POWER

1 Power in medieval Britain c1000–c1485 1.3 A constant struggle for power: who ruled in the medieval period?
Edward I and parliament
Source 11 Historian Marc Morris, writing in 2015.
Edward’s lordship was emphatically good. A king who shared the
longing of knights for feats of arms, adventure and the pursuit of
noble causes – this was a king worth serving for his own sake. Unlike
his father, Edward had no need to buy loyalty with lavish grants of
land or money. He had friends but not favourites. Edward was no
less competent in managing the wider political community. He took
care, for example, to involve his greatest magnates in the running of
the realm, consulting them in council on matters of importance. He
proved able to handle the prickliest of characters, placating them
where possible, overruling them when necessary. Thus for example
Gilbert de Clare was allowed to lead armies in south Wales and to
marry the king’s daughter, but given a severe dressing-down when
he failed to respect the Crown’s authority. … Smaller landowners,
meanwhile, thanks to the development of parliament, were given a
greater voice, and in turn became Edward’s most consistent allies.
For the first time since the Norman Conquest, England had a
government that was perceived to be working in the interests
of the majority of its subjects.
Source 12 A Royal Proclamation made by Edward I in 1297.
The earl of Hereford and the Earl Marshall have delivered a letter to
the king. The letter includes complaints about some of the burdens
that the king has placed on his kingdom. The king is well aware of
these burdens, such as the taxes that he has often asked of his people.
It grieves the king greatly that he has so burdened and exhausted
his people. He asks them to be willing to consider his reasons. He has
not used the money to buy lands, castles or towns, but on defending
himself, his people, and all the realm. The council of barons who met
with the king recently in London understood the demands of war.
In exchange for the confirmation of the great charter of our liberties
and the confirmation of the charter of the forest the barons have
agreed a tax to be paid to the king. And let everyone remember how
there has been great misery in the past in this realm through words
bandied between the lord and his people, and the harm that has
resulted from them.
FOCUS TASK
In 1272, Edward I succeeded Henry III. Edward
was one of the strongest rulers the country had
ever seen (see Source 11). He conquered Wales and
built several castles there that still stand today. He
was an effective ruler and administrator. Above
all, he was a great military commander. Like other
effective monarchs, Edward understood that he had
to balance force and compromise. For the first 20
years of his reign he summoned parliament regularly
– usually twice a year.
As Edward became involved in wars against Wales,
Scotland and France, he needed increasing amounts
of money. Aware of what had happened in the reigns
of Henry II and John, Edward was careful to consult
his people. In 1295, he called a parliament that
became known as the Model Parliament. This
included the great barons and churchmen of course
(these were the Lords). Edward invited two knights
from each county or shire and he also invited two
representatives (burgesses) from the major towns in
England. These knights and burgesses were the
Commons. A pattern was emerging in which kings
used parliament to listen to the concerns of their
subjects; in return parliament would give the king
the money he needed for wars or other matters.
Edward accepted that those who would be affected
by the taxes levied to raise that money should have
their say in parliament. He even reissued Magna
Carta in 1297 to show that he would abide by
the law.
1 What impression do you get of Edward from
Source 11?
2 How far does Source 12 back up this
impression?
What changed in the thirteenth century?
1 Copy and complete the table below using the information on pages 36–42.
Statement
Kings became less powerful in the thirteenth century.
By the end of the century parliament was the most
powerful force in England.
The barons were no longer important.
Magna Carta was still important.
It was still important to balance force and concessions.
The fact that Edward I took parliament seriously proves it
was important.
Agree or
disagree?
Supporting evidence
2 Look back to Key Questions A and B on page 31 and draw your conclusions from this third case study.
Uncorrected proof
Factfile: Parliament c1000–c1485
Stage 1 c1000–1215
•
The barons give the king advice when he asks
for it.
•
A good king knew he needed the barons’ and bishops’
support to run the country and to raise taxes or armies,
so he invited them to meet him.
Anglo-Saxon kings did this in the Witan.
•
Norman kings did this in their Curia Regis, or Royal
Council. Over time, Norman kings began to consult
regularly with a smaller group of close advisers, the
PRIVY COUNCIL (which met in private).
•
So the POLITICAL NATION (the people who have some
say in how the country was run) at this time meant
kings and barons and bishops.
Stage 2: 1215–64
Kings had to meet with the barons.
•
Running the country and fighting wars was becoming
too expensive for the king to pay for out of his own
wealth. Efforts to raise taxes caused tension between
barons and the king, leading to Magna Carta in 1215
(see page 39).
•
One significant result of Magna Carta was that the king
had to meet with a council of 25 barons to listen to
their advice. This effectively limited his powers. King
John rejected this but his son Henry III accepted it.
However, Henry also continued to meet with his own
close advisers in the Privy Council.
•
There was no change to the Political Nation – it was
still only the bishops and barons who could advise or
supervise the king.
Stage 3: 1264–1337
The Commons are sometimes invited.
•
When Simon de Montfort ruled England in 1264–65,
he established a parliament that included more than
just the nobles in an effort to get more people on
his side.
•
He sent out a writ to each county ordering them to
send two knights to parliament. Large towns were
also asked to send two representatives.
The way the representatives were chosen varied from
place to place, but mostly they were selected by rich
property owners.
•
These people became known as the ‘Commons’.
They were not ordinary people and certainly not
peasants – they were rich property holders. However,
the fact that they were not noblemen marked a
big change.
•
The Political Nation had now grown slightly.
De Montfort’s rule was short-lived, but after Edward
I’s Model Parliament in 1285 it was accepted that
parliament would include knights and burgesses as
well as the great barons and churchmen.
Stage 4: 1337–1485
The Commons becomes more important but power
is still held by the king and barons.
•
The king did not have to call parliament regularly and
most of the time he made decisions with just the help
of his close advisers (usually great nobles or bishops) in
the Privy Council.
•
However, for much of this period England was at
war with France. War was funded by taxes, but
representatives from the counties and towns had to
agree to the taxes before they could be collected.
•
The Lords and the Commons met separately. The
Commons began to ask the king for certain reforms in
exchange for their approval of taxes. Sometimes these
reforms were local matters, such as the right to build
a new bridge, but sometimes the Commons expressed
views on how the country should be run.
•
By the end of the Middle Ages parliament, with a
HOUSE OF COMMONS and a HOUSE OF LORDS, had been
established as key feature of English government. The
Commons did become more important, but they could
be called or dismissed according to the king’s wishes.
They had no ‘right’ to sit, and ordinary people who
worked in towns or in the fields still had no say in
government.
•
The Political Nation had not expanded and power
had not really shifted. It still included the knights and
gentry, but the king remained the greatest power in
the land, and stability still depended on the relationship
between the king and the nobles.
See page 86 for the continuation of this story.
42 43