Government, the rights of the king and people Flashcards
English population in 1271
4.75M
What was England’s wealth dependent on?
Wool trade
What ensured the Church’s influence in Edward’s early reign?
Many of the king’s advisers were clerics as they could read/write
In ____ , clergy voted _ to finance Edward’s crusade.
In 1267, clergy voted 1/20 of income as a tax to the king to finance his crusade
Languages that Edward spoke
French, Anglo-Norman, Latin and English
When was Simon de Montfort defeated?
1265 at Evesham
What was Redemption?
(Prince) Edward told rebel barons that they could buy back their land under this process. Depending on how guilty they were judged to be by the king, redemption costed anything between two and seven years’ income.
When was the Boston fair and what happened there?
July 1288
The biggest wool fair in England because over 1/ 3 of England’s wool was exported from Boston.
One day some local squires arranged a tournament where the people dressed as monks. However one of them hid weapons under his robe and caused a riot which started a fire, burning part of the town. Several deaths. Many stalls were looted also.
Only 1 man was caught and hanged (Robert Chamberlain)
Shows poor justice system
What were the Ragman Rolls?
-Edward decided to investigate abuses of power and encroachment of royal rights
-Complaints were delivered to London, hundred by hundred
Hundred rolls dates
1274, 1275
Hundred rolls reissued
1279, 1280
Quo Warranto
1278
Edward was still in debt so sent officials to inquire about infringements on his royal rights
Edward gained a lot of land as many couldn’t prove ownership of it
Statutes of Mortmain
1279 and 1290
Tried to prevent land going too the Church without the King’s permission
Attempt to gain feudal obligations from church
Edward’s first Parliament
April 1275
Biggest parliament in medieval history with >800 in attendance
Why was Edward’s first parliament so big? (2)
-He wanted to tax merchants to pay off his crusading debts
-He wanted to make people aware of the Statute of Westminster
Significance of the Statutes of Mortmain
It needed to be implemented twice: shows power of the church
1st Statute of Westminster
1275
Dealt with complaints from the Ragman Rolls
Included guidance for grievances such as dealing with unwanted guests in religious houses, purveyance and tolls.
2nd Statute of Westminster
1285
Addressed grievances brought to the king’s notice
Tried to make the law/trial process faster
Made roads safer by clearing woods by highways so criminals couldn’t attack carriages
Statute of Merchants
1285
Gave rights to traders and protected them from fraudulent deals
This was in response to large scale fraud in the wool and wine trade
Debtors could be imprisoned if they didn’t pay
Built upon the Statute of Acton Burnell, 1283
Repairing London Bridge
1274: Leaders of London complained about the bridge’s state
Taxes paid to the Crown were supposed to pay for the upkeep, however Henry III had been keeping it personally (1269)
Edward had the taxes redirected to fix the Bridge.
Significance of London Bridge repairs
Caused tension between Eleanor and Edward but he redirected the taxes anyway as he was determined to be different to his father and remain fair to his subjects.
What roles did Robert Burnell have?
-Lord Chancellor
-Bishop of Bath and Wells
Both 1275-1292
Robert Burnell- wealthy
Owned 82 manors in 19 counties
1282 and 1285: Loaned the king 3000 marks
Priest in multiple parishes so could collect money from people
Robert Burnell- trusted diplomat
1286: paid homage to King Philip IV of France
1288: Was sent to Gascony for royal business
How many times was parliament summoned during Edward’s reign?
46 times in 20 years
Why did Edward invite common citizens to Parliament?
Armies needed lower classes to fight for them, so it was therefore important for them to be heard.
Why was it called the ‘model parliament’?
The 1295 parliament was seen as the first representative parliament
Reissuing Magna Carta
1297
To pay for wars, Edward imposed new taxes without consulting Parliament first
Provoked another confrontation with the Barons
Magna Carta had to be reissued to show his commitment to peace to avoid conflicts like the ones in Henry III’s rule (Barons’ War, Simon de Montfort)
