distinction.
• Defeated the royal army at the battles of Naseby and Langport (1645).
• Putney debates (Oct.-Nov. 1647): discussions between the Levellers and the New Model Army on the future of England => roots of English democracy.
• Growing demand for individual freedom. Independents asked for full religious freedom from any form of ecclesiastical structure => called for religious tolerance.
• Some argued that the common people ought to be represented in Parliament (the Levellers called for universal suffrage), while Cromwell and his party believed only the landed gentry should have the right to vote (=> defense of private property and social status).
• Trial of Charles I
• Col. Thomas Pride’s Purge (Dec. 1648): pro-Presbyterian MPs were removed from Parliament by the New Model Army => remaining MPs were pro-Independent and hostile to the king. They formed the Rump Parliament (1648-1653).
• 1 Jan. 1649: Charles I accused of tyranny and treason against his own people by the Rump Parliament => severe blow against those defending the divine right of kings theory.
• 20 Jan. 1649: Charles found guilty: ‘For all which treasons and crimes this Court doth adjudge that he, the said Charles Stuart, as a tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy to the good people of this nation, shall be put to death by the severing of his head from his body.’ => breach of the social contract between the King and his people.
• 30 Jan. 1649: Charles executed in front of Banquet House, Whitehall.
About Puritanism
San Diego Sarah • Link
Puritan: 1556 (Oxford English Dictionary)
Puritanism = second generation theology => sought to advance and complete the work of the early reformers. Quest for purity => Puritans constantly challenged the beliefs, practices and mores of their time.
• Protested against the English Reformation, which in their view did not go far enough. Desire for a revival of the Church (=> evangelical revival in 18C)
• The expression of Puritanism as a growing dissenting voice also owes its success to the printing press. At least half of the 100,000 titles published between 1558 and 1700 were religious works. A strong proportion of these were puritan writings (autobiographies, conversion narratives, diaries…); many were written in prison and became bestsellers (Fox, Baxter, Bunyan…). Puritans not only made use of the printed medium, but they also strongly encouraged the spread of literacy to give people direct access to the Bible => Puritans championed freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. They often published anonymously and with clandestine of foreign presses to avoid fines and censorship.
• All believed in the doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide), the doctrine of grace (sola gratia) and the primacy of the Scriptures (sola scriptura).
• They strongly believed in the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and therefore minimised the value of good works in reaching one’s salvation => Emphasis on discipline and repentance (austere image).
• Puritan = derogatory term => Arminians within the Anglican Church used the term ‘Puritan’ against orthodox Calvinists as a synonym for ‘killjoy’, while the Puritans thought of themselves as ‘God’s Elect’. Definition not set in stone, but evolved over time => Royalists used it as a label to stigmatise rebellious MPs during the Civil War, while the term designated nonconformists after the Restoration (1660).
• Puritanism => broad label for a wide movement:
• All were Calvinist, all believed in predestination, and all believed it necessary to purify the Anglican Church from its remaining Catholic components (garments, liturgy …)
• Presbyterians: wanted a system of Church government based on a hierarchy of Elders. Opposed separation from the Church.
• Independents or Congregationalists, wanted each congregation to be legally independent of every other one. The individual Church was the highest authority
• Separatists wanted to separate from the established Church altogether.
• => two main Puritan currents: those advocating reform of Church structure vs those emphasis freedom of conscience and religious toleration.
• Not merely a national movement => colonial America.
FROM THE DEFINITIONS SECTION OF
English Puritanism from Cromwell to Wesley
Lipscomb University - Anglo Educational Services
By Dr. Lionel Laborie, Goldsmiths, University of London
5 March, 2015.
https://www.academia.edu/11289655…
About Scot's 'The Discovery of Witchcraft'
San Diego Sarah • Link
Until 1736, English law allowed courts to convict and execute people for witchcraft. However, once the law had been repealed, it didn’t mean that belief in the craft was eradicated.
80 years later, a trial took place in Yorkshire that caused huge media attention. According to broadsheets from the time, a woman named Mary Bateman was executed for ‘witchcraft and murder’.
Mary wasn’t formally accused of witchcraft -- she was prosecuted for fraud as well as murder, but the media highlighted her popularity for telling fortunes and making charms and referred to her as the ‘Yorkshire witch’.
It was her claims to be able to cure people which led to the death of her victim, Rebecca Perigo. In 1808, Mary treated Rebecca with white powders for a nervous or spiritual ailment, instructing her to mix them into a pudding. Rebecca died a week after eating it.
Authorities found corrosive mercury powder on Mary, leading to her arrest, charge of murder, and hanging at York Castle on 20 March 1809, 3 days after her trial.
The story of the ‘Yorkshire Witch’ drew 5,000 people to witness Mary’s hanging, with more lining the road to see her coffin travel to Leeds General Infirmary, where hospital staff charged 3 pence to view her corpse.
The story of the ‘Yorkshire Witch’ and physical evidence of protective measures like witches’ marks demonstrate that belief in witchcraft and the supernatural was widespread until the late 19th century.
Throughout the 20th century suspicions around witches and magic in England began to reduce. However, it’s important to remember the lives lost during past centuries, when the fear of the unknown, accusations and misunder- standings led to tragic consequences.
Pictures of York Castle and the original story (along with other witch stories) at
https://heritagecalling.com/2024/…
About The Hague
San Diego Sarah • Link
Since we have no page for The Netherlands per se, I'm posting this here as being the place annotators will find it easiest. There's a new history book out:
A HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDSFROM THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT DAY
Third Edition
By Friso Wielenga -- Translated by Lynne Richards
Published by Bloomsbury Academic
INTRODUCTION:
Every country’s history is informed by its geographical position and its interaction with the world beyond its borders. There is no doubt that this applies to the Netherlands more than many other nations.
Situated on a major hub between continental Europe and other parts of the world, the Dutch have a centuries-old trading tradition. During the 17th century, this small country on the North Sea was a leading economic, political, cultural and scientific power, and reverberations from this past ... still resonate all over the world to this day.
Today’s foreign tourists get an impression of this flourishing era when they visit Amsterdam or admire the art treasures in the many Dutch museums.
... questions about how this small federal republic could possibly have reached such heights usually remain unanswered. So, too, do questions about the Netherlands after the 17th century, when it had to find a place for itself as a small country surrounded by major powers.
What international position has the Netherlands sought since its decline in the 18th century, and what role has it played since then in Europe and beyond?
When it comes to political culture, many people think of the Netherlands as a country where tolerance and democracy gradually developed into today’s permissive society. But is that true? ...
Needless to say, questions also arise about the shady sides of Dutch history: the economic boom in the 17th century as well as the prosperity in the centuries that followed are inextricably linked to the Netherlands’ colonial past. It took a long time before the associated violence and history of slavery received the appropriate level of attention in historical considerations.
... This book has been written for those seeking answers to such questions. The reception enjoyed by the earlier German, Dutch and English editions indicates there is broad interest in a concise history like this. ... It has also attracted the interest of many members of the general public.
The hope for this current edition is that it will be able to contribute to greater knowledge about this small land on the North Sea with its many international contacts.
Münster, February 2023
Scroll half way down, and Chapter 2 (1555 - 1609) is available free:
https://bloomsburycp3.codemantra.…
About James Scott ("Mr Crofts", 1st Duke of Monmouth)
San Diego Sarah • Link
The site where Hazlitt’s [HOTEL] on Frith Street, Soho, now stands has a fascinating history. Behind it once stood the grand Monmouth House, originally planned by James Scott, Duke of Monmouth (the illegitimate son of Charles II). After his execution in 1685 the house was purchased by Sir James Bateman, Lord Mayor of London.
Sir James Bateman’s son, William (later the 1st Viscount Bateman), demolished the stables on the east side of Frith Street …
Nugget with more info about Soho at
https://londontopia.net/columns/g…
About Maps of the World
San Diego Sarah • Link
CONCLUSION:
The Kitab-ı Bahriye records a contentious moment when “the eastern Mediterranean became Ottoman” and the western Mediterranean became a realm of naval skirmishes between the Ottomans and Habsburgs of Spain. Both the original and revised manuscripts have been lost, but more than 40 copies survive.
Click on the link below to see a manuscript copy made in the 17th or 18th century from the Walters Art Museum. It contains more than 240 maps that collectively chart the coasts of the Aegean, Adriatic, Black, and Caspian seas, roaming from Palestine through North Africa to southern France.
Illustrated in rich, primary colors, the coastlines have a looping, fractal quality. The maps are rendered mainly in a flat, planimetric view, but topographical elevation breaks perspective, for mountains get illustrated as they might appear when seen from afar by a navigator at sea, and are brightly colored.
We do not know what led to Piri death. He commanded the 1548 reconquest of Aden, a former Ottoman territory in Yemen that had fallen under Portuguese control, and received a financial reward.
After an attack on Hormuz in Persia failed, Piri sailed to Cairo, where he was executed in 1554, either due to errors at Hormuz or for “financial indiscretion”.
Words from the Kitab-ı Bahriye serve as a memorial:
“I have always been an eager and willing lover of the sea. Knowledge is infinite. By no effort can its end be found.”
https://publicdomainreview.org/co…
About Maps of the World
San Diego Sarah • Link
“Knowledge Is Infinite”: Manuscript of Piri Reis’ Book of Seafaring (ca. 17th Century)
“Hearken to the secrets I reveal and from them know and discern my aim”, wrote the Ottoman cartographer Piri Reis in his Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Seafaring). “It was with God’s guidance that it became my habit to roam the seas. And so it was: and were I to live forever I would always be at sea.”
Born circa 1465–70, likely in Gallipoli, Piri began his sea life around 1481, working as a corsair with his uncle, Kermal Reis, for 14 years. It was a time of literal sea change: the sailors saw the fall of the Emirate of Granada — a coastal stronghold and the last Muslim polity in Spain — heard news of the “discovery” of North and South America, and witnessed the Ottoman Empire’s fresh outposts in Algiers and Tripoli.
In 1495, Piri and his uncle stopped being pirate, and began serving Sultan Bayezid II, and joined in the Ottoman-Venetian war (1499–1502).
Tragedy struck in 1511 when Kermal’s ship sank in a storm, causing Piri to write “many men go off thinking they will return: those who do not are those who knew little about where they were going. . . The world is vanity; it is every man’s lot to live and die.”
In 1513, Piri started making maps that were among the most accurate of the day. First a world map, only 1/3 of which survives, which combined information from about 30 charts, including one supposedly made by Christopher Columbus from one his uncle had pilfered from a Spanish ship.
On the strength of Piri’s cartography, the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha chose him to pilot a mission to Egypt, where the Vizier was tasked with reforming the local civil and military administration following a revolt.
Seeing Piri often consulted a copy of the Kitab-ı Bahriye that he had assembled in 1511, Ibrahim encouraged him to “polish up this book well, all of it, so that it may be much used, [wherever] there are those who will listen.”
Piri dedicating a revised version of the book to Suleiman the Magnificent in 1521.
About St Paul's Cathedral
San Diego Sarah • Link
"Many of [LONDON'S] most famous landmarks would not have been possible without coal. ... But without the tax on coal we might not have seen St. Paul’s Cathedral or the Embankment take shape."
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
About Chaldron
San Diego Sarah • Link
We don't page an Encyclopedia page for coal, so this brief history of its importance to the growth of London is going here:
On 30 September, 2024, the UK switched off its last coal-fired power station. From now on, no mains electricity will be generated in this country from the burning of coal. It’s a big step in the drive towards green energy.
We’ve been generating electricity from coal for over 140 years. The first coal-fired plant in the world opened right here in London in 1882, when Thomas Edison lit up Holborn Viaduct from a nearby coal generator. ...
Given that not a gram of coal was ever mined from the bowels of London, it is surprising just how important the substance has been to the city’s development. One could almost rewrite London’s history from the perspective of this calorific rock. It has provided warmth and light to generations of Londoners. At the same time, its soot begrimed our buildings and shortened the lives of thousands if not millions of Londoners, who inhaled the irritant particulates. Oh, and that whole climate change thing too, obviously.
Many of our most famous landmarks would not have been possible without coal. ... But without the tax on coal we might not have seen St. Paul’s Cathedral or the Embankment take shape.
Coal ended the Great Stink and vanquished cholera, by powering the steam engines that removed sewage and circulated fresh water.
It brought us the railways, which reshaped London, and society, like no other technology.
Without coal, there would be no Bert the chimneysweep.
The countless ways in which coal has shaped the capital is a huge topic. It could fill a book. So rather than publish an overly long essay I [The
Londonist: Time Machine] thought I’d get my hands dirty and put together this sooty graphic.
Follow the billows of smoke to discover the myriad ways in which London was built on coal:
https://londonist.substack.com/p/…
[It's very informative, but can't be duplicated here -- SDS]
About Wednesday 9 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
Since we are discussing things after the Diary, I guess all this isn't a spoiler:
"Of course, SP's problem (and the Navy's) was that Charles blew a lot of the money raised on good times with the ladies."
I won't argue that Lady Castlemaine walked off with more than she should have -- or that Nell Gwyn had a golden bed in the 1670's, which seems excessive (let's hope it was only gilded) -- or that Charles II's love of expensive clocks would have driven any mistress out of her mind, BUT in the 1660s (which we are concerned with) he also:
. undertood to pay off the considerable debt left by the Interregnum,
. fought an expensive (and unnecessary, to my mind) war which entailed rebuilting ships, castles and fortifications,
. rebuilt London's infrastructure after the fire,
. rebuilt England after the plague, and
. attempted to compensate the thousands of Royalists for their services during the Past Unpleasantness.
These were all expensive undertakings, and historians seem to agree that Parliament exercised their control over Charles by consistently under-funding him personally and the government. Their fear that he would build a domestic army made them parsimonious.
And left Charles open to influence from abroad.
As we know -- but Pepys doesn't appear to have cottoned onto yet -- Charles is trying to balance the budget at this moment by selling an expensive asset (Dunkirk) while being paid to take on others which are better placed for England's planned expansion (Tangier, Mumbei, and trading privileges in Brazil and the other Portuguese possessions). Remember, they considered the plantations of New England as being part of England. I don't think the concept of an empire was fully formed yet. (What the inhabitants of New England thought about that was, of course, totally different. They had gone there to escape.)
We love to present Charles as a womanizing fool, but during most of the Diary he was surrounded by wise councillors and was on the job in a responsible manner. I've read that he didn't need much sleep, and partied at night, and was at his desk by 7 a.m. every day -- like Pepys he did his business, and then had fun in the afternoon when he could.
By the Stop of 1672 those wise influences were long gone, and Charles was looking for the next get-rich-quick idea, and hoarding power by keeping the members of the CABAL guessing and in states of need-to-know.
I submit that Pepys' 1660 Charles II was a different king than the one who authorized The Stop -- not understanding the ramifications of what he did.
And they didn't have real deficit spending until the Bank of England under-wrote those debts -- which happened 40 years after the Diary.
Yes, Pepys could pay people with IOUs and Tally Sticks, but the Navy's reputation goes down the drain really fast if and when they couldn't make good on these obligations. Keep reading.
About Saturday 5 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
So Pepys had models of 2 Royal James ships. He is hanging a model of the first today.
How naughty of the boys to mishandle his second model -- I'd lock it up in a trunk for safe keeping as well!
About Bristol
San Diego Sarah • Link
Maritime Bristol in the Slave-Trade Era
by Nicholas Rogers
REVIEW:
Explores the maritime history of Bristol, a leading slave port in the 18th century
Delves into the hazards of the slave trade, its recruitment of seamen, its fractious labour relations and mutinies, and how these were resolved by law.
One chapter examines in detail how a shipwright sought redress for his ill-treatment aboard a slave ship and how sensitive the merchant elite were to insider criticism; another reveals how partial the Admiralty courts were to captains as sovereigns of their ships.
The book also tracks the chequered fortunes of a New York/Bristol merchant family during the American war, the patterns of investment in mid-century privateering, which illustrate how money from slave-trade activities was mobilized for this speculative enterprise, and how naval impressment was used for political purposes.
The book concludes with a chapter on why Bristol failed to emulate other culturally vibrant towns and cities in opposing the slave trade in the first phase of abolition.
In the wake of the Edward Colston (1636 –1721) controversy, this book contributes to the ongoing debate as to how slavery has shaped British society.
Hardcover
9781837651511
June 2024
Buy $110.00 / £80.00
https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781…
About Wednesday 9 October 1661
San Diego Sarah • Link
GrannieAnnie: There was no money, so what work would you like Pepys to be doing?
A few weeks ago the Commissioners must have done everything to get a fleet ready for the trip to Lisbon. Now what?
No doubt the office is open, and what must be done is getting done. Pepys' clerk, Thomas Hater, had worked there for years, and could handle everything except the official signatures on the documents.
They hadn't invented deficit financing yet -- when the Exchaquor's closet was bare, there really was no money.
And you could only go so far on credit before your reputation was ruined, and in Pepys' day, reputation was everything.
About Posset
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page:
✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003
Sack
Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site:
A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South.
and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender for what he's drinking):
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB Encyclopedia page.
So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
About Syllabub
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page:
✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003
Sack
Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site:
A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South.
and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender for what he drank):
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the POSSET Encyclopedia page.
So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
About Wine
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Besides Sack's 2 annotations pn our WINE Encyclopedia page, Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB and POSSET Encyclopedia pages.
So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
About Tuesday 10 January 1659/60
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; he genuinely seems to have enjoyed it, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page:
✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003
Sack
Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site:
A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South.
and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender):
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB and POSSET Encyclopedia pages.
So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)
About Thursday 5 January 1659/60
San Diego Sarah • Link
Pepys liked his Sack. There are 44 references to it in the Diary; this day's Sack Posset must have been a flavored version suitable for children, but he genuinely seems to have enjoyed the real thing, sometimes using it as a gratuity or gift.
Sack has 2 annotations in our WINE Encyclopedia page:
✹ Andrew Hamilton on 15 Nov 2003
Sack
Definition from 1911 Enclyclopedia site:
A Spanish wine, which was of a strong, rough, dry kind (in Fr. vin sec, whence the name), and therefore usually sweetened and mixed with spice and mulled or burnt. It became a common name for all the stronger white wines of the South.
and about "sack mead" (which Pepys never specifies but is an historical contender):
https://www.pepysdiary.com/encycl…
Sack is also mentioned in the SYLLABUB and POSSET Encyclopedia pages.
So use the Search box (top right), and you'll find all sorts of Shakespeare quotes, recipes and interesting variations, like Raspberry Sack (which Australian Susan thought sounded like vinegar -- but I suspect was delicious.)