Great Contract

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The Great Contract was a plan submitted to James I and Parliament in 1610 by Robert Cecil. It was an attempt to increase Crown income and ultimately rid it of debt.

Cecil suggested that, in return for an annual grant of £200,000, the Crown should give up its feudal rights of Wardship and Purveyance, as well as New Impositions. The plan was eventually rejected by both James and Parliament: the failure of his cherished project was thought by some to have hastened Cecil's early death in 1612. Whether it would have helped the financial situation remains a matter of speculation: it has been suggested that the financial settlement at the Restoration of Charles II was partly inspired by the Great Contract. On the other hand, James I was so extravagant in financial matters that it is uncertain whether any permanent solution of his difficulties was possible.

See also

References

  • Kenyon, J.P. The Stuarts Fontana edition 1966
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