Career John Hampden

1 career

1.1 english parliament
1.2 views on ship money
1.3 committee work
1.4 short parliament
1.5 long parliament
1.6 debate on episcopacy

career
english parliament

hampden first sat in parliament borough of grampound, cornwall in 1621. later, represented wendover in first 3 parliaments of charles i. in april 1640 elected mp buckinghamshire in short parliament , re-elected mp buckinghamshire long parliament in november 1640. sat until death in 1643.

in days of parliamentary career, content overshadowed john eliot, in later days content overshadowed john pym , commanded essex.

john hampden depicted in 1851 illustrated london reading book

yet many(including lord macaulay) hampden, , not eliot or pym, seen central figure @ start of english revolution. hampden statue rather of eliot or pym selected victorians symbol take place @ entrance central lobby in palace of westminster noblest type of parliamentary opposition, sword @ side, ready defend parliament s rights , privileges means necessary. statue stands opposite earl of clarendon in lord chancellor s robes, symbol of respect law , royalism.

views on ship money

something of hampden s fame no doubt owing position took opponent of ship money. hardly possible resistance ship money have distinguished him mingled massiveness , modesty of character, dislike of pretences in himself or others, brave contempt of danger, , charitable readiness shield others far possible evil consequences of actions. nor wanting in skill enabled him influence men towards ends @ aimed, , spoken of subtlety disliked ends.

committee work

during these first parliaments hampden did not, far know, speak in public debate, increasingly employed in committee work, seems have had special aptitude. in 1626 took active part in preparation of charges against buckingham. in january 1627 bound on answer @ council board refusal pay forced loan. later in year committed gatehouse, , sent confinement in hampshire, liberated before meeting of third parliament of reign, in once more rendered useful unobtrusive assistance leaders.

when breach came in 1629 hampden found corresponding imprisoned eliot, discussing him prospects of massachusetts bay colony. hampden 1 of persons whom earl of warwick granted land in connecticut in referred saybrook colony , today old saybrook, connecticut. while claim there no foundation anecdote hampden attempted emigration colonies cromwell, others assert cromwell , other future architects of english civil war, including hampden, may have been close moving america in 1630s. author kevin phillips points out that, in 1770s, residents of old saybrook still talked prominent parliamentarian have had town lot.

it not until 1637, however, resistance payment of ship money gained him wide fame. 7 out of twelve judges sided against him, connection between rights of property , parliamentary system became firmly established in popular mind. tax had been justified, says clarendon, expresses admiration @ hampden s rare temper , modesty @ crisis, upon such grounds , reasons every standerby able swear not law (hist. i. 150, vii. 82).

short parliament

in short parliament started on 13 april 1640, hampden stood forth amongst leaders. guided house in debate on 4 may in opposition grant of twelve subsidies in return surrender of ship money. parliament dissolved next day, , on 6 may unsuccessful search made among papers of hampden , of other chiefs of party discover incriminating correspondence scots. during eventful months followed, when strafford striving in vain force england, in spite of visible reluctance, support king in scottish war, rumour has tell of hampden s activity in rousing opposition. enough rumour in main true, not possessed of satisfactory evidence on subject.

long parliament

in long parliament, though hampden no means frequent speaker, possible trace course sufficient distinctness. power consisted in personal influence, , debater rather orator. not man of many words, says clarendon, , began discourse or made first entrance upon business assumed, weighty speaker, , after had heard full debate , observed how house inclined, took argument , shortly , , craftily stated commonly conducted conclusion desired; , if found not that, never without dexterity divert debate time, , prevent determining in negative might prove inconvenient in future (hist. iii. 31). unwearied in attendance upon committees, in things ready second pym, whom plainly regarded leader.

hampden 1 of 8 managers of strafford s prosecution. pym, in favour of more legal , regular procedure impeachment rather attainder, @ later stage supported majority of commons; , through influence compromise effected which, while attainder subsequently adopted, strafford s counsel heard in case of impeachment, , serious breach between 2 houses, threatened cause breakdown of whole proceedings, averted.

debate on episcopacy

statue of john hampden in market square, aylesbury, buckinghamshire

there point on there no agreement. large minority wished retain episcopacy, , keep book of common prayer unaltered, whilst majority @ least willing consider question of abolishing 1 , modifying other. on subject parties divided house , country formed 8 february 1641. enough hampden shared in counsels of opponents of episcopacy. not theoretical presbyterian, bishops had been in days engaged in imposition of ceremonies regarded puritans verging on papacy difficult, if not impossible, dissociate them cause in embarked. closely connected hampden s distrust of bishops distrust of monarchy existed. dispute church therefore attained form of attack upon monarchy, and, when majority of house of lords arrayed on side of episcopacy , prayer book, of attack upon house of lords well.

no serious importance therefore can attached offers of advancement made time time hampden , friends. charles gladly have given them office if had been ready desert principles. every day hampden s conviction grew stronger charles never surrender position had taken up. in august 1641 hampden 1 of 4 commissioners attended charles in scotland, , king s conduct there, connected such events incident , must have proved man far less sagacious hampden time compromise had gone by. therefore warm supporter of grand remonstrance, , marked out 1 of 5 impeached members, known thenceforth in history 5 members (the others being john pym] arthur haselrig, denzil holles , william strode) attempted arrest brought @ last opposing parties open collision. in angry scene arose on proposal print grand remonstrance, hampden s personal intervention prevented actual conflict, , after impeachment had been attempted hampden laid down 2 conditions under resistance king became duty of subject. conditions were:

an attack upon religion and
an attack upon fundamental laws.

there can no doubt hampden believed both conditions fulfilled @ opening of 1642.