Edward I: The English Justinian

Edward I is perhaps best remembered for his constant military campaigning, beginning with his struggle with Simon de Montfort during Henry III's reign. In France, Wales, and Scotland, Edward forged a reputation as the foremost soldier of his day, as an inspired and relentless adversary, and (in conquered territory) as a tyrant. He was all those things, but he was also much more: he was probably the most successful medieval monarch in Europe.

The first twenty years of his reign marked a high point of cooperation between crown and country. During these years, Edward reformed government, consolidated territory, and defined foreign policy. In doing so, he earned another sobriquet: in addition to "Longshanks" and "Hammer of the Scots", he became known as the English Justinian.

Edward possessed the strength his father lacked and reasserted royal prerogative. He had learned from his father's mistakes, and tried to avoid the pitfalls that had so disrupted his father's reign. He held to the concept of community, and although at times unscrupulously aggressive, he ruled with the general welfare of his subjects in mind. He thought of the crown as judge of the proper course of action for the realm and its chief legislator. Royal authority was granted by law and would be fully utilized for the public good, but that same law also granted protection to the king's subjects. Edward firmly believed that a king should rule with the advice and consent of those whose rights were in question. The level of interaction between king and subject allowed Edward considerable leeway in achieving his goals.

Edward I added to the bureaucracy initiated by Henry II to increase his effectiveness as sovereign. He expanded the administration into four parts: the Chancery, the Exchequer, the Household, and the Council. The Chancery researched and created legal documents. The Exchequer received and issued money, audited the accounts of local officials, and kept financial records. These two departments operated within the king's authority but independently from his personal rule. Edward followed the practice of earlier kings in developing the Household, a mobile court that traveled with the king. The King's Council was the most important of the four. It consisted of his principal ministers, trusted judges and clerks, a select group of nobles, who also followed the king. The Council dealt with matters of great importance to the country and acted as a court for cases of national importance.

Edward's refinement of law and justice had important consequences in decreasing feudal practice. The Statute of Gloucester (1278) curbed expansion of large private holdings and established the principle that all were delegated by, and subordinate to, the crown. Royal jurisdiction became supreme: the Exchequer developed a court to hear financial disputes, the Court of Common Pleas arose to hear property disputes, and the Court of the King's Bench addressed criminal cases in which the king had a vested interest. Other statutes prohibited vassals from giving their lands to the church, encouraged primogeniture, and established the king as the sole person who could make a man his feudal vassal. In essence, Edward set the stage for land to become an article of commerce. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook-law... LAW

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