The Restoration of Royal Authority under Henry II Flashcards
What problems did Henry II face in 1154?
Money finances
Sort the Barons out
Bad relations with the church
Regaining royal authority
What does it mean to have royal authority?
Securing succession
Feudal rights
Control of law and order
Ancestral rights
Territorial rights
Controlling barons and church
What factors lead to Henry II reasserting royal authority from 1154 - 1166?
Barons
Economy
Government
The law
Borders
Church
What issues did Henry face from the barons?
Barons became too powerful whilst under the reign of Stephen
How did Henry reduce the military power available to the barons?
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.
What did Henry II do to barons who resisted his authority? Give examples.
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.
What are adulterine castles?
Private castles that were built without royal permission
What did Henry do to the adulterine castles built under Stephens reign? Give examples.
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.
What are chief justiciars?
Referred to a powerful deputy appointed by the King to represent them in England during their frequent absences.
Why did Henry appoint 2 new chief justiciars?
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.
What is the Cartae Baronum?
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.
What economical problems did Henry II have?
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.
What were some of Henry II’s economical policies?
Re-establishing the royal exchequer
Restoring English coinage
Loans from abroad
What was “re-establishing the royal exchequer” and how it impact England?
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
What was “restoring English coinage” and how did it impact England?
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.
What are “loans from abroad” and how did they impact England?
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.
How did Henry II reform the government?
He created an effective government.
Patronage
Inquest of the Sheriffs (1170)
How did Henry II create an effective government?
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.
What is patronage and how did it impact England?
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
Why was the sheriffs so important to Henry II?
Sheriffs were the ones who represented the King in each shire
What issues were there with the Sheriffs before 1170?
Sheriffs had become too powerful and independent under the reign of Stephen and the Civil war encouraged this
What did the Inquest of the Sheriffs involve?
Enquiries into the malpractices of the local government, activities of sheriffs and their payments.
What was the impact of the Inquest?
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.
What was the legal system like before Henry II?
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.
