The Growth of Parliament

John's successor, Henry III, agreed in 1258 that a council of nobles and church officials would have power to override his decisions, but he repudiated this agreement in 1261. The barons then revolted against the king.

The barons, led by Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, defeated Henry in 1264 and imprisoned him. To govern the country, de Montfort in 1265 summoned a parliament that included not only barons and church officials, but also knights of the shires (counties) and representatives of the boroughs (towns). The broadening of representation in this assembly, called de Montfort's Parliament, was an important development in the evolution of the parliamentary system.

Troops led by Henry's son, Edward, defeated de Montfort's forces at Evesham in 1265. Edward became king in 1272. He carried out many legal reforms, extending the jurisdiction of the royal courts at the expense of feudal and church courts. During his reign, English troops conquered Wales and invaded Scotland.

Edward summoned a parliament in 1295 to raise money for his wars. This assembly was later known as the Model Parliament because it was the most representative body yet summoned and set a precedent for later assemblies.

The power of Parliament increased under Edward II, a weak king. Scotland regained independence by defeating his armies at Bannockburn, in 1314.