Government, The Rights Of King And People Flashcards
What was the power of the King?
The king could grant land in exchange for: loyalty, fighting wars, paying taxes, keeping country safe
Spread land across country to stop people being powerful in one area, unless on border so it’d prevent Scotland or Wales from getting in
In turns baron gave land to their knights, where peasants would work on it and get the Knight wealth and the knight would fight for baron or protect his castle
What was the Church like?
It was a powerful and wealthy landowner
The king and many barons granted money to build churches e,t,c
Many of King’s advisers were churchmen as they could read and write
Many monasteries tended to ill as monks were good at dealing with disease
What was Agriculture like?
Population of England was 4.75 by 1272
Most people worked/lived in countryside and most wealth depended in sheep and wool trade made many rich
They traded with much of Europe
What were towns like?
Towns were growing - 10,000 in London, 5,000 in York and Lincoln e.t.c
Illness was more of a risk as it spread easily
Craftsmen and merchants lived in towns
Groups of craftsmen became quite powerful, restricting number of apprenticeships to keep wages high
What did most people eat?
Poverty: Bread and pottage (stew made from beans, peas, oats and sometimes meat)
Rabbit and chicken were sometimes eating but harsh penalties for poaching
Bad harvest meant not a lot of good food
Better-off people ate a lot of meat
How did Henry 111 have a bad reputation with Barons?
He had been defeated by Simon De Montfort and an army of his barons at the Battle of Lewes in 1264, capturing Henry
However, his son had managed to defeat them and put Henry 111 back in the throne
How did he treat them at first?
Very harshly.
He gave the lands of 316 rebels to 133 individuals who had supported him
This however, worried Edward that it might start a rebellion
How did Edward start to treat the rebels?
He was more merciful
He forgave some barons if they laid down their arms rather than fight
Most were able to get their land back through redemption by paying money which could cost from 2-7years wages
This money to pay redemption could be borrowed of King or Jewish money lenders
How was this redemption payment beneficial for the King?
It ensured that the King had support from his barons and he could ask to pay back their debt all in one go
How did Henry get involved in Crusades?
He had promised to go on a crusade in the 1250s but never did as he was either short of money or not in a string enough position to leave the country for long enough
But by the late 1260s, he saw a crusade as a way to restore unity to the country
What did Henry hope about this crusade?
That if former rebels and supporters of Henry went on this crusade then they would forget their differences
However The plan didn’t really work
How did it not really work?
Edward went on Crusade in 1270 and a few former rebels joined him, but most couldn’t accompany him as they could of afford to leave the country due to their redemption payments
However, what was one good thing?
The fact that Edward was even able to go on crusade, showed that the country had become more stable by 1270
What was Henry’s relationship with Parliament?
In 1267, the clergy voted 1/20th of their income as tax to the King
In 1270, the other non-clergy members did otherwise
These votes gave Henry financial stability but they were only granted if Henry agreed to act on some of Parliament’s grievances
However, why did Edward need to step in again?
There still wasn’t enough money to fund the crusade so Edward had to borrow from King Philip of France and the Pope
What was Henry’s relationship with Wales?
There was finally peace between England and Wales after conflict
In The Treaty of Montgomery 1267, Henry recognised Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as the Prince of Wales, providing LLypaid homepage to him
This ended a long running conflict
How was Royal authority restored when Edward succeeded the throne?
When Henry died in 1272, Edward’s succession was assured and no one opposed him
Edward was away in crusade when his Dad died but he didn’t rush home and took two years to return.
This showed he felt Authority was secure
Who was Edward 1st?
He was born in 1239
He spoke French, Anglo-Norman, Latin and English
He married Eleanor of Castile in 1254 and was given lands by his father and knighted by his father in law
What was Edward’s relationship with his father like?
Henry kept a tight reign on the lands he gave to Edward which left Edward sort of money
He had a difficult relationship with his father, as he always wanted more money, Authority and control over his own affairs
Sometimes he sided with his Father’s opponents
What was Edward’s character like?
He was a swaggering youth, selfish and arrogant
He spent much time and money with Knights
He changed his mind frequently
What were Edward’s actions in the civil war?
In 1256, he played a part in defeating a welsh rebellion
The civil Wars if 1264 - 65 enhanced Edward’s reputation as a leader and emerged very powerful
In 1268, he was made Steward of England by his father due to the part he played in running the country
What were Edward’s religious beliefs?
He was deeply religious
As he was crossing the channel, it was very rough and dangerous.
He prayed to God and promised he would found a religious house in thanks to God if he survived - Cistercian Abbey
What did Edward do on his Coronation?
He was crowned on the 19th August 1274 in Westminster Abbey
Edward is said to of removed his crown and promised he wouldn’t wear it again until he’d recovered the lands given away by his father.
He was observed to of been energetic, generous and triumphant
Expectations were high, especially after his father’s bad Authority previously
What did Edward immediately do when he returned to England?
He decided to investigate the abuses of power and encroachment or royal rights
He replaced most of the sheriffs as many had abused their position
One sheriff conspired with the keeper of York prison to extract illegal payments of a man by torturing him
What did Edward think removing corrupt criminals would do?
It would encourage people to bring forward their complaints and so he sent out commissionaires all around the county to ask people a long list of 50 questions to do with royal landownings
Why did Edward do this?
He wanted to know what he owned, what rights he had, what customs were due to him and where rights have been taken from,
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Also wanted to know about landownership and feudal rights since landownership often gave power to hold courts and collect tolls which could be come corrupt
Edward wanted to enforce a good government
What were the Hundred Rolls?
They were complaints that were delivered to London and put together
This happened again in 1279 but they didn’t result in a lot of change
Who is Robert Burnell?
One of Edward’s most important officials
He was born to a ‘middling family’ and he became a priest as it was one of the best ways to get an education at the time
How is Robert close with Edward?
In the 1250s, Robert was employed into Prince Edward’s household and was one of five people that Edward trusted to run his affairs sheik in crusade
When Edward returned, he was made Chancellor and was always by Edward’s side when important decisions were made
He was completely trusted by Edward
Why was Burnell very efficient?
He reorganised the workings of the Chancellory which kept a tighter trace of paperwork
He was the driving force between the Hundred Rolls and was the lead writer of the Statute of Westminster,
He was responsible for ensuring important parts of government stayed in London and listened to complaints/tried to act in them
People wanting access to the asking could take up the matter with Robert
How was he used for diplomacy?
He went to Paris 1286 to meet with the King of France to sort out problems Edward had over paying homage to the French King in exchange for his lands in Gascony
He was also sent by Edward to Gascony to reorganise Government there
How was he extremely Rich?
By the time he died in 1292, he owned 82 manors in 19 countries
He traded debts to knights and even loaned money to the King
He was awarded multiple livings by Edward and was made priest of several parishes
He would collect income from each parishes but paid a small fee to take all their services from him -it made a lot of money but was against Church Law
How was Robert an important figure?
In 1269, Edward granted Burnell the bikini to hold a weekly market and two annual fairs
He was also made the Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1275
In 1270 and 1278, Edward tried to make him Archbishop of Canterbury
On each occasion, Edward failed to persuade the pope due to Burnells’ morals. Also, he wasn’t celibate and had many illegitimate children with a mistress
When did he die?
He died in 1292 and his body was buried in the nave of Wells Cathedral
How does Acton Burnell Castle reflect Robert Burnell’s life?
The Burnell family had lived in Acton Burnell from the 1180s and Robert inherited half the manor
In 1284, Edward let him fortify the new, larger home he was building and was give 12 trees from the royal forest to help build it
The new castle was built from sandstone and built to reflect Burnell’s importance as a Church was built beside the castle
It was made from best materials using best masons as Burnell was rich
Edward frequently visited the castle and it soon became central to Edward’s plan to conquer wales
What was the design for the caste?
It’s actually more of a fortified Manor House and was designed for comfort rather than for defence
It reflects the fact that in England, life was thought to be much more settled and much less need for strong walls
Parliament met here many times but was unfinished when Burnell died
When did Edward call his First parliament and who came?
He called it in Westminster in April 1275 and it was one of the biggest parliaments of the medieval period
800 were invited and as well as the usual earls, barons, knights, bishops and abbots, Edward invited two burgesses (people with property rights in a town) from each town and two knights from each shire
Why did he invite so many people?
Edward wanted a tax on merchants to help pay off his crusading debts
He also wanted as many people as possible to be aware of his first major piece of legislation The Statute of Westminster
What did the Stature of Westminster do?
It originally dealt with the abuses of the Hundred Rolls, that people had discovered and had 51 chapters, highlighting the issues brought to the King’s attention since he first arrived in England
E.g. dealing with unwanted guests(in religious houses), tolls, abuse of wardship and purveyance (king taking goods to support himself/army)
Free elections and how sheriffs must act honestly
What were many of the complaints about?
Corrupt officials, abuses of law, unfair treatment before the law and treatment of criminals
What was one of the key provisions introduced?
The ‘Hue and Cry’
It was where ever man in a neighbourhood must be prepared to peruse felons if the Hue and Cry was raised
A whole range of measures where targeted at sheriffs e,t,c to ensure a good government
What did everyone present at Parliament have to do and what did people have to do with the statute?
Give their approval to its consent
The statute also had to be read allowed in ever local court, market places and anywhere else
What was the Quo Warranto ?
The 1278 Quo Warranto asked landowners to prove they had the right to land or dues they claimed
What was this followed by?
In 1285, officials demanded to see the charter by which such land had been granted
The Earl of Gloucester is said to of had a brandished sword claiming it has come to England with his ancestors and his lands were given to him after the conquest and that was enough proof
However, many couldn’t prove ownership and lost liberties and customs they previously had
What was the Statutes of Mortmain?
The crown was deeply in debt
So, in 1279 and 1290, the statutes of Mortmain tried to prevent land passing to the Church without the King’s consent?
How would this attempt to raise money?
The church owned 30% of land in England as many landowners were granting their land to the Church and receiving it back to use in their lifetime to avoid paying taxes
As the church didn’t lay due to the King to inherit land, when the owner died, it meant Edward lost possible taxes
The statute of Mortmain was intended to close this legal loophole which Edward saw as landowners depriving him of feudal rights
What did the Statute of Westminster in 1285 do?
It further addressed grievances brought to the King’s notice including fishing for salmon out of season
It aimed to make people safer e.g. allowing the clearing of trees, criminals couldn’t hide before attacking travellers
Further provisions dealt with rape and carrying nuns away from their abode with 50 provisions in total
This showed Edward was listening and addressing concerns
What was the Statute of Merchants?
The statute of merchants aimed to deal with the issue of debt between two merchants
The person that owed money was liable to having goods seized or imprisoned if they didn’t pay debt
This was in response to an increasing number of problems involving large-scale trade, usually in wool or wine over long distances
Why did people complain about London Bridge?
In 1274, the leaders of the City of London complained about London Bridge to Edward
It was in a poor state as the taxes and rents that were raised from the houses and businesses on the bridge, were supposed to go to the upkeep of the bridge
However, Henry 111 awarded them to his wife Eleanor and she diverted the money to her own personal income
How did he respond?
He had a big row with his mother Eleanor and she was force to relinquish her right to collect payments from the bridge
Edward was determined to be seen as fair rather than favouriting to his family as his father had done
He also awarded the Corporation the right to collect tolls to cross the bridge which funded rebuilding costs
What was Parliament like under Edward’s rule?
They met twice a year and it was often composed of whoever was around at the time a decision needed to be made
Meetings at Xmas and Easter were larger and eventually the principle evolved that the King should ask for advise when major decisions needed to be made
This led to specially-convened meetings of Parliament where the King would listen to advice
What was Parliament like originally?
Agendas were fluid and there was no formal records kept at the time
Business was whatever the crown found convenient at the time
Most discussions with Edward were about granting taxes to pay off debts or to fund crusades and normally it was hard to persuade parliament to give this tax unless grievances were expressed in return
How were most grievances presented?
As petitions
They might be from individuals or from groups of merchants or towns
The response of parliament might change the law or interpret the law so most people thought parliament should make the laws
What would Edward often use Parliament as?
A place to try out ideas as using the response of Parliament would show him the impact on the country as a whole
Many of Edward’s actions of trying to restore royal authority were met with strong responses but he maintained that he had the right to re-assert royal prerogative (being royal was exclusively his right)
Who were always summoned to parliament and who did Edward invite?
Always: Earls, barons and bishops
Edward invited: burgesses from towns and knights from shires (known together as ‘commons’) when he wanted approval to put a tax down or for to war
What was Edward faced with in 1295?
A war with France and Scotland which he needed money to fight
The only way he could raise the amounts needed was by the approval of parliament which he summoned
What happened when he summoned parliament?
One representative of the clergy was summoned from every cathedral in the country (two from every diocese - a district run by a bishop)
He wanted a tax to fight and he got one, but was worth much less that he’d hoped for
What did each “party” vote for towards the tax?
Lords voted him 1/11th of their income
Clergy voted 1/10th of their income
Towns and Boroughs agreed 1/7th
Why wasn’t this good?
It was barely enough to pay for a war and it set the guide that only Parliament could vote taxes to the King
Was also the first occasion when knights and burgesses(Commons) met separator from Lords
Members knew they had the King firmly in their grasp as he was desperate for money and in no place to argue
