Henry’s Policy of Compromise and Amalgamation
Of more direct and wide-reaching importance, though less easy to trace, was the working of Henry’s policy in the temporal government of England.…
The Growth of Royal Power After 1107
The work to be completed was no longer where the Conqueror had left it. When the secular side of the Norman government, somewhat obscured by the ecclesiastical conflict, comes bac…
The Curia Regis and Exchequer as Instruments of Government
The permanent ministerial body that supplanted the Witenagemot was in one aspect the Curia Regis or King’s Court, the supreme court of judicature that absorbed the judicial powers…
The Office of Justiciar from Ælfred to Roger of Salisbury
At the head of this emerging system stood the justiciar—second in authority to the king in his presence, his representative and vicegerent in his absence, officially and actually…
Roger of Salisbury: From Soldier’s Chaplain to Justiciar-Bishop
The successor of Ralf Flambard was Roger, whose origin is recounted in the famous anecdote.…
The New Ministerial Class of New Men
Henry’s justiciar-bishop was the type of a new class. By this time the impossibility of governing England securely by feudal machinery alone, even with all the checks drawn from t…
The Fusion of Norman and English Races
The words “Norman” and “English” had in fact acquired a new meaning since the Conquest. The sons and grandsons of those who came over with Duke William never lost a spark of Norma…
The Organization of the Exchequer Under Roger
Roger’s great work as justiciar was the organization of the Exchequer. Twice every year the barons of the Exchequer met under his presidency around the chequered table that gave t…
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