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Questions and Answers
What did William ask his vassals to provide?
When did the French word 'parlement' start being used to denote a council of king and magnates?
What did the development of counsel as a feudal obligation show?
Why did the king want to hear the assembly's reaction to some important decisions?
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What happened to the authority of the council during Richard Lionheart's long absence?
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What did John prefer instead of the counsel of the general assembly of the kingdom?
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Why was asking the counsel of friends and relatives seen as problematic?
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During whose reign did the earliest form of an English parliament assemble?
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What was one of the primary functions of the assemblies known as Witan?
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Which of these holidays was one of the occasions when the assemblies were held?
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What new practice did William the Conqueror introduce to the King's Counsel meetings?
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What was a significant legislative function of the Witan that differed from continental assemblies?
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Where did King Athelstan's assemblies commonly meet?
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What role did royal clerks play in the Witan assemblies?
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What was a key reason for organizing feasts and giving gifts during the Witan assemblies?
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Study Notes
The King's Counsel and Witan
- The King's Counsel was the first body to evolve into a parliament in England before the Norman conquest.
- King Athelstan (reigns 924-927) used an assembly, where people from various parts of the kingdom came to meet the king in his palace, on exceptional occasions and on specific days like Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun.
Functions of the Assembly
- The assembly had a formal character, with charters written down and royal clerks present.
- Key functions included:
- Displaying charisma, where the king showcased his power.
- Promoting consensus, where the king interacted with important people and gained their approval.
- Drafting legislation, a unique function of English assemblies.
The Witan Assembly
- The Witan assembly was seen as a representative body.
- After the Norman conquest, William the Conqueror introduced new aspects, including:
- Making crown-wearing a more prominent element of these meetings.
- Involving the most important people in the kingdom in reforms and discussing key issues.
- Grafting feudal concepts of auxilium and consilium to anglo-Saxon assemblies.
Evolution of the Parlement
- The use of the French word "parlement" to denote a council of king and magnates dates to the 1170s.
- Initially, some people resisted being part of the parlement and its obligations, but as it gained political power, attitudes changed.
- The fact that counsel developed as a feudal obligation shows that it was valued by the ruler.
- It created a basis for consensus and softened the impact of autocratic elements of Norman (and then Angevin) kingship.
Later Developments
- The long absence of Richard Lionheart contributed to increasing the authority of the council.
- The council could speak for the whole kingdom without implying that it was challenging royal authority.
- This created a precedent, where the king should summon the council.
- John's reign saw a preference for "familiar counsel" over the general assembly of the kingdom, leading to accusations of receiving "evil counsel".
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Description
Learn about the evolution of the English parliament from the King's Counsel and Witan to the modern parliament. Discover the remote precedents and key milestones in this historical journey.
