The Personal Rule of Charles II, 1681-85

The wider repercussions and consequences of Charles II's personal rule are discussed, with special reference to the fledgling Tory and Whig parties.

This book is concerned with political culture, government, and religion during the personal rule of Charles II, the period between the dissolution of his last English Parliament in 1681 and his death in 1685. The author argues that the nature of this phase of Stuart personal rule was different to that of Charles I in 1629-40. He discusses the nature of whig and tory politics during this crucial period in their formation as political parties, showing how they coped with the absence of a parliamentary forum. He also examines political life in the English localities, the growing importance of news dissemination in political life, and the politics of religious persecution and toleration. Scotland and Ireland are included in this analysis of Charles's rule, setting the discussion in a "Three Kingdoms" context.

GRANT TAPSELL is Lecturer in Modern History at St Andrews University.