Surveys

Men of law as Members of Parliament

The period in these volumes of the History, ending within a year of the death of Henry V in 1422, begins in 1386.

The plan of these volumes is similar to that described on pp.

When, in 1387, Richard II’s judges were given virtually no option but to approve his claim to exercise absolute control of Parliament (regimen Parliamenti), and did in fact do so, they mig

(i) TRIALS IN PARLIAMENT

In view of the superiority of the shire knights among the Commons, it is hardly surprising that when the Crown took a special interest in the personal qualifications and eligibility of Members, it

The contents of these volumes of the History present, in the main, the findings of an inquiry into the lives and careers of Members of the House of Commons: that is the knights of the shir

Before ever the ‘representative Parliament’ came into being, awareness of social and political realities had always ensured that English kings would have recourse, whenever they deemed it necessary

The King had to do more than simply decide when and where Parliament should meet, and how long it should last.

Long before the emergence of the ‘representative’ Parliament (that is Parliament as an assembly including elected representatives in addition to prelates and secular magnates individually summoned)

Here you will find a chronologically listed abbreviations used within the Surveys and elsewhere in the History of Parliament publications.

Dates of Parliaments

Speakers

On five earlier occasions in the 14th century the writs of summons sent to the sheriffs had specifically required that all those elected as representatives of the count

From 1375 onwards the writs of summons sent to the sheriffs stated in general terms that those elected as knights of the shire should be ‘of the county’ concerned.

The Parliament of 1372 passed an ordinance forbidding the election of sheriffs as shire knights, its purpose being primarily to ensure that sheriffs would be available in the localities to carry ou

Medieval Parliaments were generally summoned in order that taxes could be levied with the consent of the representatives of the local communities.

Introduction

The composition of the Cambridge Parliament of September 1388

The composition of the Parliament of September 1397-January 1398

The composition of the Parliament of 1410

The composition of the Parliament of 1399

The composition of the Parliament of 1411

The composition of the Parliament of May 1413

Apparent novices

Members who sat for more than one shire

Re-elected Members

It should be noted that these figures include 60 Members who sat in consecutive Parliaments for different constituencies.

Members who sat for more than one borough

Members who sat for boroughs and shires