Politics in the Age of Anne
Politics in the Age of Anne
Chronology (Tories are underlined)
1702 | |
---|---|
March | Death of William III |
April-May | Anne’s first ministry formed under Godolphin (Lord Treasurer) and Marlborough. Includes 9 Tories and only 3 moderate Whigs |
May | Declaration of war on France and Spain |
1703 | |
January | Occasional Conformity bill amended in Lords and dropped |
December | Second Occasional Conformity bill defeated in Lords |
1704 | |
April | Fall of High Tory ministers - Nottingham, Seymour and Jersey. |
Harley and St John (Bolingbroke) enter cabinet | |
October | Attempt to ‘tack’ third Occasional Conformity bill to Land Tax bill defeated in Commons by ministry and Whigs |
December | Godolphin saved from censure by Whig peers. Third |
Occasional Conformity bill defeated in Lords | |
1705 | |
March | Aliens Act - exerted pressure on Scotland to join union |
April | Newcastle replaces Buckingham as Lord Privy Seal |
May | General election: Whig gains leave parties equal in Commons |
October | Cowper replaces Wright as Lord Keeper. Smith elected Speaker after contest with Bromley |
1706 | |
March | Regency Act - provides for an interim administration after death of Anne |
July | Treaty of Union with Scotland concluded |
December | Sunderland replaces Hedges as Secretary of State, first member of Whig Junto in cabinet since 1700 |
1707 | |
March | Act of Union |
May-October | Rift between Junto and ministry over rewards due to Whigs for their support |
1708 | |
February | Resignation of Harleyites: Boyle replaces Harley St. John and Walpole |
May | General election. Clear Whig majority |
November | Somers and Wharton, Junto members enter cabinet |
1709 | |
November | Sacheverell sermon. Last Tory in cabinet, Pembroke, resigns |
1710 | |
January | Marlborough threatens to resign over influence of Anne’s new favourite, Mrs Masham |
March | Sacheverell trial |
April | Shrewsbury replaces Kent as Lord Chamberlain |
June | Dartmouth replaces Sunderland as Secretary of State |
August | Godolphin dismissed. Harley, Poulet and Anglesey enter cabinet |
September | Fall of Whigs: Boyle, Somers, Devonshire, Orford, Cowper and Wharton dismissed/resigned. Rochester, St John and Buckingham enter cabinet |
October | General election. Overwhelming victory for Tories. Harcourt and Ormonde enter cabinet |
1711 | |
February | Tory October club members campaign in Commons against moderation of Harley. Bill imposing landed qualification passed |
March | Attempt to assassinate Harley. Ways and Means obstructed by October Tories |
May | South Sea bill passed. Harley created Earl of Oxford. |
September | Bishop Robinson succeeds Newcastle. No Whigs remain in cabinet |
December | Whig peers defeat ministry on its policy of ‘Peace without Spain’, resolved by creation of 12 Tory peers and dismissal of Marlborough |
1712 | |
January | Marlborough and Walpole censured by Commons for alleged peculation (embezzlement) |
June-July | Most Whigs remaining in civil office dismissed |
October | Cabinet clash between Oxford and Bolingbroke |
1713 | |
March | Peace treaties between Britain and France signed |
May-June | Crisis over Malt Tax and Union |
August-September | Oxford defeats Bolingbroke in struggle for control over Ministry. Bromley and Mar appointed to cabinet. General Election, Whigs defeated heavily in England, gain ground in Scotland |
1714 | |
April | Both Houses vote that Protestant succession not in danger |
June | Schism bill passes through Lords |
July | Oxford dismissed. Shrewsbury succeeds him |
August | Death of Anne. Elector of Hanover proclaimed as George I. |
Government by regency. Bolingbroke dismissed | |
September | George I arrives in England. First administration dominated by Whigs |
Summary
A consensus view has emerged over the last 20 years about politics in the Age of Anne - the period was dominated by party politics and party strife. Four factors help establish this trend: a) the monarch; b) the Triennial Act c) party conflict in the country and d) conflict in the Church
Parties
The last parliament of William’s reign ushered in this ‘rage of party’: Whig Junto ministers were impeached; the Grand Alliance split the parties; the Act of Settlement highlighted Tory anxieties; the Pretender was declared King James III of England and VIII of Scotland
Queen Anne
Anne made great use of managers in her relations with party and parliament: firstly to Godolphin and Marlborough and later to Harley and to a lesser extent Shrewsbury. Signified the growing influence of Parliament. Anne was also influenced by favourites, notably Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough and Mrs Abigail Masham, but their influence is more mythical than actual.
Course of Politics
Anne’s reign falls into 2 phases: the first from 1702-10 dominated by Marlborough-Godolphin alliance. The latter, 1710-14 by Robert Harley.
The first was dominated by foreign policy and the War of the Spanish Succession. Suffered party pressure from the High Tories, the Whigs and moderate Tories led by Harley. Major domestic pieces of legislation were the Regency Act, the Act of Union. Godolphin brought down by public disquiet about the war and the Sacheverell crisis.
1710-1714 marks the end of the Tories as an effective force in Parliament for at least 45 years. However, during that period they win overwhelming majorities in 2 elections, negotiate a popular peace treaty and tackle the natural Whig majority in the Lords by the creation of Tory peers. They are largely destroyed from within. The October Club, a backbench organisation puts forward a mass of legislation, the leadership of Harley faces a successful challenge from Bolingbroke, the party alienates the future George I and begins negotiations with the Pretender. Even before the death of Anne, the party is hopelessly and fatally divided.