Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford

Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (April 13, 1593 – May 12, 1641) was an English statesman, a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. His relation, another Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Cleveland, fought during the Civil War.

Lord Deputy of Ireland

In November 1629 Wentworth became a privy councillor. In October 1631 he lost his second wife, and in October 1632 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Godfrey Rhodes. In January 1632, he was made Lord Deputy of Ireland, largely because of his reputation for harshness. There he exercised the "Thorough" with a certain degree of brutality, propagating the English tradition of using Ireland as a practice ground for social and military experimentation. His methods are generally considered to have been autocratic, single-minded and extreme. However, his heavy-handed approach did yield some improvements, as well as contribute to the strength of royal administration in Ireland.

Related Topics:
Privy council - 1631 - 1632 - Godfrey Rhodes - Ireland

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He had to deal with a people who had not arrived at national cohesion, and amongst whom English and Scottish colonists had been introduced, some of them, like the early Norman settlers, being Roman Catholics, whilst others preserved their Protestantism. "The lord deputy of Ireland," wrote Sir Thomas Roe to Elizabeth of Bohemia, "doth great wonders and governs like a king, and hath taught that kingdom to show us an example of envy, by having parliaments and knowing wisely how to use them." Wentworth reformed the administration, getting rid of the inefficient English officials. He manipulated the parliaments to obtain the necessary grants, and secured their cooperation in various useful legislative enactments. He started a new victualling trade with Spain, promoted linen manufacture, and encouraged the development of the resources of the country in many directions.

Related Topics:
Norman - Roman Catholic - Protestantism - Thomas Roe - Elizabeth of Bohemia

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Customs duties rose from a little over £25,000 in 1633–1634 to £57,000 in 1637–1638. Wentworth raised an army, put an end to piracy, instilled life into the Church and rescued church property. His strong administration reduced the tyranny of the wealthy over the poor. Yet these good measures were all carried out by arbitrary methods which made them unpopular. Their aim was not the prosperity of the Irish but the benefit to the English exchequer, and Strafford suppressed the trade in cloth "lest it should be a means to prejudice that staple commodity of England." Individual cases of unfairness included those of Esmond, Lord Chancellor Loftus and Lord Mountnorris, the last of whom Strafford caused to be sentenced to death in order to obtain the resignation of his office, and then pardoned.

Related Topics:
1633 - 1634 - 1637 - 1638 - Esmond - Loftus - Mountnorris

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Strafford ignored Charles's promise that no colonists should be forced into Connaught, and in 1635 he raked up an obsolete title—the grant in the 14th century of Connaught to Lionel of Antwerp, whose heir Charles was—and insisted upon the grand juries finding verdicts for the king. One county only, that of Galway, resisted, and the confiscation of Galway was effected by the court of exchequer, while Strafford fined the sheriff £1,000 for summoning such a jury, and cited the jurymen to the castle chamber to answer for their offence. In Ulster the arbitrary confiscation of the property of the city companies aroused dangerous animosity against the government.

Related Topics:
1635 - 14th century - Lionel of Antwerp - Galway - Ulster

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Wentworth was benevolent but thoroughly unsympathetic towards the Irish as a race. His only thought was to convert them into Englishmen as soon as possible, in their habits, in their laws and in their religion. "I see plainly," he once wrote, "that, so long as this kingdom continues popish, they are not a people for the Crown of England to be confident of." He became even more high-handed. As yet he had never been consulted on English affairs, and it was only in February 1637 that Charles asked his opinion on a proposed interference in the affairs of the Continent. In reply, he assured Charles that it would be unwise to undertake naval operations till he had secured absolute power at home. He wished that John Hampden and his followers "were well whipped into their right senses." The opinion of the judges had given the king the right to levy ship money, but Wentworth did not consider this enough. When the Scottish Puritans rebelled, he advocated the most decided measures of repression, in February 1639 sending the king £2,000 as his contribution to the expenses of the coming war, at the same time arguing against an invasion of Scotland before the English army was trained, and advising certain concessions in religion.

Related Topics:
John Hampden - Ship money - 1639

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