General Notes

2  SOUR S002120
3  DATA
4  TEXT Date of Import: Apr 17, 2001
[Fortescue.ged]
HISTHENRY II, WAS BORN IN 1133 TO GEOFFREY V PLANTAGENT AND MATILDA THE EM
PRESS , DAUGHTER OF KING HENRY I OF ENGLAND.  HE GREW UP IN ANJOU, FRANC
E, BUT VISITE D ENGLAND AS EARLY AS 1142 TO DEFEND HIS MOTHER'S CLAIM TO T
HE THRONE OF STEPHE N.EDUCATED BY FAMOUS SCHOLARS, HE HAD A TRUE LOVE OF R
EADING AND INTELLECTUAL D ISCUSSION.  GEOFFREY OF ANJOU DIED IN SEPT 115
1, LEAVING NORMANDY AND ANJOU TO HENRY.  HENRY MORE THAN DOUBLED HIS POSSE
SIONS WHEN HE MARRIED ELEANOR OF AQUIT AINE, THEEX-WIFE OF KING LOUIS V
II OF FRANCE.  AFTER A SUCCESSION AGREEMENT BET WEEN STEPHEN AND MATILD
A, HENRY WAS CROWNED HENRY II KING OF ENGLAND IN 1154. ELEANOR BORE HEN
RY FIVE SONS AND THREE DAUGHTERS BETWEEN 1153 AND 1167.  THEIR RELATIONSHI
PWITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THEIR SONS RICHARD, HENRY AND JOHN PROV
ED TO BE  STORMY AND TREACHEROUS.
HISTHENRY REVITALIZED THE BRITISH EXCHEQUER, ISSUING RECEIPTS FOR TAX PAYM
ENTS AND LOGGING ACCOUNTS ON ROLLED PARCHMENT.  HE REPLACED INCOMPETENT SH
ERRIFFS, EXPANDING THE AUTHORITY OF ROYAL COURTS, WHICH BROUGHT MORE MON
EY TO HIM.  A BODY OF COMMONLAW REPLACED FEUDAL AND COUNTY COU RTS, WHI
CH VARIED FROM PLACE TO PLACE.  JURY TRIALS WERE INTRODUCED TO REPLACE T
HE GERMAN SYSTEM OF TRIAL BY ORDEAL OR BATTLE.  HENRY'S SYSTEMATIC APPROA
CH TO LAW FORMED A BASIS FOR MODERN COURT SYSTEMS.
HISTTHIS PROCESS OF STRENGTHENIN G ROYAL COURTS LED TO CONTROVERSY WITH CH
URCH COURTS, WHERE MANY FUGITIVES FOUN D A SAFE HAVEN AS AS MA
NY AS 1 IN 50 ENGLISH SUBJECTS QUALIFIED AS CLERICS.  HE NRY WISHED TO TRA
NSFER SUCH CASES TO THE ROYAL COURTS, ASTHE ONLY PUNISHMENT LE FT OP
EN TO THE CHURCH WAS DEMOTION FROM THE CLERICS.  THOMAS BECKETT, A CLO
SE F RIEND OF HENRY'S, WAS NAMED ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY IN 116
2.  IN AN EFFORT TO COUNTER CLAIMS THAT HE WAS TOO CLOSELY TIED TO THE KIN
G, HESTRONGLY OPPOSED THE WEAKENING OF THE CHURCH COURTS.  HENRY DROVE BEC
KETT INTO EXILE FROM 1164- 117 0, WHEN BECCKETT RETURNED, ANGERING HEN
RY  OVER THE CORONATION OF PRINCE HENRY. HENRY PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED A HALF-H
EARTED DESIRE TO BE RID OFBECKETT.  FOUR KNI GHTS TOOK HIM AT HIS WORD A
ND MURDERED BECKETT AT HIS CATHEDRAL ON DEC 29 1170. HENRY IS BEST REMEBER
ED FOR BECKETTS MURDER, BUT THE REALM WAS BETTER OFF WIT HOUT THE CANTANKE
ROUS ARCHBISHOP.  HENRY WEATHERED A SMALL AND SHORTPUBLIC OUTC RY, BUT T
HE REAL THREAT LAY WITHIN HIS OWN FAMILY.
HISTTHE SONS OF HENRY, HE NRY THE YOUNG, RICHARD THE LION- HEART, GEOFFRE
Y, AND JOHN LACK;AND, WERE NEVER SATISFIED AT THEIR FATHERS PLANS IN DIVID
ING THE KINGDOM UPON HIS DEATH.  AT T HE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THEIR MOTHER, T
HE SON'S REBELLED SEVERALTIMES.  PRINCE HENR Y, THE ONLY MAN EVER CROWN
ED WHILE HIS FATHER WAS STILL ALIVE, WANTED MORE THAN A ROYAL TITLE.  TH
US FROM 1173 TO HENRY'S DEATH IN 1189, HE WAS PLAGUED WITH R EBELLION A
ND MANIPULATIONB FROM HIS SONS.  THE PRINCES FOUND AWILLING ALLY IN L OU
IS VII,  THEIR MOTHER'S FIRST HUSBAND.  HENRY THE OUNG DIED IN 1183 AND GE
OFF REY IN 1186, CLEARED THE WAY FOR RICHARD TO OVERTHROW HENRY ON JU
LY 4 1189.  HE RECEIVED HELP FROM LOUIS VII.  HENRY DIED TWO DAYS LATER.