The History of England

113 Fashion and Clothing in the 14th Century

Fashion finally comes to town in the 14th Century. At the start of the century people are wearing what they've been wearing for centuries. By the end of it there are a wide variety of styles people may choose. At the same time, Edward tries to keep everyone in their traditional roles through the Sumptuary Law of 1363. 

113 Fashion and Clothing in the 14th Century

 

A few changes in fashion

At the start of the 13th Century, you wore a long gown that hung from the shoulders, or alternatively you wore a long gown that hung from the shoulders. 

 

Then in the mid 14th Century enraged chroniclers started noticing changes - clothes like the Cotehardie became more figure hugging, sleeves began widening, hood and liripipes were in. 

 
By the end of the 14th century, chroniclers were apoplectic - Doublets, a padded Cotehardie, could be terribly short, coloured hose showed the outlines of the male buttock, shoes could be pointy to a daft degree. 

 

 

Want to know more? There's a nice blog here, the History of European Fashion. 

The Sumptuary Law 1363

Introductory preamble

The preamble to the Statute is briefer than the outraged start to the 1574 act, but makes its point:

Also, for the outrageous and excessive apparel of divers people against their estate and degree, to the great destruction and impoverishment of all the land…

There’s a little bit about food:

…it is ordained that grooms, as well as servants of lords as they of mysteries  and artificers, shall be served to eat and drink once a day of flesh or fish, and the remnant of other victuals, as of milk, butter, and cheese, and other such victuals, according to their estate.

But mainly it’s about clothes. Here are some example paragraphs:

Also, that people of handicraft and yeomen, shall neither take nor wear cloth of a higher price for their vesture or hosing than within forty shillings the whole cloth by way of buying, nor otherwise; nor stone, nor cloth of silk nor of silver, nor girdle, knife, button, ring, garter, nor ouche [a jewel] ribbon, chain, nor any such other things of gold or of silver, nor any manner of apparel embroidered, enamelled, nor of silk in any way; and that their wives, daughters, and children be of the same condition in their vesture and apparel; and that they wear no veil of silk, but only of yarn made within the realm, nor any manner of fur, nor of budge,2 but only lamb, coney, cat, and fox.

Also, that esquires and all manner of gentlemen under the estate of a knight which have not land or rent to the value of £100 a year shall not take nor wear cloth for their clothing or hose of a higher price than within the price of 4 marks the whole cloth, by way of buying or otherwise. . . and that their wives, daughters, and children be of the same condition. . . . But that esquires, which have land or rent to the value of 200 marks a year and above may take and wear cloths of the price of 5 marks the whole cloth, and cloth of silk and silver, ribbon, girdle, and other apparel reasonably garnished of silver; and that their wives, daughters, and children may wear fur turned up of miniver, without ermine or lettice [a kind of whitish grey fur] or any manner of stone, but for their heads.

Also, that carters, ploughmen, drivers of the plough, oxterds, cowherds, shepherds, swineherds, dairymen, and all other keepers of beasts, threshers of corn, and all manner of people of the estate of a groom, attending to husbandry, and other people that have not forty shillings of goods nor of chattels, shall not take nor wear any manner of cloth but blanket and russet, of wool, worth not more than 12d, and shall wear girdles of linen according to their estate; and that they come to eat and drink in the same manner that pertains to them, and not excessively. And it is ordained that if any wear or do contrary to any of the points aforesaid, that he shall forfeit to the king all the apparel that he has so worn against the form of his ordinance.

So, here’s a little table, as an easy to use guide

Who you are	Qualification	What you can wear
King	Anointed by God	Anything – push the boat out, be wild and magnificent as you can manage
Magnates	Lords with Lands worth £1,000 annually	No restrictions
Knights	Land worth 400 marks annually	Pretty much what you want, but no weasel fur, ermine or clothing with precious stones sewn in.
Knights	Land worth 200 marks annually	Cloth worth no more than 6 marks (£4) for a whole cloth. No cloth of gold. No use of Miniver or ermine or clothes with jewels sewn in.
Esquires	Land worth £200 per year	Cloth worth no more than 5 marks (£3 1/3rd ) for a whole cloth. No cloth of gold, but they can wear cloth of silk or silver and Miniver or Weasel, but no ermine or clothes with jewels sewn in.
Esquires and Gentlemen	Land worth £100 per year	Cloth worth no more than 4 ½ marks (£3) for a whole cloth. No cloth of gold, silk or silver, precious fur or enamel work.
Merchants	Goods to the value of £1,000	Cloth worth no more than 5 marks (£3 1/3rd ) for a whole cloth. No cloth of gold, but they can wear cloth of silk or silver and Miniver or Weasel, but no ermine or clothes with jewels sewn in.
Merchants	Goods to the value of £500	Cloth worth no more than 4 ½ marks (£3) for a whole cloth. No cloth of gold, silk or silver, precious fur or enamel work.
Yeomen and their families		Cloth worth no more than £2 for a whole cloth. No jewels, gold, silver, embroidery, enamelware poor silk; no fur except lamb, rabbit, cat or fox. Women not to wear a silk veil
Servants		Cloth worth no more than 2 marks for a whole cloth. No jewels, gold, silver, embroidery, enamelware poor silk; no fur except lamb, rabbit, cat or fox. Women not to wear a veil worth more than 12d.
Everyone working on the land	Goods worth less than 40 shilling (£2)	No cloth except blanket and russet at 12d per ell. Belts of rope or linen.

 

99 Year One of a Hundred

Edward had traditionally received much of the blame before the start of the Hundred Years War. But in fact there were many reasons why France and England ended up going to war, and many of them relates to French aggression and support for the Scots. And in fact the catalyst for war is the declaration by Philip VI that he has removed the Duke of Aquitaine from his lands - i.e.  Edward. This is as straightforward a declaration of war as you are ever likely to see. 

 

99 Year One of a Hundred

The Vow of the Heron

In the 1340's a political poem appeared, which has been remarkably influential in keeping the blame of Edward's side for the start of the war. It's all terribly unfair, really it's not. The full text of the Vows of the Heron can be found here.

 

 

What started the Hundred Year's War. 

So here's a quick list: 

1. Edward was a young lad looking for a spot of fame and glory
2. Philip VI aggressively supported the Scots - and there's no way Edward could put up with this
3. PhilipVI raided the English coast - Edward couldn't put up with this either
4. Philip refused to accept English influence in Flanders and Brabant, which drove him to aggression against England
5. The Kings of France could not accept the control of Aquitaine by a vassal as powerful as the King of England. 

85 Crime and Punishment

A digression this week - the state of the crime and punishment in 14th century, and the story of the theft of the crown jewels in 1303. We also get the final and rather gruesome end of William Wallace in 1305. 

 

 

 

85 Crime and Punishment

 

The statute of Winchester, 1285

The Statute of Winchester was one attempt by Edward to control the rising tide of crime; in fact war and the focus of the king on Wales, France and Scotland meant that the crime wave continued. But it gives an interesting insight. 

Download a PDF of Statute of Winchester 1285 or

Visit it online online of the Documents in English History site

 

74 The Wheel of Fortune

 In 1264 when De Montfort set out from London he would have been conscious that this was a last throw; after losses to the Royalists in the midlands his only chance was a decisive victory. Lewes gave him that victory, and opened a remarkable period in England's history, a period of constitutional monarchy.

74 The Wheel of Fortune

 

The Battle of Lewes, May 1264

De Montfort led an army that was considerable smaller than the King. Estimates vary wildly, but lets go for 10,000 on the Royalist side and 5,000 with de Montfort. In addition, de Montfort had far fewer cavalry - though in the end given the terrain and the  activities of Edward, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. 

The map below by David Carpenter gives a good idea of the events of the day; you can also find out more at the Sussex Archaeological Society website. 

Below is the account of the battle of Lewes by the reliable chronicler William of Rishanger:

Earl Simon passed that night without sleep, giving time, as was his habit, to divine offices and prayers and exhorting his men to make sincere confessions. Walter de Cantilupe, Bishop of Worcester, absolved them all, and commanded that for the remission of their sins they should manfully strive for justice on that day, promising to all who should die thus the entry into the heavenly kingdom.

Battle being therefore certain, at daybreak before the rising of the sun, they went out from the village of Fletching, where a great part of them had spent the night, and which was about ten miles from Lewes. Before the start earl Simon de Montfort girt Gilbert de Clare with a knight's sword.

When they had marched near the town of Lewes and were hardly two miles distant from it, Simon with his men ascended a hill and placed his chariot there in the middle of his baggage, and having purposely placed and firmly erected his standard upon it, he encircled it with many armed men. Then with his own forces he held the ground on either side and awaited the issue of events. In the chariot he set four London citizens, who a little before, when he passed the night in Southwark, had conspired to betray him. This he did as a warning.

When he had thus prudently arrayed his forces, he ordered white crosses to be sewn on their backs and breasts over their armour, so that they should be distinguished from their enemies, and to indicate that they were fighting for justice. At dawn the baronial army suddenly attacked the king's guards who had gone out to seek for food or fodder and killed many of them.

When the king therefore was sure of the coming of the barons, he soon advanced with his men, with his standards unfurled and preceded by the royal banner, portending the judgment of death, which they call the 'Dragon'. His army was divided into three parts: the first line was commanded by Edward, the king's eldest son, together with William de Valance, earl of Pembroke, and John de Warenne, earl of Surrey and Sussex; the second by the king of Germany with his son Henry; and the third by king Henry himself. The baronial forces were divided into four, of which the first line was given to Henry de Montfort, the second to Gilbert de Clare together with John FitzJohn, and William of Montchensy; in the third were the Londoners under Nicholas Segrave; while the earl himself with Thomas of Pelveston led the fourth.

Then Edward with his line rushed on his enemies with such violence that he compelled them to retreat, and many of them, to the number of sixty knights, it is said, were overwhelmed. Soon the Londoners were routed, for Edward thirsted for their blood because they had insulted his mother, and he chased them for four miles, slaughtering them most grievously. But through his absence the strength of the royalists was considerably diminished.

Meanwhile many of the mighty men of the royal army, seeing the earl's standard on the hill and thinking he was there, made their way thither and unexpectedly slew those London citizens, for they did not know that they were on their own side. In the meantime the earl and Gilbert de Clare were by no means inactive, for they smote, threw down and killed those who opposed them, endeavouring with the utmost eagerness to take the king alive. Therefore many of the king's supporters rushed together - John earl of Warenne, William de Valance, Guy de Lusignan, all the king's half brothers, Hugh Bigod and about three hundred warriors - and seeing the fierceness of the barons, fled. There were captured Richard, the king of Germany, Robert Bruce and John Comyn, who had led the Scots thither. Also King Henry had his horse wounded under him, and giving himself up to earl Simon was soon brought under guard to the priory.

There were killed on that day many Scottish barons, and a great number of the foot soldiers who came with them had their throats cut. Meanwhile Humphrey de Bohun earl of Hereford, John FitzAlan earl of Arundel, William Bardolf, Robert de Tateshale, Roger de Somery, Henry Percy and Philip Basset were taken prisoner.

But on the king's side there fell the justiciar, William of Wilton and Fulk FitzWarin, the one slain by a sword, the other drowned in the river. On the barons' side fell Ralph Haringod, baron, and William Blund the earl's standard bearer. On both sides five thousand are said to have fallen.

When Edward and those fighting with him returned from the slaughter of the Londoners, not knowing what had happened to his father, he went round the town and came to Lewes castle. When he did not find his father there, he went to Lewes priory, where he found his father and learned what had happened. Meanwhile the barons made an assault on the castle, but as those shut up in it defended themselves manfully, the barons withdrew. When Edward saw their boldness within the castle, he was greatly inspirited, and collecting his men again, he wished to continue the battle afresh. Discovering this, the barons sent arbitrators of peace, promising that they wished to treat for an effectual peace the next day.

Richard the Trichard and the song of Lewes

Here, rarely, is the voice of ordinary people, mocking the King of the Romans, Richard of Cornwall as he hid in his windmill after the battle. 

Download Song against the king of alemaigne

The Song of Lewes, on the other hand, is a remarkable political track, probably by a Franciscan Friar, that puts the case for kingship and hte baronial cause. 

Download The Song of Lewes

The Mise of Lewes 

By the end of the battle, Simon was victorious and the agreement called the Mise of Lewes transferred the King and Prince Edward from the Priory at Lewes to imprisonment with de Montfort. It also committed de Montfort to arbitration to find an acceptable alternative to the Provisions of Oxford. 

The English Bishops and the failure of arbitration

Louis IXth though was not playing ball. The English Bishops tried their best, crossing to France to try to negotiate. There, the Papal Legate Ottobueno did his best to browbeat them into abandoning de Montfort, but to no avail. Incredulous and exasperated, the Legate asked them a straight question, to which he would have got the answer 'no' in every other European country - Did the bishops agree with the barons that the king of England should be compelled to accept specified councillors and strictly to follow their counsel? The bishops looked him in the eye and said 'yes'. The result was excommunication and interdict for de Montfort and de Clare. The men of Kent showed their attitude - when the bishops arrived with the papal bulls, they tore them into pieces and threw them into the sea.

The 'pride and arrogance of Lucifer'

The short period of rule by de Montfort was too troubled to give much chance for reform; though true to the Provisions, De Montfort called parliament regularly, including the first parliament where burgesses were called to represent the towns; and he appointed sheriffs according to the provisions. 

But on the other hand, de Montfort and his family ruthlessly and systematically built their wealth and land, so much so that at tournaments the de Montfort boys were ‘abounding in money and with and with an innumerable company of paid knights’. 

Trouble

The result was to drive de Clare from the baronial camp, disillusioned at the growth in de Montfort's power and the eclipse of his own., By April 1265 he had left court and gone to this estates in the Welsh marches, where de Montfort was forced to follow to try to repair the fences. 

66 The Road to Revolution

In 1258, the resentments all came together and the pot boiled over. The pope Alexander did his vassal no favours what so ever by pushing so hard that Henry had to ask his great men for more money.Together with some blazing rows between the Lusignans and the English barons, the spark had been applied to the powder keg. The result was the hobbling of the king by the Provisions of Oxford.

66 The Road to Revolution

 

Gascony

In 1248, the truce with France ended. So Henry had to get Gascony sorted out. There was little Ducal control, and one man in particular, Gaston de Bearn had a history of independence. You can see Bearn on the map to the south and centre. Meanwhile the Spanish kingdoms to the south - Aragorn, Castile, Navarre - all had claims and presented a threat. 

Henry's solution was to turn to Simon De Montfort. It's difficult to decide whether de Montfort did a good or bad job - he was brutal and high handed, but he probably was bringing the locals to heel. Trouble was that it was all too much fuss and bother for Henry to deal with, lots of complaints from the locals, lots of expense. 

So in 1252 de Montfort was basically put on trial in front of parliament. Things got nasty, and personal, between de Montfort and Henry. But the English Barons were on de Montfort's side. In the end, however, de Montfort was sacked, and Henry took over - with a remarkably successful campaign. It left a further fund of resentment. 

The Sicillian affair

 Frederick Hohenstaufen (the Holy Roman Emperor) and the Papcy didn't get on. So when Frederick died leaving a young sone, the Papacy wanted to make sure no Hohenstaufen inherited the Kingdom of Sicily, part of the Emperor's dominions or a Papal fief, depending who's side you were on. 

So the Pope offered Sicily to Henry's younger son Edmund. Oh, along with the price tag of 135,000 marks, since the Pope needed to go and capture it from Frederick's illegitimate son, Manfred. 

Whether or not it was possible - and some historians argue it wasn't as daft as it seems, and actually something similar did happen in the end - Henry did not involve his barons, did not have the money; the the Pope's aggressive and hectoring attitude to Henry put him in a politically very difficult decision. It forced hin in 1258 to ask his great council for money when he'd really rarher not have had to. 

Revolution and the Provisions of Oxford

In April 1258 7 magnates cornered Henry at Westminister and told him he wasn't up to it. He needed to appoint a council of 24 to manage and reform the kingdom, and he needed to get rid of the Poitevins. Henry bravely caved in, and thus the monarchy suffered it's greatest loss of power in a simple stroke. 

In June 1258, the Great Council, or Parliament as it was being called since 1236, met at Oxford. A muster for a Welsh campaign was happening the follwing week at Chester, so a large number of lesser Barons and knights came along too. So the meeting was a much more socially diverse group, and much more radical than might be expected. 

A series of thoughts and agreements came from the parliament, which we call the Provisions of Oxford, which would be develop later into the Provisions of Westminister. They are a dramatic and radical remodelling of the nature of kingship in England. The main points were: 

• A new council of 15 was set up, to bypass the problem of the hung council of 24; and the royal representatives were reduced to just 3. So Royal authority was now at the mercy of the barons. 
• There now had to 3 parliaments every year, whether the king liked it or not. So no avoiding the issue of the day. 
• The major ministers of state were to be re-instituted – Justiciar, Treasurer, Chancellor, so that the kings couldn’t make those arbitrary decisions any more. And most radically, it was the council that had the final say on who they were. So, the king didn't appoint his own ministers? Now that is radical.
• 4 knights were delegated in each shire to collect complaints against officials and take them to the Justiciar. So much more power and authority was delegated to the localities
• The approach of tax farming was abolished; Sheriffs now had to account for everything they submitted, and they were paid a salary, were recruited for a year, and were to come from the local community. 

If you want to see the Provisions of Oxford in full, here they are, with many thanks to Kim for her help. There is a lot of oathtaking!

Download The Provisions of Oxford 1258

59 Magna Carta and the Death of a Tyrant

Bouvines wasn't the cause of the Baronial revolt, but it probably was John's last chance to avoid it. In 1215 at Runymede Magna Carta was signed. It's extremely unlikely that John ever intended to allow the treaty to survive - and his untimely death at Newark was the biggest single factor in Magna Carta's survival.

59 Magna Carta and the Death of a Tyrant

 

 

The Road to Runymede

When John arrived back from France in October 1214 he found England close to open revolt. The combination of John's capricious rule, his Justiciar's attempt to levy a tax and the defeat at Bouvines together made a volatile and inflammable mix. John was this time simply overwhelmed. It seems very unlikely that John had any intention of sticking by the Carter - for him it was probably just a way of slowing the barons down until he could get an army together. 

Magna Carta

The 60 clauses of Magna Carta don't have many grand or stirring words. But somehow it manages to be massively significant, and keystone in the development of the democratic state. 

A lot has been written about Magna Carta, so I'm not going to repeat them here. But excitingly enough here you will find a complete text of the 1215 version of the charter. The Charter is replaced by a revised version  in 1217, and then a final version in 1225 - but this is the original, the attempt at a peace treaty. 

Download The Great Charter of Liberties of King John 1215

The Coronation Charter of Liberties of Henry I also had an enormous influence on Magna Carta. So for you real keenies, here is that charter for you to pour over. 

Download Charter of liberties of Henry I

And finally, to take the keeness to the ultimate level, Magna Carta is so called not becuase it's particularly long, but becuase in 1217 the smaller Forest Charter was created to deal specifically with the bits of the original charter that dealt with the much hated royal forest. and so here is an annotated version of that as well. Your cup runneth over. 

Download The Forest Charter

The Civil War

John did not negotiate in good faith, because frankly he had no good faith available. By September the two sides were again at war. John soon had the upper hand; he assembled his mercenaries from abroad in Kent, and took Dover castle. His loyal castellans held over 150 royal castles against the rebels. The rebels had no siege train and essentially got stuck in London. 

Then in 1216, the Barons invited Louis, son of the king of France to help them. He landed with 1200 knights and for a moment it looked all over. The Earls of Surrey, Arundel and Salisbury abandoned John. But in fact John retained his freedom of action, and his castles held - hius problem was that he failed to deliver a knock out blow. 

The Death of a Tyrant

In October 1216, John arrived at Lynn on the north coast of Norfolk. There he caught dysentery. As he crossed the Wash to on his way to Lincoln, he famously lost some of his baggage in his hurry, though it was nothing like as much of a disaster as Roger of Wendover would have us believe. 

He reached Newark where he died in the night of 18/19th October, after dictating his will. His body was taken to Worcester Cathedral by his mercenaries, where you can still see his effigy. 

 

42 English Justice and The Irish Invasion

Henry's far sighted reform of justice; and Richard Strongbow and Norman invasion of Ireland

So here are two completely unconnected subjects then! Henry is responsible for reforms to the process of English justice that had a long lasting impact on English Justice - including the development of Common law and the Jury system. OK, so he wasn't thinking about the long term futuire, all he wanted to do was to bring more royal revenue in, and more quickly; but none the less, a long term impact he had. The events of his reign would also have a long term impact on Irish politics and society. in 1169. Richard  'Strongbow'  FitzGilbert arrived on the coast of Ireland with the Gaelic king of Leinster, and the Anglo Norman invasion was on.

42 English Justice and Norman Ireland

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The Norman Invasion of Ireland

The Irish political structure in the early 12th Century was composed of a number of Kingdoms. Kingship was based on the Celtic tribal tradition of fealty, and the kings competed for the political supremacy in the form of the High King. Added to that were the areas that had been invaded and ruled by the Norweigians, which now consisted of 5 towns, including Dublin. 

In addition to the secular authority of the crown, Irish society was governed by the Brehon, who interpreted a complex system of customary law, and the the church - in the form of the Abbots of the major monasteries. The Papacy strongly disapproved of the Irish church, whose custom and practice were  not in line with the Gregorian reforms. 

In the mid 11th Century, a struggle for supremacy arose between Rory O'Connor of Connaught and Dermot MacMurroch of Leinster and their respective allies. When Dermot lost out, he sought out Henry in Aquitaine in 1166 and asked for help. Henry didn't have the time - but he allowed Dermot to look for men in England to help him. 

Dermot found Richard FitzGilbert, Earl of Pembroke and Striguil, head of the De Clare family. He would be known to history as Richard Strongbow. In 1170, Strongbow landed near Wexford, and together they re-captured Dublin by 1171 and defeated the High King Rory O'Connor. At which point Henry arrived to make sure the English king wasn't cut out of the deal. 

At the treaty of Windsor in 1175, the basic structure was set; Rory O'Connor was to rule Munster, Connaught, and Ulster, giving fealty to Henry. The English crown was to rule Leinster, the towns and Meath directly through a Justiciar. It sounded logical but was soon blown apart by Norman aggression in 1177 in Munster and East Ulster that set up further Anglo Irish lordships.  Henry had no intention of creating a new empire in Ireland; but the effect of his reign was to set up a partition of Ireland and struggle for control that would have an impact for many centuries. 

The Development of English Justice

 Henry's reforms had a massive impact on Justice. It's true to say that one of his main motivations was to increase the profits the crown made from justice, but he also believed in greater efficiency and consistency. The biggest impact of the great assizes of Clarendon (1166) and Northampton (1176) were:

• The implementation of a system of Royal Justices in Eyre. These itinerant justices saw the rapid development of English common law, and the move away from Baronial justice of variable quality to a centralised system of royal justice
• The development of the Jury 
• A faster, cheaper more effective system of royal writs that drove specific legal processes

 If you want to see the text of the Assize of Clarendon just click here 

 

40 Bishop Trouble

The 1160's. A time of consolidation of the Angevin Empire, still ruled by a dynamic, young and aggressive Henry. But mainly remembered for the start of the  struggle between church and state - or more accurately, the struggle between Henry and Thomas Becket. We start that well trodden paths, with a bit about 12th Education and Brittany thrown in for good measure

40 Bishop Trouble

The Beckets

Gilbert and Matilda Becket were Normans, who came to London to make their fortunes. Gilbert at first suceeded handsomely, being able to afford a grand house between ironmongers Street and Old Jewry. Young Thomas was given an academic education, but according to all it was the physical life that appealed to him as a young man. He hunted and hawked at the estates of Roger L'aigle, and he loved all forms of sports.

Thomas's early career

Gilbert's business started to struggle, so Thomas would have to earn his keep. After a stint in the household of a family friend, Thomas was placed int eh household of Theobald of Bec, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This was something of a coup, and Thomas made the most of it, rising to become an Archdeacon. Then, Theobald decided he needed a placeman in the houshold of the king; so when the Chancellorship of England came up, Theobald went and spoke to the king

Chancellor

Henry and Thomas got on like a house on fire by all accounts - giggling and playing like children, Thomas kept a magnificant household, dressed in the grandest of clothes, advocated the most aggressive of foreign adventures - and generally just seemed to be a man of the material rather than spiritual world.

Archbishop

But oh dear, when he put on the robes of the Archbishop he also donned the hairshirt. His appointment was not well received by the Bishops, who knew full well they were getting Henry's man. So Thomas set out to prove his independence, by opposing the king at every turn. It came to a head at Westminister when Thomas led the Bishops in opposing an unconditional oath to support the customs of the realm. Henry was livid.

The Constitutions of Clarendon

Henry wanted to clarity about process of justice and the relationship between church and state. The Consitutions were meant to do this - a writing down of the English customs. He also wanted to push Thomas's nose in it, by forcing him to submit. Thomas and the English bishops were subjected to 3 days of abuse and pressure from Henry and the lay barons, but they stood up to it. Then Thomas bottled it, and signed them - leaving his bishops leaderless,

But, on the road outside, Thomas recanted. I suspect he only signed the thing to get out of Clarendon. Henry was now out to get rid of his Archbishop.

You can download the Constitutions of Clarendon below. I have put some notes into the text for explanation.

Download The Constitutions of Clarendon

Medieval Education

School: was quite common, but revolved often around there being a local priest or monastery with a passion to provide the school. The curriculum was focussed on the acquisition of Latin as it's main aim

University: from 1096, Oxford is clearly one of the leading centres of higher education in England. But Universities as we think of them don't yet exist; what we have is towns with a concentration of Masters. The basic curriculum is the trivium, i.e. grammar, logic and rhetoric, and the quadrivium, i.e. arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. You could keep going and get into law, theology or medicine. 

39 Ruling the Angevin Empire

Bear in mind at all times that Henry, while being a Good King, was a tyrant. Still, he was a tyrant who ran a mean administrative system for the time. This week, the nature of the Angevin empire, how it was ruled, and a bit about travel and economy.

39 Ruling the Angevin Empire

The Character of Henry II

We are blessed with many descriptions of Henry, and many excellent chroniclers for the period. Here's just one of those descriptions, from a man called Peter of Blois. Peter himself is an interesting character; he probably wrote some of the latin seuqneces that are used in Carl Orf's fantastic 'Carmins Brana'. He serves as a diplomat and secretary under William Rufus, Henry II and Eleanor, and died in 1211. The description is a long one, so I have saved it as a PDF here. 

Download Peter of Blois on Henry II 

The Nature of the Angevin Empire

Think of it in 4 bits: 

The Anglo Norman State: Normandy and England. By and large loyal to Henry, well administered. Key flash point along the river Seine, with French and Norman Vexin being 'badlands' between the French and Norman monarchies. 

Anjou: Traditional homeland of the Angevins, and again very loyal to Henry. Three countries, Anjou, Main and Touraine. The big castles along the Loire - Tours, Chinon - are another flash point. 

Brittany: Claimed by Henry as an overlord, and William the Conqueror and his sons had also. But this is not without dispute and engages Henry in frequent trouble.

Aquitaine: A vast inheritance, loyal to Eleanor but only if she leaves them alone to to their thing. Very suspicious of the Angevins in their attempt to impose some order on them. And there are plenty of internal arguments going on between the various counts and families. Key flash point is the county of Berry, which had a critical confluence of roads and which was disputed between the Franch and Angevin kings. 

The Cog

Work  horse of the early medieval carrying trade. The Cog replaced the existing Viking style ships during the 12th Century. It's advantages were the stern rudder; the flat bottom which allowed easy loading at low tide; and the high sides which made it easier to defend from pirates. Plus, crucially, it had a greater carrying capacity. The Cog was used for war and trade. 

38 Born of the Devil - the Angevins

Geniuses, devils, spoilt brats, villains, heroes; war, sex, violence, bravery, treachery, peace, reform... the Angevins that founded the Plantagenet dynasty have it all, in spades. Not so much history, as soap opera. This week we kick things off with the arrival of Henry II and Eleanor on the English throne.

38 Born of the Devil - The Angevins

 

The marriage of the millennium

In 1152, Henry of Anjou and Eleanor of Aquitaine married at the Cathedral of St Peter in Poitiers. The church you see there is not the one - Henry started a new church in 1162.

Eleanor of Aquitaine split opinion across Christendom. One half of them saw the queen of culture and sophistication ; the other saw her as irresponsible, wild and undisciplined. Gervase of Canterbury described her as 'an exceedingly shrewd woman... but fickle'. So maybe  both sides were right. 

Eleanor was married to Louis VII of France in 1137. Louis was wild for her, but he was something of an odd fish. Nice enough you understand, but very affected by the burning by his troops of a church full of women and children - which isn't so very odd. But as he had his head shaved to make him look like a monk and became increasingly devout, Eleanor began to tire. She behaved badly on crusade - taking a gaggle of noble ladies and then suspected of having an affair with her uncle. Plus, the ultimate crime, she only gave Louis 2 girls as children. Louis needed a male heir and to his pain and distress had the marriage annulled by the Pope. 

8 weeks later she was married to Henry. She met him in Paris once; she needed a protector to keep all those eager suitors away from her door; and if you were going to jump ship from the King of France and stay at the same level, your options were limited anyway. 

The political map transformed

The marriage transformed the political map. In 1150, Louis was the dominant power in western europe. Look at the map here based on the situation after the marriage. Add back all the lands of Aquitaine to the French lands - i.e. everything south of Anjou and Tourraine except Toulouse and you'll see what I mean. 

The New Kingdom

Henry was crowned king of England in 1154. He then spent the first few years of his life establishing his new kingdom. This meant this thing really: 

1. Getting the English barons back into line - down within a few years
2. Sorting out his brothers Geoffrey and William - likewise
3. Getting even more territory if he could

Coronation Charter

However, that's not what he said on his coronation. Henry was in a strong position when he came to the throne - so he didn't have to give too much away...

Download Charter of Liberties of Henry II 1154

A scandalous marriage

Henry and Louis tried to play nice, and Henry's eldest son Henry was betrothed to Marguerite, daughter of Louis. Oh, Henry was 3, Marguerite 6 months old. The dowry was significant - the all-important Vexin, key to Normandy, given away by Geoffrey Plantagenet. But Louis wasn't worried - hey, it was years away. But Henry tricked him - in 1160 he had the Pope allow him to go ahead with the marriage, and took the castles back. Now Henry's empire looked secure and complete. 

Clothing

Lot's of rather formless material is the super-summary. Women, long dresses down to the floor, hung from the shoulders, lots of sashes and ties to keep it all together. Hanky (wimple rather) on the head. Blokes, very much the same - soft leather slipper, long tunic covering everything up. Plus fashions didn't change quickly in the way the y do today - so it'll take us some time before things get more exciting. 

37 12th Century Life - Village, Town and Trade

12th Century England was envied for it's fertility and yes it's climate. Any during the 12th century, the population of England and its towns and villages expand. But by and large, this is expansion without growth, and for many average income falls. 

 

37 12th C Life - Village Town and Trade

Population growth

...is difficult to calculate. But let's take the higher end estimates: 

• 1086: 2.25 million
• 1215: 5.7m 
• 1348: 7m 

And you know what happens next !

The 12th Century society and village

What defined your status in medieval England was whether you were free or unfree, and how much land you had. 

Some rough proportions: About - 

• 15% of people were free
• 40% of people were Villani (villeins) - they had substantial land (c. 30 acres) but owed service
• 35% were cottars or bordars - unfree, less land
• 10% were slaves or as near as darn it

Not all villages were the nucleated village that we think of today - but it's far and away the most common model. Each village was composed of a number of tofts (or crofts) - areas of 1/4 - 1 Acre, rented from the lord. each croft held the medieval house - typically 24 x 12 feet, 2 rooms, 5+ people and not a lot else. 

An original source - The Manor of Elton

Somewhere between 1154 and 1189, the Abbot of Ramsey had a survey completed of the Manor of Elton in East Anglia. Attached, is the porigianl text, which compared the people, income and service of the people in time of Henry 1 and present day (i.e. HenryII). I though you might be interested to see it, so I have retyped it, with some notes. 

Download Survey of the Manor of Elton

Towns and Trade

The wealth of England was based on wool - something that's not going to change for a number of centuries. During the 12th century the number of  towns grows - possibly doubles in fact, as every Norman lord tries to make a bit of cash. Other key trades included the wine trade from Rouen and increasingly Gascony in South West France, and the export of Tin from Cornwall. 

34 Anarchy III - Resolution

Stephen and Matilda fought themselves to a standstill, until the Empress tires of the struggle, and essentially leaves the stage around 1149. Many of her key supporters die - Miles of Gloucester and Robert of Gloucester - weakening her resolve and strength. Thereafter her son Henry picks up the baton. But the Treaty of Westminster in 1153 which brings the Anarchy to a close is as much a result of exhaustion as victory

34 Anarchy III - Resolution rm

 The Angevins conquer Normandy

Stephen's capture in 1141 had a big impact in Normandy. Most of the Barons  decide to defect, and by 1145 Geoffrey is officially and safely the new Duke of Normandy.

The Fall of Oxford

In 1142, the Empress was trapped in Oxford castle, and after 3 months of seige provisions were running low. Matilda managed to escape through a gate with 4 companions and, wearing white against rthe snow, she escaped to Abingdon. But Oxford fell to Stephen. 

Revolt

Stephen doesn't manage his barons well; he arrested Geoffrey de Mandeville and Ranulf without warning, and conseuqntly both revolt. Geoffrey dies in 1144, but Ranulf and Hugh Bigod remain a thorn in Stephen's side

Henry Fitz Empress enters the fray

Henry launched expeditions in 1142, 1147 and 1153. But it's only in 1153 that, now Duke of Anjou and Normandy, he brings a force worth having. Despite this, 1153 is far from a great success for him millitarily. 

The Treaty of Westminster, 1153

The peace comes about because: 

• The barons are sick of war - they make their own peaces with each other, and refuse to prosecute the war as their leaders would like
• Eustace, Stephen's son dies
• Everyone is tired. 

Under the treaty, Stephen reigns til he dies - and Henry will be his heir. Here below is a copy of the treaty itself. 

Download The Treaty of Westminster 1153

Anarchy what Anarchy?

Historians nowadays stress the lack of anarchy rather than the extend of it. It seems that what we are really seeing is a bit of score settling, and then governance simply becomes more distributed, more exercised by the Barons than the King. England is still governed. But in the war zone, life is indeed very probably hell on earth but then hts what war is like. None the less, there are a mass of illegal taxes, such as the 'tenserie', protection money, and illegal castles that Henry II would have to deal with.