• Clarendon
Code: Corporation Act, Act of Uniformity, etc. (See link for
material below.)
• Corporation Act
(1661) - The Corporation Act was the first of four laws which
together were called the Clarendon Code. It required all municipal
officials to take communion in the Anglican Church and to rejectt the
Solemn League and Covenant of 1643. The law thus excluded
Nonconformists from public office.
1662
• Act of Uniformity (1662) - The Act
of Uniformity added a further requirement to the Corporation Act: it
required the use of the Book of Common Prayer in
religious service. As many as 2000 clergymen refused to comply with
this act and were forced to resign their livings, becoming Dissenters.
Foe family (along
with their minister, Samuel Annesley) was forced out of Anglican
church, becoming Presbyterian.
1663
1664
• Coventicle [or Conventicle] Act (1664)
- The 3rd law of the Clarendon Code effectively made it illegal
for dissenters to meet for worship. It forbade more than five
people not in the same family to meet for religious purposes unless
they were Anglican. Definition of conventicle
1665
• Five-Mile Act (1665) - This act
was meant to cover another base in suppressing dissenting
worship. It forbade Nonconformist ministers to go within 5 miles
of incorporated towns or the place of their former livings. It also
made it illegal for them to teach in schools. This act was not
rescinded until 1812.
•Test Act
English statute that excluded from public office (both military and
civil) all who refused to take the oaths of allegiance and
supremacy, to receive the communion according to the rites
of the Church of England, or to renounce belief in the
Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation.
1674
1675
Daniel
Foe attended the Dissenting Accademy of Rev. Charles Morton (Newington
Green, north of London) until 1679.
Foe
married Mary Tuffley (who brought £3,7000 as a dowry)
1685
• Charles II died.
1685-92
- hosier, importer of wine and tobacco, insurer of ships
1685
• James II succeeded to the throne.
• Monmouth's Rebellion: The
Duke of Monmouth (Charles II's illegitimate son proposed by Parliament
as a substitute for James II during the Exclusion Crisis) sailed from
Holland and assembled forces (with a little help from Scotland) to
overthrow James and claim the throne (mid-June). Monmouth was defeated,
captured, and beheaded (end of July).
Defoe
participated in Monmouth's Rebellion.
1686
1687
•James
II: Declaration
of Indulgence
Declared inactive all penalties for both Dissenters and
Roman Catholics.
1688
•James
II re-issued the Declaration of Indulgence.
•Bill of
Rights (An Act Declaring the Rights and
Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the Crown) put limits on the prerogative of the monarch, declared that taxes could
be raised only by Parliament, etc. Willliam and Mary agreed to the Bill
of Rights before becoming king and queen.
•William and Mary were crowned April 11, 1689.
•Act
of Toleration eased the restrictions of the
Conventicles Act (1664) by allowing dissenters to meet in unlocked
meeting houses which had been licensed by a bishop, provided the
minister subscribed to the Thirty Nine articles (excepting those on
church government and baptism).
►The
advantages of the present settlement, and the great danger of a relapse,
London : Printed for Ric. Chiswell ..., 1689
►Reflections upon
the late great revolution written by a lay-hand in the country for the
satisfaction of some neighbours., London : Printed for Ric.
Chiswell ..., 1689
1690
•Battle
of the Boyne: King William defeated the Irish and French armies of
his father-in-law (Jams II) at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland
(another site).
►The
present case of England,
and the Protestant interest, [London, s.n., 1690-1701
►Taxes no charge in a letter from a gentleman,
to a person of
quality, shewing the nature, use, and benefit of taxes in this kingdom,
and compared with the impositions of foreign states : together with
their improvement of trade in time of war., London : Printed for R.
Chiswell ..., 1690
► 1690-91: Contributer to Athenian Mercury and member
of the Athenian Society
1691
•The
Treaty of Limerick allowed Cathloics in Ireland free exercise of their
religion, but severe penal laws soon follow. The French War begins
►A
new discovery of an old
intreague a satyr level'd at treachery and ambition, calculated to the
nativity of the rapparee plott, and the modesty of the Jacobite clergy...,
[London : s.n.], 1691
1692
Foe declared
bankruptcy (£17,000) and was imprisoned for debt.
1693
►A
dialogue betwixt Whig and
Tory, aliàs Williamite and Jacobite Wherein the principles and
practices of each party are fairly and impartially stated; that thereby
mistakes and prejudices may be removed from amongst us, and all those
who prefer English liberty, and Protestant religion, to French slavery
and popery, may be inform'd how to choose fit and proper instruments
for our preservation in these times of danger., [London :
s.n.], 1693
1694
•Queen Mary died.
•Triennial
Act: Parliament had to meet anually and Parliamentary elections were
held every 3 years. It held until the Septinniel Act of 1716.
•The Bank of
England was founded. See also this site.
[For an unreliable, somewhat
wierd site, see this link.]
►The
Englishman's choice, and
true interest in a vigorous prosecution of the war against France, and
serving K. William and Q. Mary, and acknowledging their right.,
London : [s.n.], 1694
1695
•
The Licensing Act lapsed.
Daniel Foe added "de"
to his name, becoming "De Foe" or "Defoe."
►The Life of that incomparable
princess, Mary, our late sovereign lady, of ever blessed memory who
departed this life, at her royal pallace at Kensington, the 28th of
December, 1694., London : Printed for Daniel Dring ..., 1695
1696
1697
• Treaty of Ryswick ended the war between the allied
powers of the League of Augsburg and France.
• Civil List Act voted funds for
the maintenance of the Royal Household
►The
case of England, and the
Protestant interest, [London? : s.n., 1697
►The character of the late Dr. Samuel Annesley,
by way of
elegy: with a preface Written by one of his hearers., London :
printed for E. Whitlock, near Stationers-Hall, 1697
►An enquiry into the occasional conformity of
Dissenters in
cases of preferment with a preface to the Lord Mayor, occasioned by his
carrying the sword to a conventicle., London : [s.n.], 1697
►An essay upon projects, London : Printed
by R.R. for Tho.
Cockerill ..., 1697
►Some reflections on a pamphlet lately
published entituled An
argument shewing that a standing army is inconsistent with a free
government and absolutely destructive to the constitution of the
English monarchy, London : Printed for E. Whitlock ..., 1697
►Some seasonable queries, on the third head,
viz. A general
naturalization, [London : s.n., 1697
1698
►An
argument shewing, that a
standing army, with consent of Parliament, is not inconsistent with a
free government, &c., London : Printed for E. Whitlock,
1698
►A brief reply to the History of standing
armies in England
With some account of the authors., London : [s.n.], 1698
►An enquiry into the occasional conformity of
dissenters in
cases of preferment with a preface to the lord mayor, occasioned by his
carrying the sword to a conventicle., Dublin : Reprinted by J.B.
and S.P. ... for Jacob Milner ..., 1698
►The interests of the several princes and
states of Europe
consider'd, with respect to the succession of the crown of Spain, and
the titles of the several pretenders thereto examin'd, London :
[s.n.], 1698
►Lex talionis, la loi du talion Ou moyen juste
&
infaillible pour arrêter le cours de la cruelle & barbare
persecution des Protestans de France. Traduit de l'Anglois., A
Londres : par Pierre de la Verite', 1698
►The poor man's plea in relation to all the
proclamations,
declarations, acts of Parliament, &c., which have been, or shall be
made, or publish'd, for a reformation of manners, and suppressing
immorality in the nations., London : [s.n.], 1698
1699
►The
Compleat mendicant, or,
Unhappy beggar being the life of an unfortunate gentleman ... a
comprehensive account of several of the most remarkable adventures that
befel him in three and twenty years pilgrimage : also a narrative of
his entrance at Oxford ... likewise divers familiar letters, both Latin
and English sermons, poems, essays ..., London : Printed for E.
Harris ..., 1699
►A Letter to a member of Parliament, shewing
the necessity of
regulating the press chiefly from the necessity of publick
establishments in religion, from the rights and immunities of a
national church, and the trust reposed in the Christian magistrate to
protect and defend them : with a particular answer to the objections
that of late have been advanced against it., Oxford : Printed for
George West, and Henry Clements, 1699
1700
►The
pacificator a poem.,
London : Printed and are to be sold by J. Nutt ..., 1700
►Reasons humbly offer'd for a law to enact the
castration of
popish ecclesiastics, as the best way to prevent the growth of popery
in England, London : Printed and are to be sold by A. Baldwin
..., 1700
►Several essays relating to accademies, banks,
bankrupts,
charity-lotteries, courts of enquiries, court merchants,
friendly-societies, high-ways, pension-office, seamen, wagering,
&c. now communicated to the world for publick good., London :
Printed for Thomas Cockerill ..., 1700
►The six distinguishing characters of a
Parliament-man
address'd to the good people of England., London : [s.n.],
1700
►The true-born Englishman a satyr., [London
: s.n.],
1700
►The two great questions consider'd I. What the
French king
will do, with respect to the Spanish monarchy, II. What measures the
English ought to take., London : Printed by R. T. for A.
Baldwin, 1700
1701
•
The Act
of Settlement declared that if Anne had no children to inherit the
throne, Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and her Protestant children
became the heirs. The act ensured that the throne would not pass
to James II or his children.
Scotland refused to recognize this line
of succession and thus set in motion the events that would lead to
acrimony and then to the union of Scotland and England. The Act of
Settlement (officialy An act for the
further limitation of the crown, and better securing the rights and
liberties of the subject) also made clear that it was Parliament
that decides on succession.
• James II died in France, and his son (the "Old
Pretender") was
recognized as James III by Louis XIV.
• William formed a
grand alliance between England, Holland and Austria to thwart the
planned union of the Spanish and French crowns. The War of the Spanish
Succession began in Europe over the vacant throne
►London Gazette,
Jan. 10, 1703 advertised for information that would lead to Defoe's
arrest.
►Defoe
was arrested, tried, fined, sentenced to stand in the stocks 3 times
and to remain in jail.
►Reportedly,
Defoe arranged for the publicaton and sale of "Hymn to the Pillory"
while he stood in the stocks.
►Response to Defoe Shortest
Way with the Dissenters: Reflections
upon a late scandalous and malicious pamphlet entitul'd, The shortest
way with the dissenters.
•The Duke
of Marlborough defeated the French in the Battle of
Blenheim. For "eyeness accounts," see this link.
• Gibraltar was
captured by the English.
• "Queen
Anne's Bounty" was established, creating a fund to improve the
income of the poorer members of the Anglican clergy.
• The Act of Union united England and
Scotland under the name "Great Britain" (abolishing the Parliament of
Scotland and locating the Scottish government in England), confirmed
the Act of Settlement, ensured free trade and navigation for all parts
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, declared the same trade
restrictions and taxes for all parts of Great Britain, declared that 16
Scottish peers would sit in the House of Lords and 45 representatives
would sit in the House of Commons, etc.
• Marlborough defeated
the French at the Battle of Malplaquet.
• Henry Sacheverell, a High Church Anglican clergyman, preached two
highly inflammatory sermons against the Revolution Settlement, and
nonconformity in general; despite much popular support, he was
impeached by the government, and forbidden to preach for three years.
•
The Duke of Marlborough was dismissed (part of the struggles between
Whig and Tory); the Tories began to look for ways to disengage from the
War of the Spanish Succession.
• Robert Harley was appointed Lord High Treasurer.
•
The Treaty of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession but was
very controversial. The Whigs accused the Tory administration of
giving too much to the French.
Defoe, who had
written in favor of prosecuting the war now wrote in favor of the peace.
•
The Schism Act is passed, preventing nonconformists from keeping or
teaching school; it is largely ineffective.
• Queen Anne dies, and, in the wake of a great deal of political
maneuvring, the Tory government falls. Last minute plotting by
Jacobites is insufficient to prevent the Hanoverian Succession, as
George I ascends to the Crown. Henry St. John, 1st Viscount
Bolingbroke, and powerful Tory minister, escapes to France to avoid
impeachment.
Death of Queen Anne at Kensington Palace. She is
succeeded by her distant cousin,
George I (the Elector
George of Hanover) succeeded to the throne (as determined by the Act of
Settlement). The new Parliament had a Whig majority. It was led
by Charles
Townshend and Robert
Walpole. [Townshend and Walpole were brothers in law.]
1715
• Four Tory ministers,
including Harley, were impeached by the new Whig government.
•
The Jacobite Rebellion, known as the "Fifteen," began in Scotland (and
then in England). The aim of the Jacobites was to displace George
I and crown a Stuart--James II's son ("the old Pretender) (who had been
recognized by Louis XIV as James III). The rebellion was put down, and
the Hanoverian succession stabilized (George I, II, III were
Hanoverians.)
•
Louis XIV died, changing the profile of the Stuarts, who held their
court in exile in France under his protection.
• Septinniel Act increased the time
between general elections from 3 to 5 years, thus amending the
Triennial Act of 1694.
• The South Sea Company
offered to assume a large portion of the National Debt, and is accepted
by Parliament; the company's stocks soar, as stock-market fever sweeps
the nation. The "South Sea Bubble" bursts, however, and share prices
tumble, ruining many investors. The ensuing political scandal and
crisis topples the government.
•Charles
Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie" or "the Young
Pretender," was born.
•
Ggin drinking in London began to increase seriously. Cheap gin
became an object of satire and a topic of conversation among moralists.
• Robert Walpole became
First Lord of the Treasury. His mission was to rescue the
government from the devastating effects of the South Sea Bubble.
He stayed in office until 1742.
•A Jacobite
consipiracy--Atterbury's plot--was discovered. Atterbury, Bishop
of Rochester, went to France. Walpole used this to strengthen his
own position and to expose the Tories.
•A plan
was set up to create new coins in Ireland--without consultation with
the Irish Parliament in order to create the new coins. This plan
and this transaction became a political crisis because of Jonathan
Swift. See the Drapier's
Letters.
This is outside our course material, but it is remarkably
interesting. (The Duchess of Kendal also appears in the political
allegory of Gulliver's
Travels.
She is the tall, thin mistress, called the "maypole." See Lecture
II.
