Flashcards
Henry II -key terms
Cards in this deck (68)
- 1The Anarchy (1135-54)The civil war for control of the English throne between supporters of Stephen, Henry I's nephew, and Matilda, Henry I's daughter and mother of Henry II. Neither side was able to gain control and much of the country was devastated int he fighting, while barons increased their own local power in place of the weak or lacking royal authority.
- 2BaronLay tenant-in-chief.
At the start of Henry's reign, many were carving out their own realms, dispensing their own 'justice' and even minting their own coins. - 3VassalA person who held land from a superior in the feudal system. Everyone in the feudal system was someone's vassal except the king. Vassals owed some form of service and/or financial recompense to their superiors.
- 4LayAn adjective used to describe people not ordained in the church or not belonging to holy orders.
- 5VilleinA peasant who belonged to the land and was not free to leave it. Villeins were granted some land to farm themselves. However, another feature of being a villein was that they were expected to work the lord's land for 2-3 days a week and more at times , such as the harvest.
- 6PatronageThe ability of supporters (patrons) to give lands, positions, titles and honours to others, who then become the patron's clients. Patronage enables the development of network of clients and supporters.
- 7Itinerant kingshipThe king would travel his lands continually, taking his household with him and holding court wherever he was. There were 2 important reasons for this. First, to be seen, to forge relationships with tenants-in-chief and deliver justice to his people, and, second, to exploit what was owed him in terms of food and services. As the king was at the heart of government, the government went with him. However, there were permanent law courts in London and the Exchequer was situated there from about 1156.
- 8EnfeoffedHolding land in return for service, often military, and homage. This piece of land was known as a fee or a fief and still belonged to the superior who granted it.
- 9HouseholdTerm covering a lord's family and servants as well as his knights and the officials who ran his estates, his chaplain and followers. A household could be extremely large and was like a family firm that oversaw all of the lord's interests and those of his family. The Royal Household was the centre of the government.
- 10WritA official document; a sealed, written command from the king, usually in English, to be read aloud.
- 11PrimogenitureThe succession of the oldest male. This did not prevent a female from inheriting, but males took precedence.
- 12FarmThe revenues from the royal demesne in a country or a borough. The sheriff was responsible for collecting it and handing it over to the Exchequer. It was a fixed sum, sometimes outdated and below what it should be. Where this was the case, an extra payment, called the Increment, was introduced.
- 13DemesneLand that the landholder administered directly rather than giving it to his vassals. The royal demesne, for example, was all the land held directly by the king for his own purposes.
- 14ExchequerThe institution of the government that oversaw royal finances and the collection of revenues and taxes. It also monitored the coinage.
- 15JusticiarAppointed by the king, justiciars ran the government of England in his absence. They had discretionary powers to act upon his behalf and presided over the Exchequer, as well as overseeing the law courts.
- 16CharterAn official, sealed document from the king, usually granting rights and privileges, written in Latin.
- 17WardshipIf an heir was under age when inheriting, the lands would revert back to the Crown. Once the heir was old enough, the lands was titles would be restored to the heir upon payment of a sum of money known as a 'relief'. While the Crown held the land, all the incomes it generated would go the other king.
- 18EscheatThe reverting of lands back to the Crown either when the landholder dies without heirs or if the landholder commits a serious crime, especially treason.
- 19Servitium debitumThe feudal due owed by tenants-in-chief to supply the king with knights. The number of knights owed was based upon the amount of land held.
- 20Fief or knight's feeA fief was land held by a vassal in return for knights. Each knight's fee meant that one knight was owed. If ten knight;s fees were held then ten knights were owed.
- 21HonourAnother term for a fee (the terms are used interchangeably): land held by a tenant-in-chief in return for loyalty and service.
- 22ScutageMeaning 'shield tax', it was paid by tenants-in-chief instead of providing knights for military service.
- 23Hundred courtA hundred was a subdivision of England for administrative purposes. It came below counties, but above manors. It had 2 important officers: bailiffs, who served writs on behalf of the sheriff, and the constable, who was responsible for policing. It met every 4 weeks.
- 24TithingsGroups of free males over the age of 12, whose responsibility was to enforce the law, raise the alarm, arrest suspects and report on any crimes the other might commit.
- 25InternecineAn adjective describing people killing each other from, for example, the same family, tribe or people.
- 26BullFormal proclamation made by the pope.
- 27TitheA tax owed to the Church equivalent to one-tenth of crops grown or income earned.
- 28Papal SchismA split in the Roman Catholic Church occurring when more than one pope is elected.
- 29CapetianLouis VII's family name was Capet and the Capet monarchs are known as the Capetians.
- 30SeneschalAn ancient French title covering several roles from the 11th century, including steward, head of the army and an administrative officer for the royal demesne, although it was largely honorific by the mid 12 century.
- 31CentralisationDescribes a political set-up in which decisions are made and enforced through a central authority, often located in one central location. Power is usually concentrated in the hands of one person or a small group.
- 32DebasementThe devaluing of a currency. When coins contained precious metals, debasement was usually achieved by reducing how much precious metal each contained.
- 33MoneyerIndividual craftsman who minted the currency under contract from the Crown.
- 34PleaSomething alleged in a court of law and/or pleaded by the plaintiff, the person initiating the lawsuit.
- 35Pipe rollsMedieval accounts of royal finances kept by the Exchequer.
- 36HideA measurement of land, generally used in rural areas
- 37WasteA term used in the accounts to describe land which was not generating income, for example due to failed crops, and/or which had become wasteland, for example due to depopulation.
- 38ReliefA tax paid upon inheriting land
- 39AdvowsonThe right to appoint a member of the clergy to a vacant office. The Church held its land from the king, who could collect the revenues from vacant bishoprics. For this reason, monarchs often delayed appointing new bishops.
- 40PurprestureLand belonging to one landholder that has been encroached upon by another.
- 41Crown pleaInitiated after a serious crime. Covered criminal cases concerning those crimes that the king's courts would judge: murder, robbery, rape, arson, theft, forgery, taking or concealing treasure trove, or treason.
- 42Common pleaCases such as small claims and minor assault in which the Crown was not involved.
- 43AssizeA court session. Quarterly assizes, for example, are court sessions held 4 times a year. However, the term 'assize' is also used to describe Henry II's different sets of new legal procedures, hence the names relating to where these were drawn up.
- 44Juries of presentment12 'lawful men' from the county and 4 from the vill were required to present the names of anyone thought guilty of a crime that came under the jurisdiction of the king's justices, or was thought to have harboured criminals.
- 45Trial by ordealA method of determining the guilt or innocence of someone accused of a crime. They would be subjected to painful or dangerous tests. If they passed the tests, it was felt that God had shown that they were innocent.
- 46EyreA term referring to both the circuit of counties traveled by the justices and the courts they held.
- 47Jury of recognitionJury used to determine the right to hold a piece of land. Using local knowledge the jurors swore to tell the truth about the facts of the case as they knew them and judgement was based upon this rather than trial by ordeal.
- 48Common lawThere are 2 key aspects to this term:
1) It means that legal procedures and justice are the same throughout the country.
2) Common laws derived from refining existing customs and developed through judges' decisions in courts. This process began in the Middle Ages before there was a parliament to make laws (statutes). According to the National Archive, the first Act of Parliament was passed in 1497, under Henry VII. - 49Civil pleaBegan with a writ and covered cases concerning rights, land tenure, feudal obligations, inheritance. Some civil pleas involved the Crown.
- 50King's benchA new permanent court in London that emerge as a result of the eyres of Henry II's reign being overwhelmed with work. Established in 1178, it consisted of five members of the Curia Regis, who were instructed to 'hear all the complaint of the realm and do right'.
- 51General eyreSystematic nationwide visitation of the kings' justices within a limited time frame. However, this a modern term. In the Middle Ages they were known as 'eyres for all pleas.'
- 52AmercementA fine for breach of regulations or minor infringement of procedure. For example, a jury could be fined if proper legal procedure was nor followed.
- 53Articles of EyreA list of questions sent in advance of the eyre, demanding answers on issues such as malpractice of the king's officials, issues concerning wardship, escheat, relief and other such royal rights.
- 54Papal primacyThe idea that the pope has supreme power over the Church and should exercise his power over it unhindered.
- 55VicegerentDeputy ruler, usually administrative
- 56ExcommunicationReligious punishment, administered by the Church, banishing someone from the Church and therefore the sacraments such as Holy Communion, confession and the last rites.
- 57InterdictReligious punishment, banning a person or place from Church services and privileges.
- 58ClerkAnother term for a member of the clergy, commonly used in the Middle Ages.
- 59Papal legateSomeone sent by the pope to represent him at the courts of other sovereigns and rulers. Usually, but not necessarily, an ordained member of the Roman Catholic Church.
- 60AnathemaAn ecclesiastical curse or ban that often accompanied excommunication.
- 61Apostolic SeeA term used to describe the pope, or the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
- 62CanonisationThe process of becoming a saint. There was no formal process until 1234, although usually miracles would have occurred and the decreased would have had to have died for the Christian faith.
- 63Benefit of the ClergyThe exemption for the clergy, including monks and nuns, from being tried in secular courts.
- 64PlantagenetA major ruling English dynasty. It was founded by Henry II's father, Geoffrey of Anjou, who had become known as Geoffrey Plantagenet because he wore a sprig of broom in him hat. The medieval Latin name for the broom plant was Planta genista. The House of Plantagenet, as it became known, began with the Angevins.
- 65RapprochementRe-establishing good relations, especially in foreign policy or international affairs.
- 66Scorched earth policyA military strategy, often in retreat, of burning and destroying anything that might be of use to the enemy.
- 67ParleyA conference between opposing sides, especially in armed conflict. Although not a truce, it usually concerns terms from an armistice (laying down of weapons). From the French verb parler meaning 'to talk'.
- 68Constable of EnglandA high-ranking member of the royal household who would serve as military commander in the king's absence.
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- AS level (Early) History Flashcards on Henry II -key terms, created by Isabel Knight on 09/03/2018.
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- Isabel Knight
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