BRITISH HISTORY THE STORY of
1st CENTURY BC -
17th CENTURY 1600-1644 » 17th CENTURY 1645-1699 »
Henry I's ability to turn gangsters into law-abiding nobles contributes significantly to England's prosperity, as Hollister shows. For UK orders:
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A book for those who like to keep their kings and queens chronologically arranged. For UK readers:
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In the Middle Ages Brits live in a country of forests, farms, and small towns. Horses and dogs are their companions. Sailing the sea or riding, Brits feel mobile and free. These experiences spur their love of liberty. Photo: [email protected] MURDER, MUSCLE PRINCIPLE & 1100 HENRY I FORCED TO SUPPORT CHARTER OF LIBERTIES King William Rufus’ robberies and rapes earn him enemies, and Brits are relieved when an archer hunting with him in the New Forest accidentally or purposefully shoots him. William Rufus is carted to his capital at Winchester, dripping blood the whole way, a fact which suggests he is still alive, but dying. His brother Henry, the younger son of William the Conqueror, who has rushed to Winchester to secure the royal treasure, declares himself King. The Church and the barons distrust Henry, either because he is William Rufus' brother or because he may be his murderer. They tell Henry that if he wants the crown, he has to guarantee he will protect their liberties. At this distance these liberties may not seem all that liberating, but one promise will change history. It is a promise with origins in Classical and Judeo-Christian law, where, as the Brits know, equality before the law is an established principle. But this equality has never been applied more daringly, for here it is the King himself, Henry I, who promises to obey the law of the land. The principle that no one – not a king, not a president or prime minister – is above the law is essential to the freedom and happiness of people today. 1102 BRITS END SLAVERY Until 1102 Brits captured in warfare could be made slaves. In that year a national church council is held in London on the small island of Thorney, where the abbey of Edward the Confessor stands. The man who calls the council together is Anselm, the much loved Archbishop of Canterbury. A Benedictine from Lombardy, Anselm had been appointed archbishop by ruthless King William Rufus. Anselm, who preferred to write about love and friendship, and to create a proof of God's existence, was unwilling to be archbishop. He was dragged to the King's bedside, and a pastoral staff was forced into his hand. The King regrets the appointment immediately. Anselm believes that "Christ is truth and justice and he who dies for truth and justice dies for Christ". He is willing to challenge the King, and clashes repeatedly with William Rufus, and, after William dies, with Henry I. The council he calls at Westminster attacks the evils of the age. It condemns slavery – "that nefarious trade in which hitherto in England men were usually sold like brute animals." Unlike most councils, it has a huge effect. Slavery is ended. Slaves becomes villeins (serfs), owing service to a feudal lord, who owes them the use of his land and his protection. Better to be a serf than a slave, but the Brits hate serfdom, too.
Hot-tempered, witty, and ruthless, Henry II does not strike observers as a natural champion of justice. Image: From the film THE LION IN WINTER 1154-1166 KING’S GAMBIT Henry II, the grandson of Henry I, is always on the go, riding the length of a kingdom that stretches from the Mediterranean to the far north of England. His kingdom is in some chaos due to unemployed mercenaries making a living from robbery, but Henry II is an administrative genius, and he aims to end the violence and consolidate his power. Henry figures one way to do this is to undercut his barons by drawing Brits out of the barons’ law courts and into his, where he can pocket the court fees. Traditionally, twelve local men testify in court about the facts when land ownership is in dispute. In 1166, at the Assize of Clarendon, the innovative Henry establishes the Grand Jury, and invites 12 men to testify under oath about the facts of criminal acts to his travelling (circuit) justices. Henry’s Grand Juries decide whether a person ought to be brought to trial for a criminal act. The Grand Jury’s radical ability to protect freedom arises because it has locally based and has knowledge of facts on the ground and because it determines from the evidence whether there are any grounds for a trial in the first place. The Grand Jury will evolve into trial by jury. Brits will take the idea of the grand jury and develop it into a powerful shield against government oppression. Photo: imperialweapons.com 12th CENTURY ESCAPE ROUTE TO FREEDOM Unlike the continent, where a man is either a serf or free, in Britain some serfs are tied to the land, and subject to a lord; others are free, paying rent only; still others are half free, and pay rent or owe a particular service. On the Great Wheel of Fortune that Brits see as a metaphor for life, a freeman who could not pay his rent or taxes might sink to the status of a serf, while a serf could rise and become free. According to old custom, a serf who escapes from his lord and manages to live in a charter borough for a year and a day without being caught becomes a free man. Charter boroughs like London encourage craftsmen by hiding and protecting them. When the serf wins his freedom, his wife becomes a free woman, too. The freeman has certain duties: He will pay taxes to his borough, take his turn standing armed watch at night, and join in defending his city from attack. 1190s SURPRISING CHURCHMAN SUPPORTS STEPS TOWARD SELF-RULE; LONDONERS LEAD Richard I, the Lionheart, spends a few months in England, but he prefers crusading. In his long absence his Regent, Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, rules England. Walter is neither perfect nor holy, but he does grant charters to a number of towns, expanding their rights to self-government. (In return he hopes for help with Richard's ransom, since the King has been captured and imprisoned by an enemy in Europe.) By this time London citizens are:
Despite often brutal opposition from their kings, Brits are moving toward self-representation and self-rule. When you contribute to this website, |
Four crucial ideas emerge as the Brits fight for freedom.
Brother Cadfael's mysteries take place in a tumultuous England after Henry I dies and his daughter Matilda and nephew Stephen battle for the throne. For UK orders
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Henry II's exploits receive movie treatment. For UK orders: For US orders:
Henry II resists the Church's power over him and English law. His quarrel results in the murder of Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Eastern Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, where Archbishop Thomas à Becket was first buried and where Henry II did penance for his Archbishop's death.
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