The Restoration of Royal Authority under Henry II

Question 1

What problems did Henry II face in 1154?

Answer 1

Money finances
Sort the Barons out
Bad relations with the church
Regaining royal authority

Question 2

What does it mean to have royal authority?

Answer 2

Securing succession
Feudal rights
Control of law and order
Ancestral rights
Territorial rights
Controlling barons and church

Question 3

What factors lead to Henry II reasserting royal authority from 1154 - 1166?

Answer 3

Barons
Economy
Government
The law
Borders
Church

Question 4

What issues did Henry face from the barons?

Answer 4

Barons became too powerful whilst under the reign of Stephen

Question 5

How did Henry reduce the military power available to the barons?

Answer 5

Immediately after his coronation, Henry issued instructions for the expulsion of Flemish mercenaries from England.
Henry also ordered all royal lands that had been lost to the crown or granted away in Stephens reign to be restored and acted against barons that refused to do so.

Question 6

What did Henry II do to barons who resisted his authority? Give examples.

Answer 6

Henry II moved against Hugh Mortimer and Roger, Earl of Hereford in 1155.
Roger had fortified Hereford and Gloucester and Hugh was preparing for open revolt when he fortified his personal castles including Wigmore and Bridgenorth.
Henry II moved rapidly to the welsh marches and his demonstration of power forced Roger to submit and as a result, Henry II took control of his possessions when he died by disinheriting his heir. Hugh’s castles were taken from him by force.

Question 7

What are adulterine castles?

Answer 7

Private castles that were built without royal permission

Question 8

What did Henry do to the adulterine castles built under Stephens reign? Give examples.

Answer 8

Henry II demanded that the adulterine castles were to be handed over to the crown or destroyed.
In 1157, Henry seized the castles of Stephen’s remaining son, William of Boulogne, as well as those belonging to Hugh Bigod.

Question 9

What are chief justiciars?

Answer 9

Referred to a powerful deputy appointed by the King to represent them in England during their frequent absences.

Question 10

Why did Henry appoint 2 new chief justiciars?

Answer 10

Henry appointed 2 competent and loyal chief justiciars; Robert of Beaumont, earl of Leicester, and Richard de Lucy who were both previously loyal to Stephen.

Question 11

What is the Cartae Baronum?

Answer 11

Created in 1166
The Domesday book needed updating.
Henry II carried out investigations of barons and their tenants and how much military they had.
Barons had to send in sealed returns giving details of their knights.
As a result, it updated the Kings knowledge of his lands to secure allegiance for his absence, Henry I’s use of scutage was revived to increase royal revenues and most importantly led to Barons participation in the Great Rebellion of 1174.

Question 12

What economical problems did Henry II have?

Answer 12

The anarchy of Stephen’s reign and civil war had left royal finances in a state.
Henry II needed vast amounts of money to successfully govern England, Normandy and Anjou.
Henry II needed to restore the bureaucracy of his grandfather (Henry I) in order to ensure good revenue.

Question 13

What were some of Henry II’s economical policies?

Answer 13

Re-establishing the royal exchequer
Restoring English coinage
Loans from abroad

Question 14

What was “re-establishing the royal exchequer” and how it impact England?

Answer 14

Henry II requested his grandfathers treasurer, Bishop Nigel of Ely, to come out of retirement and was overlooked by his illegitimate son, Richard FitzNigel, later becomes treasurer.
By the time of the Nigel’s death, the exchequer was up and running to the full efficiency of Henry I

Question 15

What was “restoring English coinage” and how did it impact England?

Answer 15

Henry II took decisive action to restore the creditability of English coinage.
The English silver penny had been a stable currency but then the barons had taken to minting their own versions. Henry II decided to create new coins with his face on to prevent this.
As a result, the confidence of traders improved and reasserted authority by cherishing symbols of kings power.

Question 16

What are “loans from abroad” and how did they impact England?

Answer 16

In-between 1154-1166, Henry II borrowed mainly from William Cade, a Flemish merchant who became wealthy from the wool trade. Cade lent Henry roughly £600 per year. Cade was not the only lender and overall Henry borrowed over £12000.
This money was used to raise mercenary armies, reassert authority by taking control of the barons and quickly repay it over time from later exchequer revenue.

Question 17

How did Henry II reform the government?

Answer 17

He created an effective government.
Patronage
Inquest of the Sheriffs (1170)

Question 18

How did Henry II create an effective government?

Answer 18

Henry II had a talent for noticing talent; he picked able men, even if not apart of Anglo-Norman aristocracy such as choosing 2 new justiciars (Richard Beaumont and Richard de Lucy)
He appointed Thomas Becket as the chancellor of England which was good as Becket served sheriffs of London so helped Henry II win support of cities.

Question 19

What is patronage and how did it impact England?

Answer 19

Patronage is the giving of lands, privileges and bestowing of offices by a king or lord.
Henry appointed men to office based on ability, not birth.
Under Stephen there were 24 earldoms, which was later reduced to 12 by 1189 by Henry II. (He retook lands)
This was important as it made him the most powerful landlord in England

Question 20

Why was the sheriffs so important to Henry II?

Answer 20

Sheriffs were the ones who represented the King in each shire

Question 21

What issues were there with the Sheriffs before 1170?

Answer 21

Sheriffs had become too powerful and independent under the reign of Stephen and the Civil war encouraged this

Question 22

What did the Inquest of the Sheriffs involve?

Answer 22

Enquiries into the malpractices of the local government, activities of sheriffs and their payments.

Question 23

What was the impact of the Inquest?

Answer 23

The inquest reflects the authority of the English crown in carrying out such an investigation.
Almost all of the sheriffs were replaced; only 6 continued in office.
Sheriffs were now open throughout a range of occupations such as civil servants, members of the bureaucratic class and agents who owed the king everything in royal service.

Question 24

What was the legal system like before Henry II?

Answer 24

Shire courts: met twice a year and were public events.
Hundred courts: more regular than shire courts, lowest court in the land and heard by sheriff deputies.
Curia Regis: Royal household where most important cases are heard.

Question 25

What legal reforms did Henry II make?

Answer 25

The sheriffs
The Assizes of Clarendon
The Eyre
Central Judiciary

Question 26

How did Henry II reform the Sheriffs?

Answer 26

In 1155, he replaced 2/3 of sheriffs and then replaced 1/2 of them in 1162.
1170, Inquest of the Sheriffs looked into corruption and all but 6 were replaced.
Sheriff were less corrupt and loyal to Henry.

Question 27

How did Assizes of Clarendon reform England?

Answer 27

Made in 1166
Established common law in England
Sheriffs were to hunt down suspects and bring them to trial
If a criminal was found guilty, his land was passed back to his lord.
Resulted in standardizing law, made law answerable to the king not the barons and barons couldn’t use these laws against the king.

Question 28

How did the Eyre reform England?

Answer 28

Previously been used by Henry I.
Itinerant judges (Eyre’s) travelled round the circuit of shires hearing legal cases.
It increased royal authority as it puts legal power into the hands of Henry’s servants rather than local sheriffs who could be influenced by local barons

Question 29

How was the central judiciary reformed?

Answer 29

Court at Westminister created a base for itinerant judges where they could seek advice from colleagues and administer the new legal system.
Once a case had been dealt with, the sheriff and jurors had to be named in the document along with the outcome and the writ was returned.
Judges were appointed by the king and owed him loyalty and were under his control.
Judges were intelligent, professional and experienced.

Question 30

Which borders did Henry II need to amend his relations with?

Answer 30

Scotland and Wales

Question 31

How did Henry II restore his authority in Scotland?

Answer 31

In 1157, Henry met up Malcom IV at Peveril castle and demanded the return of Cumbria and Northumbria.
Instead Henry II gave Malcom the earldom of Huntingdon which bound them close together as Henry had feudal obligations as his valuable English territory could be confiscated if necessary.

Question 32

Was Henry II successful in restoring authority in Scotland?

Answer 32

Henry was successful as Malcom IV did perform military service for Henry II when required

Question 33

How was Wales a threat to Henry II’s royal authority?

Answer 33

Under Stephen’s reign, the natives princes had made significant gains at the expense of English marcher lords (powerful nobles) and the crown itself

Question 34

Give examples of powerful kings in Wales that were a threat to Henry II

Answer 34

Owain of Gwynedd (Ruler of North Wales)
Rhys ap Gruffudd (Ruler of South Wales)

Question 35

How did Henry II restore his authority in Wales?

Answer 35

Henry II invaded Gwynedd in 1157 but even though Owain submitted, little changed
He also invaded Deheubarth in 1158 to secure the submission of Rhys and again in 1163 when Henry temporarily stripped him of his lands before returning them.
In July 1163, Henry II received the submission of both Rhys and Owain as well as hostages from them at the Council of Woodstock.

Question 36

Was Henry II successful in restoring his authority in Wales?

Answer 36

Henry was far less successful because the tough terms imposed by Henry II united the welsh princes in opposition and a general rising occurred in 1165, that Henry was unable to crush

Question 37

Overall, would you say Henry II was successful in regaining royal authority?

Answer 37

Yes, he seems to have been able to keep England calm and under control, by reasserting his authority in all aspects that lacked it.