Hampton Court Conference

1604. Following the presentation of the Millenary Petition* by the Puritans, James I agreed to the suggestion of a conference between representatives of the bishops and the Puritans. He decided to be the chairman. The conference, lasting four days, took place in January 1604 at Hampton Court Palace; the leading participants were Bishops Bancroft and Bilson on one side, J. Reynolds and L. Chaderton on the other. Though many of the Puritan demands were dismissed, the king did admit the justice of some of them. He agreed to allow minor changes in the Book of Common Prayer, to attenuate the power of the High Commission, to improve parish livings and eliminate plurality, to change the methods of suspension and excommunication, and to gain a new translation of the Bible. In reality only the latter-the famous Authorized Version-ever came to fruition.