General Notes

NOTES: Reign: 1272-1307; Of the Plantagenets, House of Anjou. In 1270 Edward left England to join the Seventh Crusade. The first years of Edward's reign were a period of the consolidation of his power. He suppressed corruption in the administration of justice, restricted the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts to church affairs, and eliminated the papacy's overlordship over England. In 1290 Edward expelled all Jews from England. In 1296, after invading and conquering Scotland, he declared himself king of that realm. The conquest of Scotland became the ruling passion of his life. He was, however, compelled by the nobles, clergy and commons to desist in his attempts to raise by arbitrary taxes the funds he needed for campaigns. In 1307 Edward set out for the third time (at age 68) to subdue the Scots, but he died en route near Carlisle on 7 Jul 1307.Reigned 1272-1307. In the Barons war 1264-67 he defeated the Barons at Evesham (1265) as King he is noted for encouraging Parliamentary institutions at the expence of feaudalism and for subdueing Wales on which he imposed the English system of administration. He later tried to assert his authority over Scotland and died while on his way to fight Robert Bruce.source: LDS Ancestry files & Hull Univ, UK databaseHe was born in Westminster on June 17, 1239, the eldest son of King Henry III, and at 15 married Eleanor of Castile. In the struggles of the barons against the crown for constitutional and ecclesiastical reforms, Edward took a vacillating course. Whenwarfare broke out between the crown and the nobility, Edward fought on the side of the king, winning the decisive battle of Evesham in 1265. Five years later he left England to join the Seventh Crusade. Following his father's death in 1272, and whilehe was still abroad, Edward was recognized as king by the English barons; in 1273, on his return to England, he was crowned.The first years of Edward's reign were a period of the consolidation of his power. He suppressed corruption in the administration of justice, restricted the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts to church affairs, and eliminated the papacy's overlordship over England.On the refusal of Llewelyn ab Gruffydd, ruler of Wales, to submit to the English crown, Edward began the military conflict that resulted, in 1284, in the annexation of Llewelyn's principality to the English crown. In 1290 Edward expelled all Jews fromEngland. War between England and France broke out in 1293 as a result of the efforts of France to curb Edward's power in Gascony. Edward lost Gascony in 1293 and did not again come into possession of the duchy until 1303. About the same yearin which he lost Gascony, the Welsh rose in rebellion.Greater than either of these problems was the disaffection of the people of Scotland. In agreeing to arbitrate among the claimants to the Scottish throne, Edward, in 1291, had exacted as a prior condition the recognition by all concerned of his overlordship of Scotland. The Scots later repudiated him and made an alliance with France against England. To meet the critical situations in Wales and Scotland, Edward summoned a parliament, called the Model Parliament by historians because it was a representative body and in that respect was the forerunner of all future parliaments. Assured by Parliament of support at home, Edward took the field and suppressed the Welsh insurrection. In 1296, after invading and conquering Scotland, he declared himself king of that realm. In 1298 he again invaded Scotland to suppress the revolt led by Sir William Wallace. In winning the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, Edward achieved the greatest military triumph of his career, but he failed to crushScottish opposition.The conquest of Scotland became the ruling passion of his life. He was, however, compelled by the nobles, clergy, and commons to desist in his attempts to raise by arbitrary taxes the funds he needed for campaigns. In 1299 Edward made peacewith France and married Margaret, half-sister of King Philip IV of France. Thus freed of war, he again undertook the conquest of Scotland in 1303. Wallace was captured and executed in 1305. No sooner had Edward established his government inScotland, however, than a new revolt broke out and culminated in the coronation of Robert Bruce as King of Scotland. In 1307 Edward set out for the third time to subdue the Scots, but he died en route near Carlisle on July 7, 1307."Edward I," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------NotesEdward I, (Longshanks) was King of England (1272-1307) conquering Wales and warring with Scotland. In the struggles of the barons against the crown for constitutional and ecclesiastical reforms, Edward took a vacillating course. When warfare broke out between the crown and the nobility, Edward fought on the side of the king, winning the decisive battle of Evesham in 1265. Five years later he left England to join the Seventh Crusade. Following his father's death in 1272, and while he was still abroad, Edward was recognized as king by the English barons; in1273, on his return to England, he was crowned. On the refusal of Llewelyn ab Gruffydd, ruler of Wales, to submit to the English crown, Edward began the military conflict that resulted, in 1284, in the annexation of Llewelyn's principality to the English crown.  His Model Parliament of 1295 is sometimes considered England's first full parliament.  Edward lost Gascony in 1293 and did not again come into possession of the duchy until 1303. About the same year in which he lost Gascony, the Welsh rose in rebellion.  Edward was a special child to his father. He was born very late in Henry's life. He was named after the canon, Edward the Confessor, and although his title says Edward I, there were three Edwards previous to him.  It was Henry who arranged for the important marriage of Edward to Eleanor, the half-sister of Alfonso X, King of Castile and Leon. It was an arranged marriage which bore many children and was full of love.  Edward was made Overlord of Ireland, before he became King, and was responsible for Gascony and Wales. He was a typically spoiled adolescent,and liked to spend his time setting up jousting tournaments, in which many lives would be lost at a time. However though he had once recognized the justice of Simon de Montfort's stance against his father, he rallied to help his father.  It was his role as a general that helped quash De Montfort, and after this he became an exemplary figure in the ruling of England. He was his father's Regent and succeeded unchallenged to the throne. He did not become King until the age of 35 and was devoted to personal and political integrity. He was a devoted ruler of England and developed state relations all around the world. He also fought many wars and used agreat deal of the funds of England in these battles. He borrowed heavily from the Jews in England. They were expert currency manipulators. The King had tried to involve them in more productive occupations, but against all local feeling, and the lack of profit to be attained, the Jews went back to their old vocations. In 1290 Edward expelled the Jews from England. Being unable to borrow money, Edward had to impose high taxes on the local populations, which was of course highly unpopular.After having defeated and slain the last Welsh Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Edward offered his baby son to the Welsh people as the Prince of Wales, in a symbolic gesture. The Welsh gave the English knowledge of the long bow, one of the most valued weapons before gunpowder, and Edward encouraged its use. The pacification of the Welsh was not instant, and it took years for the land and power to be delegated in face of harsh resentment. War with Scotland was causing great problems. It concerned an attempt to reconcile the center of Scotland from Edinburgh to Scone, the natural but unrecognized seat of Scotland. When Alexander III, King of Scotland died, the crown passed to his three year old grand daughter, Margaret. When Margaret was aged six, Edward arranged for her to be betrothed to hisheir Edward, which would have led to a peaceful union of England and Scotland. Margaret died in a ship wreck on the way to her coronation in Scotland, then the succession to the crown was disputed. Edward stepped in to arbitrate and with a balanced Commission took eighteen months to choose John Balliol. This decision led to a revolt, which Edward managed to overcome. He declared himself King of Scotland and carried the Coronation Stone of Scotland from Scone Palace off to England. It was this that led to the revolt by William Wallace who was eventually defeated by Edward.  Wallace was captured and executed in 1305. No sooner had Edward established his government in Scotland, however, than a new revolt broke out and culminated in the coronation of Robert Bruce as king of Scotland.  In 1306 Robert the Bruce was declared King of the Scots by the Scottish people and in the ensuing war he was at first defeated by Edward. In 1307 Edward set out for the third time to subdue the Scots, but he died enroute near Carlisle on July 7, 1307   Edward died at Burgh by Sands, after being the monarch of England for 35 years.  Henry was a good husband and loved his children and it was his offspring that provided England with two of the greatest monarchs of all time. But it is difficult to understand with all the aggressive stances he took, how he earned his reputation as being a lawgiver and administrator and a caring man who deeply mourned his wife by erecting the Eleanor Crosses (which marked the route taken by Queen Eleanor's funeral carriage), and then married the French King's sister just to seal a peace treaty.