English Ship Money Crisis

Timeline

1. 1634–1635London · EnglandIn 1634 Charles I first levied ship money on coastal cities and port towns for naval construction, without parliamentary authorization. The second ship money writ of 1635 extended the levy to all inland counties of England, provoking widespread resentment, with compliance rates falling year by year.
2. 1637–1638Westminster Courts · LondonJohn Hampden, a Buckinghamshire gentleman, refused to pay 20 shillings in ship money and was brought to court. The case drew national attention and became a symbol of resistance to arbitrary taxation. Of 12 judges, 5 ruled Hampden not guilty and 7 sided with the crown, reflecting deep divisions in the legal profession over the legality of royal taxation.
3. 1640Palace of Westminster · LondonThe Long Parliament, convened in November 1640, made the abolition of ship money a priority, passing an act declaring ship money levied without parliamentary approval illegal and holding accountable the judges who had supported the verdict, marking the formal end of the ship money crisis.