Edward 1

• Edward 1


  King of England from 1272 to 1307
• Edward 1


  • Also known as "Longshanks"
  • Went on crusades in 1270
  • Nearly died after being stabbed with a poisoned dagger
  • Ambition was to be a great king like Arthur
• Edward 1 needed to find a way of being in power


  Without the barons feeling ignored
• Henry 3rd spent vast amounts on fighting wars
• There was little money available to Henry 3rd
• Edward 1 set up a system to collect more customs money


  To wage war and would need more money for his plans
• Edward 1 began the wool trade in 1275
• Wales


  • Largely hostile to England
  • There were regular rebellions
  • Llywely ap Gruffudd (Prince of Wales) becomes more powerful
  • In 1275 Llywely ap Gruffudd refused to pay homage to Edward 1, seen as a challenge to Edward's power
• Edward wanted to prove he was stronger than his dad
• Winning back land in France

  Edward still owned Gascony and had to pay homage to the King of France to keep hold of this, which he felt would make him look weak
• The 1st Crusade wasn't a success
• Edward hoped to lead another Christian countries of Europe to work together
• Feudal System


  Land given to people in return for loyalty and military service
• Subinfeudation


  1. Process of dividing up land in Feudal System

  2. Passing land from father to son through inheritance

  3. Ultimately possible to trace all land back to the king
• When land was transferred, the original owner became the feudal lord of the new owner
• As more land was transferred, more feudal lords were created
• This became a problem when lords began to sell their land to other lords, weakening the king's power
• Frankalmaign


  Church didn't have to answer to any feudal lord as in theory all land should ultimately come from the king
• Many people chose to give their lands to the church when they died as a way of trying to have their sin forgiven so they'd get into heaven
• This meant they could avoid paying rents to a feudal lord and they no longer had to fight for their land
• Power of the nobles

  • They had huge amounts of land
  • They'd built up lots of powers in these lands
  • They could raise their own taxes and hold courts
  • They needed proof that this had been approved by the king
• Edward gained support by sacking his father's closest advisors
• He appointed a close friend, Robert Burnell, to the key role of chancellor
• Edward also listened to advice from parliament and the laws passed were effectively Edward's laws
• Nobles were happy as they were involved in the law making process
• Quo warranto


  1. Wanting to find out how lords and knights had gained their land in feudal system

  2. Lords had to prove they officially held their land or have a royal license or prove they'd had it since the start of Richard I's reign in 1189

  3. If they couldn't, the land was taken off them and given to the king
• The Hundred Rolls was a document that stated who owned what land, how they got the land, and what people owed their lord e.g. money or military service
• Edward learnt the feudal system was breaking down
• Edward's laws


  • 1st Statute of Westminster 1275 stated all power and land came from the king
  • 2nd Statute of Westminster 1285 stated land had to follow wishes & will, stopping the selling of inherited land
  • Helped to keep the feudal system
• The 1st Statute of Westminster 1275 made it official that people could buy and sell land, helping the creation of new feudal lords
• The 2nd Statute of Westminster 1285 stopped people giving land to the church
• Robert Burnell


  King Edward I's most trusted advisor, the medieval equivalent of a Prime Minister
• When Edward was away, Robert Burnell was in charge
• Edward tried to promote Robert Burnell to Archbishop of Canterbury but the Pope refused due to his morals
• Why Robert Burnell was important

  • He was Edward's Chancellor, the most important job in government
  • He reorganized the chancellery, keeping a close watch on paperwork
  • He was involved in diplomacy, working to Paris in 1235 to meet with the King of France to sort out issues with Gascony
• The Model Parliament was the first time people who weren't nobles were allowed to attend parliament, known as 'commoners' from towns
• All parts of the country were now represented, with each county sending 2 knights and each town sending 2 people to parliament
• It was now agreed that Edward could only raise taxes with parliament's permission
• Life before Edward I's reign

  • 90% of people lived in the countryside, growing their own food
  • Villages were well organised with a local Lord of the Manor
  • Towns were dirty with poor sanitation
• Changes introduced by Edward I

  • Settlements could only officially become a town with the king's permission by signing a royal charter
  • In return for a royal charter, townspeople paid tax on all items bought and sold, which went to the king
  • The number of skilled craftsmen grew and formed guilds
  • Some new towns were built with strong defences
  • Towns introduced their own laws to prevent traders from cheating customers