General Notes

Source: 'The World Book Encyclopedia', 1968, p J110. 'Royalty for ommoners', Roderick W. Stuart, 1993, p 38.: Reigned 1199-1216. Signed Magna Carta in 1215 at Runnymede.  His reign saw renewal of war with Phillip II Augustus of France to whom he lost several continental possesions including Normandy by 1205. He came into conflict with his Barons and was forced to Sign the Magna Carta. His later repudiation of the charter led to the first barons war 1215-17 during which John died. Burke says he was born in 1160. John 'Lackland' King Of England was known as one of England's worst kings; however, modern analysis notes he was actually much better than his infamous reputation allows.  His barons forced him to grant the famous charter of liberties, Magna Carta, in 1215. He was often cruel, but he showed both administrative and military ability.  John succeeded his brother Richard the Lion-Hearted as king of England and duke of Normandy in 1199. His rule began badly. By inept politics and the murder of his nephew Arthur, he lost the allegiance of many of his French barons. King Philip Augustus of France then declared war. In 1205 John was beaten, and lost all the English holdings in France except Aquitaine. John persued a policy in England that brought him into conflict with Pope Innocent III. In 1208 the pope placed England under an interdict, which banned church services. The following year John was excommunicated. The king then showed his capacity for strong rule. He forced Scotland into a subordinate position, kept the Welsh princes in check, and held a firm grip on Ireland. But his foreign favorites, professional troops, and autocratic financial policy stirred up discontent among the English barons.  When John failed to reconquer the lost French territories in 1214, most of the barons and many of the clergy revolted. On June 15, 1215, the king was forced to approve the Magna Carta at Runnymede meadow beside the River Thames.
A few months later, John fought the barons. They were aided by Prince Louis of France, heir to Philip Augustus, and appeared certain to win. But John penned his enemies in London and the adjacent counties. He died suddenly in 1216, but his throne was saved for his son, Henry III. Buried in Worcester Cathedral Concubine at Kings Manor House, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England Divorced Isabel Fitzrobert 29 August 1189.

REF: "Falls the Shadow" Sharon Kay Penman: William the Conqueror requested a large number of Jews to move to England after his conquest. They spoke Norman & did well under his reign.  They continued to thrive under William's grandson Henry II.  When Richard was coronated, he did so "in a bath of Jewish blood." John merely taxed them very heavily, "bled them white".

REF: British Monarchy Official Website:  Richard's success (at retrieving all of his French possessions taken by Philip Augustus) was short lived. In 1199 his brother, John, became king and Philip successfully invaded Normandy. By 1203 John had retreated to England, losing his French lands of Normandy and Anjou by 1205. John (reigned 1199-1216) was an able administrator interested in law and government but he neither trusted others, nor was trusted by them.
Heavy taxation, disputes with the Church (John was excommunicated by the Pope in 1209) and unsuccessful attempts to recover his French possessions made him unpopular. Many of his barons rebelled and in June 1215 they forced the King to sign a peace treaty accepting their reforms. This treaty, later known as Magna Carta, limited royal powers, defined feudal obligations between the king and the barons, and guaranteed a number of rights. The most influential clauses concerned the freedom of the Church; the redress of grievances of owners and tenants of land; the need to consult the Great Council of the Realm so as to prevent unjust taxation; mercantile and trading relationships; regulation of the machinery of justice so that justice be denied to no one; and the requirement to control the behaviour of royal officials. The most important clauses established the basis of habeas corpus ('you have the body'), i.e. that no one shall beimprisoned except by due process of law, and that 'to no one will we sell, to no one will we refuse or delay right or justice'.
The Charter also established a council of barons who were to ensure that the sovereign observed the Charter, with the right to wage war on him if he did
not. Magna Carta was the first formal document insisting that the sovereign was as much under the rule of law as his people; and that the rights of individuals were to be upheld even against the wishes of the sovereign. As a source of fundamental constitutional principles, Magna Carta came to be seen as an important definition of aspects of English law, and in later centuries as the basis of the liberties of the English people. As a peace treaty Magna Carta was a failure and the rebels invited Louis of France to become their king. When John died in 1216 England was in the grip of civil war.

[Custer February 1, 2002 Family Tree.FTW]

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Source: 'The World Book Encyclopedia', 1968, p J110. 'Royalty for ommoners', Roderick W. Stuart, 1993, p 38.: Reigned 1199-1216. Signed Magna Carta in 1215 at Runnymede.  His reign saw renewal of war with Phillip II Augustus of France to whom he lost several continental possesions including Normandy by 1205. He came into conflict with his Barons and was forced to Sign the Magna Carta. His later repudiation of the charter led to the first barons war 1215-17 during which John died. Burke says he was born in 1160. John 'Lackland' King Of England was known as one of England's worst kings; however, modern analysis notes he was actually much better than his infamous reputation allows.  His barons forced him to grant the famous charter of liberties, Magna Carta, in 1215. He was often cruel, but he showed both administrative and military ability.  John succeeded his brother Richard the Lion-Hearted as king of England and duke of Normandy in 1199. His rule began badly. By inept politics and the murder of his nephew Arthur, he lost the allegiance of many of his French barons. King Philip Augustus of France then declared war. In 1205 John was beaten, and lost all the English holdings in France except Aquitaine. John persued a policy in England that brought him into conflict with Pope Innocent III. In 1208 the pope placed England under an interdict, which banned church services. The following year John was excommunicated. The king then showed his capacity for strong rule. He forced Scotland into a subordinate position, kept the Welsh princes in check, and held a firm grip on Ireland. But his foreign favorites, professional troops, and autocratic financial policy stirred up discontent among the English barons.  When John failed to reconquer the lost French territories in 1214, most of the barons and many of the clergy revolted. On June 15, 1215, the king was forced to approve the Magna Carta at Runnymede meadow beside the River Thames.
A few months later, John fought the barons. They were aided by Prince Louis of France, heir to Philip Augustus, and appeared certain to win. But John penned his enemies in London and the adjacent counties. He died suddenly in 1216, but his throne was saved for his son, Henry III. Buried in Worcester Cathedral Concubine at Kings Manor House, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England Divorced Isabel Fitzrobert 29 August 1189.

REF: "Falls the Shadow" Sharon Kay Penman: William the Conqueror requested a large number of Jews to move to England after his conquest. They spoke Norman & did well under his reign.  They continued to thrive under William's grandson Henry II.  When Richard was coronated, he did so "in a bath of Jewish blood." John merely taxed them very heavily, "bled them white".

REF: British Monarchy Official Website:  Richard's success (at retrieving all of his French possessions taken by Philip Augustus) was short lived. In 1199 his brother, John, became king and Philip successfully invaded Normandy. By 1203 John had retreated to England, losing his French lands of Normandy and Anjou by 1205. John (reigned 1199-1216) was an able administrator interested in law and government but he neither trusted others, nor was trusted by them.
Heavy taxation, disputes with the Church (John was excommunicated by the Pope in 1209) and unsuccessful attempts to recover his French possessions made him unpopular. Many of his barons rebelled and in June 1215 they forced the King to sign a peace treaty accepting their reforms. This treaty, later known as Magna Carta, limited royal powers, defined feudal obligations between the king and the barons, and guaranteed a number of rights. The most influential clauses concerned the freedom of the Church; the redress of grievances of owners and tenants of land; the need to consult the Great Council of the Realm so as to prevent unjust taxation; mercantile and trading relationships; regulation of the machinery of justice so that justice be denied to no one; and the requirement to control the behaviour of royal officials. The most important clauses established the basis of habeas corpus ('you have the body'), i.e. that no one shall beimprisoned except by due process of law, and that 'to no one will we sell, to no one will we refuse or delay right or justice'.
The Charter also established a council of barons who were to ensure that the sovereign observed the Charter, with the right to wage war on him if he did
not. Magna Carta was the first formal document insisting that the sovereign was as much under the rule of law as his people; and that the rights of individuals were to be upheld even against the wishes of the sovereign. As a source of fundamental constitutional principles, Magna Carta came to be seen as an important definition of aspects of English law, and in later centuries as the basis of the liberties of the English people. As a peace treaty Magna Carta was a failure and the rebels invited Louis of France to become their king. When John died in 1216 England was in the grip of civil war.