Edward I: Easter 1290

1290 Easter

Introduction Easter 1290

Westminster

Easter parliament (April-July)

The parliament which began after Easter in 1290 and continued (with a short break) after Trinity fits in with the resumption of the older pattern of regular twice yearly parliaments that had been followed during the first half of Edward I's reign. Its immediate political context, however, was as part of a continuing process of political bargaining between Edward I and his subjects in which Edward's main aim was to obtain the grant of a fifteenth which his finances so desperately needed but in return for which he had to make a series of concessions to his subjects which included a resolution of magnate grievances over the quo warranto proceedings, the enactment of the statute of Quia Emptores, again in response to magnate demands, various measures responding to ecclesiastical grievances and the expulsion of the Jewish community from England. The meeting of parliament was also so timed as to coincide with a series of major celebrations: the marriage of the king's daughter, Joan of Acre, to the earl of Gloucester (on 30 April); the translation of the body of Henry III to a new burial place in Westminster abbey (on 14 May); and the wedding of the king's daughter Margaret to John, the son of the duke of Brabant (on 9 July). (fn. foot-1290e-1) No writ of summons for the attendance of the magnates for the beginning of this parliament was enrolled. (fn. foot-1290e-2) It seems clear, however, that it opened soon after three weeks after Easter (the week beginning 23 April) for this is the date ascribed to this parliament on the heading of Roll 4, (fn. foot-1290e-3) and the earliest date to which cases are recorded as having been adjourned. (fn. foot-1290e-4) There are, however, other references to it as the parliament of one month after Easter (the week beginning 30 April), (fn. foot-1290e-5) and it may be that it did not in fact open till shortly before 30 April, perhaps when Edward returned to Westminster on 28 April. (fn. foot-1290e-6) The earliest securely dated business is that recorded as having been done there on 8 May; (fn. foot-1290e-7) and on the eve of the Ascension (10 May but perhaps any time in the following week). (fn. foot-1290e-8) There is then a gap in the recorded evidence for activity at parliament until 21 or 23 May and the enactment of the statute of Quo Warranto. (fn. foot-1290e-9) On 26 May the king issued a prohibition of the holding of Sunday markets, presumably on conciliar advice, though nothing is said of this in the relevant mandate. (fn. foot-1290e-10) This was followed on 27 May by a royal concession on the allowance of charters of amercements at the Exchequer; (fn. foot-1290e-11) on 28 May by a regrant to the bishop of Coventry of woods within Cannock forest; (fn. foot-1290e-12) and on 29 May by the grant of an aid towards the marriage of the king's eldest daughter. (fn. foot-1290e-13) There was then apparently a short break in proceedings for no further business is recorded until 8 June. (fn. foot-1290e-14) Business is then recorded as having been conducted on 14, (fn. foot-1290e-15) 15 (fn. foot-1290e-16) and 16 June (fn. foot-1290e-17) and at the less specific 'quindene' of Trinity (the week beginning 11 June). (fn. foot-1290e-18) Other proceedings are recorded on 22 June, (fn. foot-1290e-19) and the less specific 'morrow of St John the Baptist' (probably some time during the week beginning 25 June). (fn. foot-1290e-20) Cases are also recorded as having been adjourned to the octaves of St John the Baptist (probably the week beginning 1 July), (fn. foot-1290e-21) and the quindene of St John the Baptist (probably the week beginning 8 July). (fn. foot-1290e-22) That parliament really was in session this late is indicated by the date assigned in its text to the statute of Quia Emptores (the quindene of St John the Baptist). (fn. foot-1290e-23) It is also the text of that statute that shows that the whole of the parliamentary session since April was regarded as a single parliament, for it is also specifically described in its text as having been made at the Westminster parliament 'after Easter'. The latest date assigned to any recorded business seems to be 14 July. (fn. foot-1290e-24)

It was only apparently towards the end of this parliament that the decision was taken to summon representatives from the shires to attend parliament. Writs were issued on 14 June for the election of two or three knights from each county, who were to come to Westminster by three weeks after St John the Baptist at latest (the week beginning 15 July). Returns giving the names of those elected survive for twenty-eight counties. (fn. foot-1290e-26) It must have been around then that the representatives of the counties and the magnates agreed to a grant of the fifteenth to the king. The precise date seems nowhere to have been recorded and the assessors and collectors do not seem to have been appointed till the following September. (fn. foot-1290e-27) The session was presumably over by 21 July when the king left Westminster.

Various kinds of business done at this parliament are recorded on part of SC 9/1 . SC 9/2 provides a summary of petitions and complaints submitted to this parliament and the responses they received and (in a separate section) a record of decisions taken on various kinds of inquisition returned into chancery at the same parliament. SC 9/4 is a roll of Irish petitions and complaints submitted to this parliament.

Appendix Easter 1290

Legislation enacted at this parliament

1

21 or 23 May 1290: statute of Quo Warranto: SC 9/1, item 44 (printed from this text in SR , i, 107). On the date and the relationship to the summary versions of the statute in French and Latin (which give the date) see D.W. Sutherland, Quo Warranto Proceedings in the Reign of Edward I (Oxford, 1963), 91-7 and 203-5.

2

26 May 1290: royal prohibition of Sunday markets, known only from the unofficial text in CUL MS. Additional 3584, ff. 251r-v (cf. De Haas and Hall, Early Registers of Writs , xcv, n. 7):

3

around 18 June 1290 : royal instruction to the justices of the Common Bench about allowing dower from lands in king's hands: SC 9/1, item 28. This is undated on the Roll but for the related mandate to the justices of the Common Bench dated 18 June 1290 see CP 40/83, m. 45.

4

around 8 July 1290: statute of Quia Emptores: SC 9/1, item 56: printed from this text in SR , i, 106 (with note of variants in Close Roll text whose existence is noted at CCR 1288-96 , 146); but apparently not sent out to counties till 2 August 1290. There is a copy of the writ to sheriff of Gloucestershire ordering him to publish it of this date in Worcester Cathedral Library MS. Q. 36, ff. 74r-v

5

unknown date: Statute of Consultation: SC 9/1, no. 31 (printed from this text in SR , i. 108).

6

unknown date prior to 14 June: lost ordinance on form of inquisitions ad quod damnum into mortmain alienations, establishing a fuller list of questions to be asked. Its use begins on 14 June: Brand, Making of the Common Law , 242. The new form of writ is enrolled on the dorse of the Close Roll in the form of a copy of an actual writ of 22 June 1290, printed in Ryley, Placita Parliamentaria, p. 457.

7

uncertain date around 18 July: decision taken for the expulsion of the Jewish community from England and mandates issued to sheriffs in connection with this decision on 18 July: CCR 1288-96 , 95-6

Petitions belonging to this parliament and not otherwise recorded

For a petition from William Tyndale asking for a second inquisition which seems to have been submitted to this parliament and led to the issue of a new writ on 20 June 1290 see C 133/57, no. 5, m. 5 (calendared in CIPM , ii, no. 776).