1633

Intent on turning Ireland into a profitable enterprise, Charles selects a new Lord Deputy - Thomas Wentworth, his top man in the north of England. 

Key Characters

John Savile (a veteran of Yorkshire politics and Wentworth's rival)

Thomas Wentworth (an ambitious and dedicated public servant)

Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork (wealthy and influential New English planter)

New Locations on Map

York (administrative centre for the Council of the North)

1633

The newly elevated Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, puts his distinctive stamp on the English Church. 

Key Characters

William Laud (the anti-Calvinist Archbishop of Canterbury)

William Prynne (a radical Puritan writer railing against Laud's reforms)

New Locations on Map

St. Mary's Church, Wylye (parish church frequented by the incorrigible Susan Kent)

1630-1633

Having determined to work without parliament, Charles gets creative in extracting revenue from his subjects.  

Key Characters

Richard Weston (The Lord Treasurer behind most revenue-raising schemes)

Philip Burlamachi (an Italian banker ruined through lending to the Crown in the 1620s)

Paul Pindar (a creative merchant trying to figure out how to provide the Crown with stable credit)

1632

As the Swedish King, Gustavus Adolphus, re-draws the map of Germany, Charles contemplates calling a parliament and re-joining the Protestant war effort.

Key Characters

Gustavus Adolphus (the conquering Swedish King)

Henry Rich, Earl of Holland (leader of the pro-French faction at court, looking to re-join the anti-Hapsburg war effort)

Albrecht von Wallenstein (Imperial general, and the Hapsburgs' last hope in Germany)

New Locations on Map

The Battle of Rain (Gustavus' victory over Count Tilly and the Catholic League

The Battle of Lutzen (the great showdown between Gustavus and Wallenstein)

1630-1631

The Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus overturns a decade of Catholic dominance in Germany, opening new diplomatic opportunities for England.

Key Characters

Gustavus Adolphus (The Warrior-King of Sweden)

James Hamilton, Marquis of Hamilton (a Scottish royal cousin who organizes a private army to aid the Swedes)

New Locations on Map

Leipzig (major urban centre of the Protestant Duchy of Saxony)

Berlin (capital of the Protestant Electorate of Brandenburg)

Magdeburg (Sweden's lone German ally early on)

Battle of Breitenfeld (Gustavus' first major battle, in September 1631) 

Winter 1631

In the wake of widespread social unrest in 1629, England's property owning elites and the central government co-operate on the reform of county governance. 

Key Characters

Edward Montagu (The leading gentleman and administrator of Northamptonshire)

Henry Montagu, Earl of Manchester (Edward's brother, Lord President of the Privy Council, and the man in charge of the reform project)

1630

Squeezed out by William Laud's anti-Calvinist Church, the Calvinists of England struggle to adapt to their new circumstances.  Some look to escape England altogether, and establish a new life in America.

Key Characters 

Alexander Leighton (A Scottish puritan who William Laud makes an example of)

Thomas Hooker (A Calvinist minister forced out of the Church - and England)

John Winthrop (A gentleman looking to create a godly community for England's Calvinists)

New Locations on Map

Groton (the Winthrop family estate in Suffolk)

New Plymouth (an American colony founded by radical Puritans in 1620)

Boston (the capital of Winthrop's Massachusetts Bay Colony)

Providence Island (A colony off the coast of Nicaragua, intended to be a permanent base for English raiders)

1630

Rival pro-French and pro-Spanish factions race to make peace with England's enemies.  In doing so, they establish the main division at court for the next few years.

Key Characters 

Francis Cottingon (Chancellor of the Exchequer, and member of the pro-Spanish faction).

New Locations on Map

Versailles (A royal hunting lodge belonging to Louis XIII, where the future of French foreign policy will be determined)

1629

As Charles turns away from parliaments, political influence shifts to a small group of people surrounding the King at court.  These personalities, and their conflicts with one another, determine English politics for the next decade.

Key Characters 

Henry Rich, Earl of Holland (The Earl of Warwick's younger brother, with lofty ambitions)

Henrietta Maria (Charles' Queen, with her own ideas about English foreign policy)

Richard Weston (a former pupil to Lionel Cranfield who sees the value in peace)

1629

Facing insurrection in parliament, and riots throughout the kingdom, Charles suspects a co-ordinated conspiracy against his regime.  A lengthy investigation uncovers troubling opposition to this rule.

Key Characters

Robert Cotton (the old antiquarian found distributing dangerous material)

New Locations on Map

The Three Cranes Tavern (meeting place for John Eliot and his allies in parliament)

Spring 1629

As Charles deals with disorder on the floor of the House of Commons, unemployment and poor harvests spark riots and unrest throughout the kingdom.

New Locations on Map

Maldon (site of the worst disorder)