H3H03 MEDIEVAL ENGLAND 1066-1399 TUTORIAL TOPICS
05 KING HENRY III AND THE COMMUNITY OF THE REALM
a) Identify the historians who have specialised in the reign of king
Henry III ? How have their views changed ? What is the current
opinion on Henry III ?
b) What are the principal contemporary sources for this reign ? How
reliable are they ?
c) What were the principal features of Henry's minority ? How was
England ruled in the period after the death of John ? What
problems arose during the minority ? How did Henry resume the
powers of the monarchy ? What policies did he pursue ?
d) How and why did Henry come into conflict with the barons ? What
were the main baronial grievances against Henry ? How were they
articulated by the barons ?
e) What was the 'Paper Constitution' of 1244 ? Why did it fail?
f) What was the 'Sicilian Adventure' ? How did it affect Henry's
relationship with both the Papacy and the English barons ?
g) What reforms were proposed by the Provisions of Oxford of 1258
and the Provisions of Westminster 1259 ?
h) Why did the Baronial Reform Movement split after 1259 ? What were
the objectives of Simon de Montfort ? Why did he fail ? What was
the problem of the 'Disinherited' ?
i) Why did the knights and the gentry become more important in this
period ? Examine the relationship between local and central
government during the thirteenth century ? In what ways did the
role of the Sheriff change during this period ?
j) Account for the development of parliamentary assemblies during
this reign ? What were these assemblies used for, how did they
differ from other kinds of representative assemblies in this
period ? Is it possible to distinguish between Parliaments and
Great Councils under Henry III ?
Using the relevant volume of ENGLISH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS find, read
and annotate the following documents:
a) Refusal of the barons to grant Henry III an aid 1242
b) The Paper Constitution 1244
c) The Provisions of Oxford 1258
d) The Provisions of Westminster 1259
f) The Dictum of Kenilworth 1266
e) The Statute of Marlborough 1267