Treaty of London (1604)

Treaty of London

The Somerset House Conference, 19 August 1604, unknown artist

Signed August 28, 1604

Location London, England

Languages English, Spanish, Latin

The Treaty of London, signed on 18 August O.S. (28 August N.S.) 1604,[1][2]

[3]
 concluded the nineteen-year Anglo-Spanish War. The treaty restored
the status quo between the two nations. The negotiations probably took place
at Somerset House in Westminster and are sometimes known as the Somerset
House Conference.

Background[edit]
The Anglo-Spanish War had been a complex and fluctuating conflict that also
had connections with the Dutch Revolt, the French Wars of Religion, and
the Nine Years' War in Ireland. The war by 1600 had been going on for nearly
fifteen years with neither side gaining an overall benefit or a decisive
advantage. The exhaustion of Spain, the rebellious opposition to the King's
request for money, the mutinies of the troops in the Netherlands, and the fear of
a renewal of a new war with France over the Duchy of Saluzzo all combined to
emphasise the hopelessness of inflicting a vital blow on England.[4]
Early peace proposals[edit]
In April 1600, Archduke Albert, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands,
opened secret negotiations with England for a settlement but did not inform
Madrid.[5] The following month, negotiations culminated in a meeting of a
conference at Boulogne between representatives of Spain, England
and Burgundy. Spain demanded the cession of the Cautionary Towns. England
demanded free trade with Spain and her empire, freedom of English subjects
from the inquisition and the exclusive right of having warships in the channel.
The talks got nowhere, Spain contended that it was absurd to expect the
sovereign of a worldwide empire to give the pas to a queen of a few islands.
[4]
 By August the talks were off – mutual distrust[6] and United Provinces pressure
made any agreement impossible. Despite this however diplomatic routes were
open between England, Albert, and his wife, Isabella Clara Eugenia (Philip's
sister). Letters from representatives showed that Albert, Isabella Clara Eugenia,
and Philip were still anxious for peace despite their difference in policies.[7] Philip
wanted to preserve the hegemony of the Spanish empire, whilst the Archduke
and Isabella sought peace and friendly relations.[8]
After the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, her successor, James I, quickly
sought to end the long and draining conflict. By this time Spanish hopes of a
decisive military victory in the Netherlands, or a successful invasion of England,
were relatively remote.[9] James was an idealistic practitioner of Christian peace
and unity and also the son and successor to Mary, Queen of Scots, whose
execution had been a proximate cause of the conflict. Philip III of Spain had
also inherited the war from his predecessor, Philip II, and his treasuries had
also been drained and so he warmly welcomed the offer and ordered the
commencement of the difficult negotiations that followed.
The concern of the government in Madrid was to improve their dire military
situation in the Netherlands by reducing or stopping English help to the Dutch
rebels.[10] Meanwhile, Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, heading the delegation of
the States of Holland, tried to attract the complicity of the new English monarch
in the conflict in Flanders, of which the focus was the Siege of Ostend.[11] The
siege had become a struggle of bloody attrition after just over two years.[12]
The first moves towards peace were taken in June 1603, when Juan de
Tassis headed a Spanish–Flemish Commission which visited London, seeking
truces and mutual good faith. Tassis was despatched to England by Philip III of
Spain to explore the possibilities for a settlement following Elizabeth's death.[13]
Archduke Albert had already sent his envoy Charles de Ligne, prince-count of
Arenberg, to London and was joined by Juan de Tassis, in September 1603.
Although De Tassis lacked full negotiating powers he was active behind the
scene the following month in preparation for a settlement.[10]

Treaty[edit]
At the end of 1603, the constable of Castile arrived in Brussels with the
authorisation to conclude the treaty if one could be negotiated. On 19 May
1604, with the constable still waiting in the wings, the rest of the Habsburg
delegation arrived in London and the English negotiating team was appointed.[10]
English delegation[edit]
 Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563–1612), Secretary of
State, James I's leading minister
 Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire (1563–1606), soldier
 Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset (1536–1608), Lord Treasurer
 Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton (1540–1614), Lord Warden
of the Cinque Ports
  Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham (1536–1624), Lord High
Admiral
Spanish delegations[edit]
The Spanish negotiated with two delegations, one representing the King of
Spain, the other the Archdukes Albert and Isabella, rulers of the Spanish
Netherlands.
Spanish delegation:

 Juan Fernández de Velasco, 5th Duke of Frías, Constable of Castile

 Juan de Tassis, 1st Count of Villamediana
 Alessandro Robida, Senator of Milan
Delegation of the Spanish Netherlands:

 Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg

 Jean Richardot, President of the Brussels Privy Council
 Louis Verreyken, Audiencier of Brussels
Terms[edit]
 Spain recognizes the Protestant monarchy of England and renounces
intentions to restore the Church of Rome in the country.
 An end to Spanish military intervention in Ireland.[14][15]
 An end to English disruption to Spanish trans-Atlantic
shipping and colonial expansion (article 6).[16][17]
 The English Channel opened to Spanish shipping.
 An end to English intervention in the Dutch Revolt (articles 4,5,7);
England withdraws military and financial support to the Dutch rebels.
 Ships of both countries, merchants or warships, could use the
mainland seaports of the other party for refit, shelter or buy provisions
(article 10). Fleets of less than eight ships did not even have to ask
for permission, which provided an extensive network of naval bases
for the Spaniards in England to help their war against the Protestant
Dutch.
The treaty restored the status quo ante bellum.[18][15] It amounted to an
acknowledgement by Spain that its hopes of restoring Roman Catholicism in
England were at an end and it had to recognise the Protestant monarchy in
England. In return, England ended its financial and military support for the
Dutch rebellion, ongoing since the Treaty of Nonsuch (1585), and had to end its
wartime disruption of Spanish trans-Atlantic shipping and colonial expansion.

Aftermath[edit]
With England out of the way, the Spanish hoped for a knock-out blow that would
force the Dutch into a peace by launching a huge campaign led by Ambrogio
Spinola in 1606.[19] James still allowed the Dutch army to recruit English
volunteer soldiers in their service – 8,000 having served in the Netherlands in
1605.[20] In addition, English corsairs were now finding their needs in the service
of the Dutch, who preyed on Spanish shipping.[19] Conversely, Spanish warships
and privateers were allowed to use English ports as naval bases to attack Dutch
shipping[21] or to transport reinforcements to Flanders.[22] In November 1607, the
costs of the recent wars with France, the Protestant Dutch as well as England
resulted in Spain's bankruptcy. The Twelve Years' Truce was thus signed,
which formally recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic.[23]

Gold medal minted in England in 1604 to commemorate the peace signed with Spain.

To the English public, the treaty was highly unpopular, viewing it as a

"humiliating peace".[24] They felt that the King had deserted their ally the
Netherlands in order to appease the Spanish, and it made James I
"monumentally unpopular". Noel Caron, ambassador of the United Provinces to
London, wrote that "no promulgation was ever received in London with more
coolness, yes—with more sadness."[24][25][26] As such no public celebrations were
held in England after the conclusion of the agreement.[27] The rift between James
I's foreign policy and public opinion would widen some years later as a result of
the "Spanish Match", when the Protestant House of Commons would confront
the King over his marriage arrangement between Maria Anna of Spain, the
daughter of Philip III of Spain and James's son Charles, the Prince of Wales.
[28]
 The English delegation, however, considered the treaty with Spain a
diplomatic victory which gave the English "peace with honour".[29][30] Gold and
silver medals designed by Nicholas Hilliard were struck to commemorate the
peace.[31]
The peace agreement was well received in Spain.[32][33] There were big public
celebrations in the Spanish capital Valladolid from April to June 1605 in honour
of the treaty and of the birth of Philip's son Philip IV of Spain.[34][35][36] Also present
were the English ambassadorial delegation (which numbered 500) led by Lord
Admiral Charles Howard. He had been sent by James I in return for Don Juan
de Velasco having been sent to England to negotiate the peace the previous
year.[37] The English delegation were welcomed with a warm reception and
honours on 26 May which included Howard being received at the English
college.[37] The treaty was then ratified in the Royal Palace of Valladolid in the
presence of Howard the following month.[32] Some voices from the Catholic
Church, however, expressed its concern to Philip III over his settlement with a
"heretical power", especially Juan de Ribera, then bishop of Valencia who
protested.[38] Once the agreement was concluded, Philip III appointed Don Pedro
de Zuñiga as first Spanish resident ambassador to England.[39]
For the Spanish crown, there was hope after the peace treaty that England
would eventually secure tolerance for Catholics. The Gunpowder Plot in 1605,
however, destroyed any possibility of this.[40] Protestant fears that a peace with
Spain would ultimately mean an invasion by Jesuits and Catholic sympathisers
over the coming years also failed to materialise as the
Elizabethan Recusancy laws were rigidly enforced by Parliament.[41]
Following the signing of the treaty, England and Spain remained at peace until
1625.

References[edit]
1. ^ see Old Style and New Style dates: the date in brackets the Gregorian Calendar
used in Spain but not in England or Scotland at that time
2. ^ Ratified by the King of Spain on and ratified on 5/15 June 1605 and by King
James I on 19/29 August 1604
3. ^ Davenport, pp. 246– 257
4. ^ Jump up to:a b Corbett, J S (1916). The Successors of Drake. Longmans Green
and Co. p.  291.
5. ^ Maltby p. 120
6. ^ Duerloo, Luc (2016). Dynasty and Piety: Archduke Albert (1598–1621) and
Habsburg Political Culture in an Age of Religious Wars. Routledge.
p.  122. ISBN 978-1317147282.
7. ^ Wernham, R. B. (1994).  The Return of the Armadas: The Last Years of the
Elizabethan Wars Against Spain 1595–1603. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
p.  330. ISBN 978-0-19-820443-5.
8. ^ McCoog pp. 222–23
9. ^ Reed, Richard Burton (1970). Sir Robert Cecil and the Diplomacy of the Anglo-
Spanish Peace, 1603–1604. University of Wisconsin – Madison. p. 5.
10. ^ Jump up to:a b c Brown, Elliott, Museo del Prado p. 14
11. ^ Fissel pp. 186–87
12. ^ Rowse p. 413
13. ^ van Nimwegen p. 187
14. ^ O'Connor p. 63
15. ^ Jump up to:a b Paul Allen, Philip III and the Pax Hispanica, 1598-1621 (New
Haven, 2000).
16. ^ "The first item of James' agenda was to bring to a close the long standing war
with Spain. This was done by the Treaty of London in August 1604. Its terms were
flagantry generous to the Spanish, the first black mark against the new king.
Moreover James, unlike Elizabeth, had every intention of honoring them." Burgess,
Douglas: The Pirates' Pact: The Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious
Buccaneers and Colonial America. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008, page
29. ISBN 0-07-147476-5
17. ^ Channing, Edward: A history of the United States. Octagon Books, 1977, v. 1,
page 158. ISBN 0-374-91414-1
18. ^ Hiram Morgan, ‘Teaching the Armada: An Introduction to the Anglo-Spanish War,
1585-1604’, History Ireland, Vol. 14, No. 5 (Sep. - Oct., 2006), p. 43.
19. ^ Jump up to:a b Allen pp. 142-43
20. ^ Dunthorne p. 65
21. ^ Sanz Camañes, Porfirio (2002). Diplomacia hispano-inglesa en el siglo XVII:
razón de estado y relaciones de poder durante la Guerra de los Treinta Años,
1618-1648  (in Spanish). Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha.
p.  108. ISBN 8484271552.
22. ^ Rodríguez Hernández, Antonio José (2015). Breve historia de los Tercios de
Flandes (in Spanish). Ediciones Nowtilus. p.  144. ISBN 978-8499676586.
23. ^ Feros, Antonio (1994).  The King's Favorite, the Duke of Lerma: Power, Wealth
and Court Culture in the Reign of Philip III of Spain, 1598-1621. Johns Hopkins
University. p. 180.
 24. ^ Jump up to:a b Smout, T. C. (2005). Anglo-Scottish Relations from 1603 to 1900.
p.  17. ISBN 0197263305.
25. ^ Lothrop Motley, John (1867). History of the United Netherlands: From the Death
of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce--1609, Volume 4. p.  223.
26. ^ Moseley, C. W. R. D. (2007).  English Renaissance Drama: A Very Brief
Introduction to Theatre and Theatres in Shakespeare's Time. Humanities.
p.  90. ISBN 978-1847601834.
27. ^ King & Franssen 2008, p. 45.
28. ^ Wilson, David Harris (1963). King James VI & I. Jonathan Cape Ltd.
p.  442. ISBN 0-224-60572-0.
29. ^ King, R.; Franssen, P (2008).  Shakespeare and War. Springer. pp. 43–
44. ISBN 978-0230228276.
30. ^ Lee, Maurice (1970). James I and Henri IV: An Essay in English Foreign Policy,
1603-1610. University of Illinois Press. p.  37. ISBN 9780252000843.
31. ^ Jones, Mark (1979). The Art of the Medal. British Museum Publications.
p.  68. ISBN 9780714108506.
32. ^ Jump up to:a b Pericot Garcia, Luis (1967).  Historia de España: gran historia
general de los pueblos hispanos, Volumen 4  (in Spanish). Instituto Gallach de
Librería y Ediciones. p.  184.
33. ^ Feros, Antonio (2002).  El Duque de Lerma: realeza y privanza en la España de
Felipe III  (in Spanish). Marcial Pons Historia. p.  305. ISBN 8495379392.
34. ^ Otero Novas, José Manuel (2001).  Fundamentalismos enmascarados (in
Spanish). Editorial Ariel. p.  153. ISBN 8434412241.
35. ^ Herrero García, Miguel (1966). Biblioteca románica hispánica: Estudios y
ensayos (in Spanish). Gredos. p. 474.
36. ^ Gonzalez Lopez, Emilio (1969).  Los politicos gallegos en la coret de España y la
convivencia europea  (in Spanish). Editorial Galaxia. p.  70.
37. ^ Jump up to:a b Hillgarth p. 23
38. ^ Ortiz, Antonio Domínguez (1971).  The Golden Age of Spain, 1516-1659 Volume
1 of The History of Spain. Basic Books. p. 87.  ISBN  9780046526900.
39. ^ Bernhard, Virginia (2011). A Tale of Two Colonies: What Really Happened in
Virginia and Bermuda?. University of Missouri Press. pp.  8.  ISBN  978-
0826219510.
40. ^ Allen p 155
41. ^ Reed, Richard Burton (1970). Sir Robert Cecil and the Diplomacy of the Anglo-
Spanish Peace, 1603-1604. University of Wisconsin-Madison. pp.  228–29.

Sources[edit]
 Brown, Elliott, Museo del Prado, Jonathan, John Huxtable
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 Davenport, Frances Gardiner; & Paullin, Charles Oscar. European
Treaties Bearing on the History of the United States and Its
Dependencies, The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2004 ISBN 1-58477-
422-3, ISBN 978-1-58477-422-8
 Dunthorne, Hugh (2013). Britain and the Dutch Revolt, 1560-1700.
Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521837477.
 Fissel, Mark Charles (2001). English warfare, 1511–1642; Warfare
and history. London, UK: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21481-0.
 Hammer, Paul E. J (2003). Elizabeth's Wars: War, Government and
Society in Tudor England, 1544-1604. Palgrave
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  Hillgarth, J. N (2000). The Mirror of Spain, 1500-1700: The
Formation of a Myth. University of Michigan
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 Maltby, William S (2008). The Rise and Fall of the Spanish Empire.
Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137041876.
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Scotland, and England, 1589-1597: Building the Faith of Saint Peter
Upon the King of Spain's Monarchy. Ashgate & Institutum Historicum
Societatis Iesu. ISBN 978-1-4094-3772-7.
 O'Connor, Thomas (2016). Irish Voices from the Spanish Inquisition
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 Rowse, A. L (1973). The Expansion of Elizabethan England. Cardinal
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External links[edit]
 Text of the Treaty in Latin and English (main body incomplete only
clauses 1,2,9. (in Latin)
 Text of the Treaty in English (complete)
 Text of the Treaty in Latin and Spanish (complete)