Authors: Desmond Seward
Some of them were among the greatest Englishmen who ever lived. Presiding over the fusion of French-speaking colonists and
Anglo-Saxon natives into a nation, giving us the Common Law and parliamentary government, they hammered out a kingdom that became Great Britain.
1
   Lord Macaulay,
The History of England
, 4 vols (London, 1849), vol. 1, p. 13.
2
   O. Guillot,
Le Comte d'Anjou et son entourage aux XIme siècle
(Paris, 1972), p. 25.
3
   Gerald of Wales,
Giraldi Cambrensis Opera
, 8 vols, ed. J. S. Brewer et al., Rolls Series (London, 1861â9), viii, p. 301.
4
   Walter Map,
De Nugis Curialium: Courtiers' Trifles
, ed. and trans. M. R. James, revised C. N. L. Brooke and R. A. B. Mynors (Oxford, 1983), p. 346.
5
   Gerald of Wales,
Giraldi Cambrensis Opera
, viii, p. 301.
6
   J. Buchan,
The Path of the King
(London, 1921), p. 10.
1
.   J. R. Green,
History of the English People
, 4 vols (London, 1877), i, p. 148.
2
.  Â
Chroniques des Comtes d'Anjou et des Comtes d'Amboise
, ed. L. Halphen and R. Poupardin (Paris, 1913).
3
.   W. Stubbs,
Select Charters
(Oxford, 1900), p. 84.
4
.   William of Malmesbury,
Historia Novella: The Contemporary History
, ed. E. King, trans. K. R. Potter, Oxford Medieval Texts (Oxford, 1998), pp. 32â3.
5
.  Â
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
, trans. and ed. G. N. Garmonsway (London and New York, 1954), p. 263.
6
.   Henry of Huntingdon,
Historia Anglorum: The History of the English People
, Oxford Medieval Texts (Oxford, 1996), p. 724.
7
.  Â
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
, p. 263.
8
.   Henry of Huntingdon,
Historia Anglorum
, p. 734.
9
.   Henry of Huntingdon,
Historia Anglorum
, p. 720.
10
.  Â
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
, pp. 264â5.
1
.   Gerald of Wales,
Giraldi Cambrensis Opera
, viii, p. 295.
2
.   William FitzStephen,
Vita Sanctae Thomae
, in J. C. Robertson,
Materials for the History of Thomas Becket
, Rolls Series, 3 vols (London, 1877) vol. iii p. 65.
3
.   E. King,
King Stephen
(New Haven and London, 2010), pp. 262â4.
4
.  Â
Gesta Stephani
, ed. and trans. K. R. Potter, with new intro and notes by R. H. C. Davis (Oxford, 1976), p. 261.
5
.  Â
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
, p. 267.
6
.   Richard of Devizes, quoted in
Chronicles of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II and Richard I
, ed. R. Howlett, Rolls Series, 4 vols (London, 1884â90), iii, p. 402.
7
.  Â
Chronicle of Robert de Torigni
in
Chronicles of the Reigns of Stephen
etc., iv, pp. 165â6.
8
.   William of Malmesbury,
Historia Novella
, i, pp. 277â8.
9
.   J. Gillingham,
The English in the Twelfth Century
(Woodbridge, 2000), p. 140.
10
.   William of Newburgh,
The History of English Affairs: Book II
, ed. G. H. Walsh and M. J. Kennedy, Aris & Phillips Classical Texts (Oxford, 2007), p. 15.
11
.   N. Barratt, âFinance and Economy in the Reign of Henry II', in C. Harper-Bill and N. Vincent (eds),
Henry II: New Interpretations
(Woodbridge, 2007).
12
.   R. Barber,
Henry Plantagenet
(Woodbridge, 2001).
13
.   Gerald of Wales,
Giraldi Cambrensis Opera
, viii, p. 316.
14
.   William FitzStephen,
Vita Sanctae Thomae
, iii, pp. 103â6.
15
.   Adam of Eynsham,
Magna Vita Sancti Hugonis
, ed. D. L. Douie and H. Farmer, 2 vols (Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1985), vol. 1, p. 117.
16
.   Walter Map,
De Nugis Curialium
, pp. 476â86.
17
.  Â
Chronicon Monasterii de Bello
, ed. J. S. Brewer (London, 1846), pp. 105â9 (cit. W. L. Warren,
Henry II
(London, 1973), p. 327).
18
.   Warren,
Henry II
, p. 132.
19
.   N. Vincent, âThe Court of Henry II', in
Henry II
:
New Interpretations
, pp. 306â8.
20
.   J. Southworth,
Fools and Jesters at the English Court
(Stroud, 1998), p. 339.
21
.   Warren,
Henry II
, p. 630.
22
.   J. Gillingham,
The Angevin Empire
(Arnold: London, 2001), p. 230.
23
.   Gerald of Wales,
Giraldi Cambrensis Opera
, viii, p. 159.
24
.  Â
The Chronicle of Battle Abbey
, ed. and trans. E. Searle (Oxford, 1980), p. 186.
25
.   A. J. Duggan, âHenry II, the English Church and the Papacy', in
Henry II: New Interpretations
, p. 168.
26
.   William FitzStephen,
Vita Sanctae Thomae
, iii, p. 45.
27
.   William FitzStephen,
Vita Sanctae Thomae
, iii, p. 430.
28
.   R. Barber,
Thomas Becket
(London, 1986), p. 273.
29
.   Ralph de Diceto,
Historical Works
, ed. W. Stubbs, Rolls Series, 2 vols (London, 1876), i, p. 33.
30
.   Roger of Howden,
Gesta Henrici II et Riccardi I
, ed. W. Stubbs, Rolls Series, 2 vols (London, 1867), i, p. 292.
31
.   Walter Map,
De Nugis Curialium
, p. 282.
32
.   K. Norgate,
England and the Angevin Empire
, 2 vols (London, 1889), ii, p. 231.
33
.  Â
Histoire de Guillaume le Maréchal
, ed. P. Meyer, 3 vols (Paris, 1891â1901), i, lines 8831â50.
34
.   Gerald of Wales,
Giraldi Cambrensis Opera
, viii, p. 296.
1
.  Â
Poetria Nova of Geoffrey de Vinsauf
, trans. M. F. Nims (Toronto, 1967), pp. 28â31; quoted by J. Gillingham,
Richard I
(New Haven and London, 1998).
2
.   William of Newburgh,
The History of English Affairs: Book IV
.
3
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, ii, pp. 146â7.
4
.   Gillingham,
Richard I
, p. 263.
5
.   Eynsham,
Magna Vita
, ii, p. 105.
6
.   Beha ed-Din,
What Befell Sultan Yusuf
, trans. C. W. Wilson, Palestine Pilgrims; Text Society, 13 vols (London, 1897), xiii, pp. 375â6.
7
.   Beha ed-Din,
What Befell Sultan Yusuf
, xiii, pp. 375â6.
8
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, iii, p. 216.
9
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, iii, p. 142.
10
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, ii, p. 245.
11
.  Â
History of William Marshal
, ed. A. J. Holden and trans. S. Gregory (Anglo-Norman Text Society: London, 2002â6), ii, lines 110409â 110411.
12
.   K. Norgate,
Richard the Lion Heart
(London, 1924), p. 322.
13
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, iv, pp. 58â9.
14
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, iv, pp. 82â3.
15
.   Eynsham,
Magna Vita
, ii, p. 136.
16
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, iv, p. 84.
17
.  Â
History of William Marshal
, ii, line 11766.
18
.   J. France,
Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades 1100â1300
(London, 1999), p. 142.
1
.   Macaulay,
History of England
, i, p. 15.
2
.  Â
Chronica Majora
, ed. H. R. Luard, 7 vols, Rolls Series (London, 1872), ii, p. 669.
3
.   J. Gillingham, âHistorians without Hindsight: Coggeshall, Diceto and Howden on the Early Years of John's Reign', in
King John: New Interpretations
, ed. S. D. Church (Boydell Press: Woodbridge, 1999), pp. 1â26.
4
.  Â
History of William Marshal
, ed. A. J. Holden, trans. S. Gregory, 3 vols (Anglo-Norman Text Society: London, 2004â6), ii, lines 11904â7.
5
.  Â
Annals of Barnwell Priory
, in
Memoriale Walteri de Coventeria
, ed. W. Stubbs, Rolls Series (London, 1872â3), ii, p. 196.
6
.  Â
The Historical Works of Gervase of Canterbury
, ed. W. Stubbs, Rolls Series, 2 vols (London, 1879â90), ii, pp. 92â3.
7
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover liber qui dicitur Flores Historiarum
, ed. H. G. Hewlett, 3 vols, Rolls Series (London, 1886â9), ii, pp. 48â9.
8
.   D. Power, âKing John and the Norman Aristocracy', in
King John: New Interpretations
, pp. 135â6.
9
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, i, pp. 316â17.
10
.  Â
Radulphi de Coggeshall, Chronicon Anglicanum
, ed. J. Stevenson, Rolls Series (London, 1875), p. 144.
11
.  Â
Gervase of Canterbury
, ii, pp. 97â8.
12
.   W. L. Warren,
King John
(Eyre & Spottiswoode: London, 1961), p. 125.
13
.   Gillingham,
The Angevin Empire
, p. 85.
14
.   Howden,
Gesta Henrici II
, iii, p. 198.
15
.  Â
Gervase of Canterbury
, ii, p. lix.
16
.   S. Painter,
The Reign of King John
(Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, 1949), pp. 231â2.
17
.  Â
Chronica Majora
, ii, pp. 560â3.
18
.   N. Vincent, âIsabella of Angoulême', in
King John: New Interpretations
, p. 166.
19
.   Adam of Eynsham,
Magna Vita
, ii, pp. 143â4.
20
.   Adam of Eynsham,
Magna Vita
, ii, p. 141.
21
.   Adam of Eynsham,
Magna Vita
, ii, p. 185.
22
.   C. Harper-Bill, âJohn and the Church of Rome', in
King John: New Interpretations
, p. 306.
23
.   R. V. Turner, âJohn and Justice', in S. D. Church (ed.),
King John: New Interpretations
, p. 319.
24
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, ii, p. 50.
25
.   S. Duffy, âJohn and Ireland, the Origin of England's Irish Problem', in
King John: New Approaches
, p. 242.
26
.  Â
Annals of Barnwell Priory
, ii, p. 203.
27
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, ii, p. 248.
28
.   Painter,
The Reign of King John
, pp. 249â50.
29
.   Warren,
King John
, p. 191.
30
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, ii, p. 263.
31
.   Holt,
Magna Carta
, quoted by Turner in
King John: New Interpretations
, p. 320.
32
.   Harper-Bill, âKing John and the Church of Rome', in
King John: New Interpretations
, p. 310.
33
.  Â
Chronica Majora
, ii, p. 559.
34
.   N. Vincent,
Peter des Roches: An Alien in English Politics 1205â 1238
(Cambridge, 1996).
35
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, ii, p. 155.
36
.   Ralph of Coggeshall,
[Radulphi of Coggeshall] Chronicon Anglia-canum
, ed. J. Stevenson, Rolls Series (London, 1875), i, p. 172.
37
.  Â
Chronica Majora
, ii, p. 611.
38
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, iii, pp. 320, 321.
39
.  Â
Chronica Majora
, ii, pp. 641â2.
40
.  Â
Chronica Rogeri de Wendover
, iii, p. 384.