The impact on England of James VI and I with particular reference to the religious context

• Main Author: Newton, Diana Rosemary
• Published: University of Liverpool 1995
• Subjects: 941.104
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.505333

For a king so sure of himself in life, James VI and I has, in death, suffered cruelly from the inability of historians, particularly English historians, to produce a rounded assessment of his achievement. As late as 1956 the standard biography, published that year, had the handicap of being written by a distinguished American historian who patently disliked his subject. James's reputation has customarily stood much higher among his fellow Scots. Yet only during the last thirty years have historians in general been much exercised by this obvious discrepancy, and it is only recently since the posing of Jenny Wormald's famous question, 'two kings or one?' which articulated what had been hinted at by North American historians - that reconciliation of the contrasting views has been more or less assured. The shadow of Whiggish history has hung heavily over English historiography; and although James's reputation was never wholly bad, it has only recently shown clear signs of escaping from the depressing effects of harsh assessments made by historians in the nineteenth century. The process of rehabilitation has carried with it important gains, bringing new understanding of James's role in the proceedings over union between England and Scotland, and deeper appreciation of his relationship with his English parliaments.