H3H03 MEDIEVAL ENGLAND 1066-1399 TUTORIAL TOPICS

06 EDWARD I AND THE CONSTITUTION

a)   Which historians have specialised in the reign of Edward I ?  How
     have their views changed ? What is the current view of Edward I ?

b)   What are the principal documentary sources for his reign ?

c)   What problems faced Edward on his accession to the throne in 1274
     ?  What  steps  did he take to deal with them  ?  What  were  the
     'Ragman Inquests'?

d)   What changes did Edward make in methods of legislation ? What was
     the significance of the Statutes? How did they differ from  other
     forms  of Common Law ? What problems did the statutes attempt  to
     remedy  ?  What  problems did they create ?  Who  benefited  from
     Edward's statute legislation?

e)   What  improvements  did  Edward  make  in  the  field  of  fiscal
     administration  ? What changes took place in the  assessment  and
     collection  of royal taxation ?  What were 'Lay Subsidies' ?  How
     were they authorised and who collected them?

f)   Why did Parliament develop in the reign of Edward I ? How did the
     king  used  parliament?  What kinds of people did  he  summon  to
     parliament  and  what did he expect of them ?   What  powers  had
     parliament acquired by the end of his reign ?

g)   What  were  the principal objectives of Edward's  foreign  policy
     (including  Wales  and  Scotland)  ? How  successful  was  he  in
     achieving these aims ?

h)   What is the significance of the 'Confirmation of the Charters' in
     1297 ? Did it constitute a major setback for the king ?

i)   What  changes  took  place  in  the  organisation  of  the  Royal
     Household during this reign ? What was the significance of  these
     changes ?

j)   Does Edward deserve his high reputation as the greatest  medieval
     English  king  ? What criticisms can be laid against him  ?  What
     difficulties did he bequeath to the future ?