1272. 1273. 1274. 1275. 1277. 1278. 1279. 1282. 1283. 1284. 1285. 1286. 1289. 1290. EDWARD I., 1272-1307 (35 YEARS). Born 1239; Married 1254, Eleanor of Castile. Edward is proclaimed king in his absence. The Archbishop of York carries on the government with Walter de Merton as chancellor. The barons in person, and the counties through their representatives, swear allegiance to Edward. Edward on his return from the Holy Land reduces Gascony. Edward settles a commercial dispute with Margaret, Countess of The Statute of Westminster I. (a) is passed. Llewelyn having refused to swear allegiance to Edward, and having planned a marriage with the daughter of Simon de Montfort, with a view to continuing the disturbances of the last reign, war breaks out. The Welsh are defeated. district of Snowdon. Llewelyn keeps only Anglesea and the Alexander III. of Scotland does homage to Edward for his English Writs of "6. land. A writ of distraint of knighthood is issued, by which all possessors of £20 worth of land are compelled to be knighted. Statute of Mortmain (b) (or de religiosis) to check the bestowal of estates on religious foundations. The Welsh war breaks out again. Llewelyn goes to the south. His brother David, who has been on the English side and has deserted it, raises the north. The king's treasurer is sent round to negotiate separately with the counties and boroughs for a subsidy. Llewellyn is killed on the Wye. Two provincial councils, containing representatives from both clergy and laity, meet at York and Northampton, and make various grants. David is captured, condemned by the assembly of Shrewsbury, and executed. "De The Statute of Wales settles the administration of the country. Edward goes to Gascony for three years. Edward mediates between France and Aragon. Edward returns to England, and banishes and fines the judges for corruption of justice. All Jews are ordered to leave England. The Statute of" Quia Emptores" is passed to prevent subinfeudation. (b) 1. Barons and Prelates.-In the writ to the prelates it is said, "As the most righteous law, established by the provident circumspection of the sacred princes, exhorts and ordains that that which touches all shall be approved by all, it is very evident that common dangers must be met by measures concerted in common." 2. Inferior Clergy.-The bishops are premonished (by the præmunientes clause) to bring the heads of the chapters, the archdeacons, one proctor for the clergy of each cathedral, and two for the clergy of each diocese. * 3. Commons. Writs are issued to the sheriff, ordering the election and return of two knights from each shire, two citizens from each city, and two burgesses from each borough. [From 1295 onwards judges and other members of the ordinary (or permanent) Council have been summoned to Parliament (the Commune Concilium of the Three Estates), not as members of Parliament, but as assistants and advisers.] It is found very difficult to induce the clergy to attend as an Estate in Parliament; and from the middle of the fourteenth century their grants are made, as a rule, in Convocation. (c) Confirmatio Cartarum. 1. The charters of liberty and of the forest are confirmed, and all judgments against them are to be void. 2. The recent exactions are not to be made precedents. 3. No aids, tasks, or prizes are to be taken but by the common assent of the realm, and for the common profit thereof, saving the ancient aids and prizes due and accustomed.* 4. The maletote of wool, a toll of 40s. a sack, is to be discontinued * In the "De tallagio non concedendo," probably an unauthorized abstract of the Confirmatio Cartarum, this reservation is omitted. 1294. First alliance between Scotland and France against England. 1295. Members for counties are sent to the Irish Parliament. 1296. Boniface VIII. publishes "Clericis Laicos," which forbids the clergy to pay taxes to the secular power. Balliol's kingdom is treated as a forfeited fief, and John, Earl of Warrenne, appointed by Edward guardian of the kingdom, with Cressingham treasurer and Ormsby justiciar. 1297. Rising of Wallace, who on his victory acts as guardian for Balliol. 1290. 1291. 1292. 1293. 1294. 1295. 1296. 1297. 1298. Death of Queen Eleanor. The Scots consent to the marriage between Margaret of Norway, now of Scotland, and Edward, Prince of Wales. [See Summary, Scotland, Part I., p. 317.] Meeting at Norham with the Scots, who acknowledge Edward's claim to decide the question of the succession as overlord (a). Decision in favour of John Balliol, who accepts the kingdom as vassal of England. Appeals against Balliol are made to the English law courts. Balliol is summoned to London to answer them. Battle between English and French merchant fleets, the French defeated. Edward summoned to Paris, declines to appear. Philip retains the castles of Gascony, which Edward had put into his hands during the negotiations. Extensive seizure of wool by the king. A parliament is assembled in October. The clergy are forced to grant one-half, the barons and knights of the shire grant onetenth. By a separate negotiation one-sixth is collected from the towns. FIRST COMPLETE AND MODEL PARLIAMENT OF dispossessed. Edward seizes the wool of the merchants. A military levy of the whole kingdom is called. The two earls still refuse to go, and demand a confirmation of the Edward gets the chief men who had come to the military levy Parliament summoned. Wallace is victorious, and acts as The Prince of Wales confirms the charters, with seven additional articles, which forbid the collection of any taxes without the consent of Parliament. The CONFIRMATIO CARTARUM (c) is signed by Edward at Ghent. Truce with France. Invasion of Scotland. Defeat of Wallace at Falkirk. Edward attempts the constitutional union of England and Scotland. 1. Provision was made for the maintenance of peace and the privileges of the Church, and for the observance of the charters. 2. No gifts were to be made by the king without the consent of the Ordainers. 3. The customs were to be collected by Englishmen and paid into the Exchequer, and the foreign collectors were to give an account of their receipts. Besides these, Parliament drew up thirty-five articles of reform, stating old grievances and restraining the royal power, especially in the appointment of the great officers of state. 1309. Pope Clement V. goes to live at Avignon. Beginning of the Babylonish captivity" (1309-1377). 1311. The castle of Linlithgow is taken by the Scots. 1312. Perth surprised by Robert Bruce. 1313. Roxburgh and Edinburgh are taken by the Scots. Stirling is besieged by the Scots under Robert Bruce. 1299. 1300. 1301. 1303. 1304. 1305. 1306. 1307. 1308. 1309. 1310. 1311. 1312. 1313. Comyn is placed by the Scots at the head of a regency for Balliol. By the Articuli super Cartas the Chancery and King's Bench are still Parliament of Lincoln. Final confirmation of the charters. Invasion of Scotland. Edward reduces the country. Wallace is Comyn makes a treaty with Edward. Edward gets from the Pope absolution from his engagements of 1297. Robert Bruce murders Comyn and rebels. Bruce is crowned at Scone by Wishart (d). Invasion of Scotland. Bruce is defeated, and many of his adherents executed. Edward prosecutes Winchelsey at Rome, who is suspended. The Parliament of Carlisle asks for legislation against provisors, firstfruits, and other exactions of the Papacy. Edward banishes Gaveston. Edward dies near Carlisle on his road to invade Scotland. EDWARD II., 1307-1327 (20 YEARS). Born 1284; Married, 1308, Isabella of France. Piers Gaveston is recalled, made Earl of Cornwall, and enriched. The Knights Templars are arrested, and their lands seized through- The barons, headed by Thomas of Lancaster, demand in council Edward consents, and appoints Gaveston Lord Deputy of Ireland. A council meets at Westminster. Twenty-one bishops and peers are appointed to regulate the king's household, under the name of Lords Ordainers. Edward and Gaveston invade Scotland. Parliament meets and ratifies the ordinances of the Lords Ordainers and banishes Gaveston (e). Gaveston is recalled, and excommunicated by Winchelsey. Thomas of Lancaster, at the head of the barons, takes up arms Gaveston is seized by the Earl of Warwick, and executed. The king prepares to invade Scotland. Winchelsey dies. |