6 August 1633
Laud becomes archbishop

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Charles I makes William Laud archbishop of Canterbury. In the late 1630s, Laud attempts to make religious worship more uniform in England and Scotland by imposing one prayer book on both countries, thus provoking the Puritans, who are suspicious of bishops and favour greater local autonomy. After the outbreak of the English Civil Wars, Laud is imprisoned in the Tower in 1641, tried for treason in 1644 and beheaded on 10 January 1645.

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Hatred of the overbearing 'Romish' Laud was a galvanising and consolidating emotion. Laud's central concept was what he called 'decency' or 'Beauty of Holiness': he complained to Charles of 'the want of uniform and decent order in many churches of the kingdom', and it was true that many were little better than pigsties ... Some ministers were lackadaisical, perfunctory, ignorant or drunken, and failed to carry out their tasks. Laud made obligatory ceremonial, priestly vestments, the sign of the cross when approaching the altar, bowing at the name of Jesus and many other rites savouring of Catholicism.

From A Century of Troubles by Stevie Davies (Channel 4 Books)

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