King Edward and William Wallace

The Edward that issued the Magna Carta of 1300, presently at the Canadian Museum of History, is the "Longshanks" (called that because of his imposing height) of Braveheart fame. 

A bit of history….

Alexander III, king of the Scots, died and the legitimate heir to the Scottish crown was Princess Margaret of Norway. Edward saw a way to exert control over Scotland by negotiating a marriage between Margaret and his son and heir, the future Edward II. Although he was the feudal lord of the Scottish kings through his Anglo-Norman roots, he was not the sovereign of Scotland. Awkwardly, Margaret died in 1290 en route to England. This led to a disputed succession in Scotland with no less than thirteen different claimants. Edward exerted his right as feudal lord to intercede. His unwelcome interference led to a rebellion in Scotland, notably under the leadership of William Wallace (“Braveheart”).  Wallace defeated the English Army at Stirling and harassed the northern counties of England. Edward defeated Wallace at Falkirk in 1297 but the resistance continued until Wallace’s capture and execution in 1304.

It is interesting to note that Edward reissued Magna Carta during the time of Braveheart.

Edward I, "Longshanks"

William Wallace, "Braveheart"

Magna Carta

On Monday we went to see the Magna Carta exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History. Understandably, they did not allow any photography of the two charters (Magna Carta and Charter of the Forests).

The importance of Magna Carta cannot be overstated. Among the key principles are:

• Nobody is above the law of the land: The basis of equal justice at all levels of society.
• Habeas Corpus: Freedom from unlawful detention without cause or evidence.
• Trial by jury: Rules to settle disputes between barons and the Crown established trial by a jury of one’s peers.
• Women's rights: A widow could not be forced to marry and give up her property – a major first step in women's rights.
• Taxation: No taxation without the consent of the people.

The Charter of the Forests provided rights, privileges and protections for the common man against the abuses of the aristocracy. At a time when the lands were the most important potential source of fuel for cooking and heating, and of industries such as charcoal burning, as well as of collecting firewood, grazing, or of cutting of turf for fuel, this charter provided a degree of economic protection for free men.

The exemplars on display in Ottawa were issued in 1300 and bear the seal of King Edward I. Durham Cathedral is the keeper of both these charters. 

  

It was impressive to see the 715-year old documents. The dimensions of Magna Carta are about 18" by 20", and the Charter of the Forests is a bit smaller. 

If you wonder whether these documents are important, just ask yourself whether you'd rather live within the Anglosphere (UK, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) or in any of Saudi Arabia, Syria, China, Russia, Nigeria, etc. 

(John Robson has a good explanation of Magna Carta here.)

Charter of the Forests

Magna Carta