Henry III (1216-1272) tried and failed
to regain Aquitaine from France. This and other unsuccessful ventures
abroad alienated him from his subjects. He filled the English church
with absentee Italian appointees and the civil offices with French
bureaucrats. Henry was forced to sign the Provisions of Oxford, which
established a council of 15 with the power to veto the king's decisions.
Henry tried to back out of the Provisions, leading to civil war in
1264.
Simon de Montfort. The leader
of the faction opposing Henry was his brother-in-law Simon de Montfort,
a strongly religious man with traces of democratic ideas which must
have horrified his more conservative foes. Simon captured Henry following
the Battle of Lewes in 1265. It seems that Simon was more interested
in reforms than he was in personal power. He summoned a "Parliament"
(from the French "parler", to talk).
Simon de Montfort
Simon's Parliament drew two knights from each shire and two burgesses
from each borough. This was the first summoning of townsmen in Parliamentary
history. It was also a sign of the growing wealth and influence of the
merchant classes.
Edward I. Later in 1265 Henry's son
Edward defeated Simon de Montfort at the Battle
of Evesham. Simon died and Edward became de facto ruler, although
he wasn't crowned until his father's death in 1273. Edward I, called
Longshanks because of his lanky build, was a good administrator and
a very good warrior. He frequently consulted his knights and townsmen
about his decisions.
Edward in Wales. In 1282 Llewelyn,
a Welsh chief, raised a rebellion in that country. Edward subdued
Wales but drew a lesson from the efficiency of the Welsh longbow which
was used against him. He built a series of castles in Wales, the glories
of medieval military architecture. His son, Edward, was born in Caernarfon
in 1284, and was later created the first Prince of Wales, a title
that every subsequent male heir to the throne of England has worn.
Edward in Scotland. In 1291
Edward was asked to arbitrate between three rival claimants for the
vacant throne of Scotland. He chose John Baliol, who did homage to
England for Scotland. However, Edward's high handed attitude drove
the Scots into an alliance with France which was to last over three
hundred years.
"The Hammer of Scots". In 1296 Edward invaded Scotland,
defeated Baliol, and took the crown for himself. He also took the
Stone of Scone, upon which Scottish kings had traditionally been crowned,
and brought it back to Westminster, where it can be seen today beneath
the Coronation Throne in Westminster
Abbey.
Parliament and Legal
Reform. Meanwhile, in 1295, Edward called the Model Parliament.
It contained bishops, abbots, earls, barons, knights, burgesses, and
representatives of church chapters and parishes. When they convened
the clergy separated and sat in their own council. Petitions to Parliament
were encouraged, and it began to sit much more frequently. Responsibilities
of the various Courts of law became more clearly defined. The Court
of King's Bench handled criminal and crown cases, the Court
of the Exchequer dealt with royal finance, and the Court of Common
Plea with cases between subjects.
The Inns of Court. To keep
these various courts running smoothly required a trained and efficient
legal profession. Edward took the profession of law out of the hands
of the clergy, putting lawyers under the control of the judges. This
led to the establishment of the Inns of Court, great mansions where
students and barristers lived together, establishing a continuity
of legal tradition and practice. The barristers taught the students
English Common Law, along with necessary social skills such as music
and dancing.
Summing up Edward. This was
the age when English Gothic
architecture flourished, eventually evolving into the elaborate
tracery designs of the Decorated period. The beginnings of the collegiate
system at Oxford University
date from this period, perhaps building on earlier schools established
by Alfred the Great.
Home
> History > Medieval
> Henry III and Edward I
