The Birth of Parliaments

The King's Counsel, Witan: The Predecessor of Modern Parliaments

• The King's Counsel, also known as Witan, was the first body to evolve into a parliament in England before the Norman conquest.
• The remotest precedent for an English parliament dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era, under King Athelstan (reigns 924-927).
• King Athelstan used an assembly of people from various parts of the kingdom to meet with him in his palace, especially on Christmas, Easter, and Whitsun.
• These assemblies had a formal character, with charters written down and a royal clerk present, and fulfilled various functions.
• Functions of the assemblies included:
  • Displaying charisma, where the king displayed his power.
  • Promotion of consensus, where the king interacted with important people and gained their approval.
  • Drafting of legislation, which was not a function of similar assemblies on the continent.

The Norman Conquest and Its Impact on the Assembly

• The Norman conquest introduced new aspects, including crown-wearing as a more prominent element of these meetings.
• William the Conqueror involved the most important people in the kingdom in reforms and discussed the most important issues in the kingdom.
• The Norman conquest also introduced feudal concepts of auxilium and consilium to Anglo-Saxon assemblies.
• The use of the French word "parlement" to denote a council of king and magnates dates back to the 1170s.
• The development of counsel as a feudal obligation showed that it was valued by the ruler, and created a basis for consensus.

Evolution of the Council

• The council's authority increased during the long absence of Richard Lionheart.
• The council could speak for the whole kingdom without implying that it was challenging royal authority.
• This created a precedent, making the king's summoning of the council a necessity.
• John's reign showed that the king should summon the council, and that asking the counsel of friends and relatives gave the impression of bringing bad decisions.