Archbishop William Laud and the Early Stuart Church, 1633–1645

Abstract

Archbishop William Laud has attracted the historical attention of scholars ever since the seventeenth century, but no work has tried yet in any detail to assess his relationships with the major figures of the English court and administration. This thesis represents a close analysis of the religious policy and ecclesiastical practice of the early Stuart church under Laud between 1633 and 1645. Neither the close political partnership between Wentworth and Laud nor the nature of their lively friendship has been sufficiently scrutinized. In chapter two, a closer look at their joint harassment of the earl of Cork is used to familiarise ourselves with a systematic campaign to wage war on an important nobleman. Chapter three, meanwhile, reviews the so–called crypto–papists (Cottington, Weston and Windebanke) at court and their collective manoeuvres to bolster and strengthen their positions. Chapter four, finally, presents a new interpretation of William Prynne’s trial in 1633–4 as an extraordinary insight into Laud’s attitude to Puritan nonconformity. An archbishop who did not enjoy the full commitment (and confidence) of the king could not afford to strictly attach himself to a single group or even an individual, however. Vilified by many generations and yet canonized later by a particular type of Anglican, Laud’s life was marked by so many contradictions that it renders it almost impossible to give a duly fair assessment of him. A biography is a complicated, though not impossible, task.