Edward I

(1239–1307) ruled 1272–1307. He was the son of Henry III. Edward was called “Longshanks” because of his height. An able general and statesman, he is considered the greatest of the Plantagenet kings of England.

As prince, Edward joined his father in the struggle against the growing power of Simon de Montfort and the French barons who supported him. At the Battle of Lewes in 1264, the royal army was routed and Edward and his father became prisoners of Montfort. Edward escaped and raised an army, which defeated Montfort's forces at Evesham in 1265. In 1270 he planned to join in what proved to be the last crusade in the Holy Land, but he arrived after the campaign had ended. While returning to England in 1272, Edward became king upon the death of his father.

In the late 1270's, Edward carried out many legal reforms. He strengthened the royal government, reformed the royal courts, restricted the feudal courts of the barons, and compelled the church courts to confine their work to church cases. Because of these reforms, historians have called him the “English Justinian.”

Edward forbade further grants of land to the church without royal consent. In 1290 he ordered all Jews to leave England.

Edward had to make concessions to his people to get money for his wars in Wales, Scotland, and France. In 1295 he called together not only the barons and prelates but also representatives of the lower clergy and of the counties and boroughs. This assembly was later called the Model Parliament because it was the base for the future development of England's parliamentary system. Edward confirmed the Magna Charta, which King John had signed in 1215, and agreed not to collect taxes without the consent of Parliament.

For 200 years, the Welsh had resisted English attempts to rule their country. In 1284, Edward defeated the Welsh and made Wales an English principality. He introduced English laws and encouraged commerce.

When the throne of Scotland became vacant in 1290 the Scottish leaders asked Edward to choose a king from among the claimants. He appointed a group of judges who chose John Baliol, who then did homage to the English king. The Scots resented Edward's overlordship and revolted in 1296. Edward invaded Scotland and carried off the Scottish coronation stone (the Stone of Scone) to Westminster Abbey. The Scots revolted again, under William Wallace. Wallace was captured in 1305 and was beheaded as a traitor. The Scots found a new leader in Robert Bruce. In 1307 Edward led his army to the Scottish border, but he died before the beginning of the campaign.