Edward and the Problems in his Reign

One historian remarked that Edward sat down to play a game of cards and was dealt a bad hand which he played badly. An astute, if not slightly misleading, statement. I think Edward gets a bad rap and ok, a lot of it is deserving but some of the problems in his reign cannot simply be left at his door.

As mentioned earlier, Edward had been left a lot of debt from his fathers constant campaigning in Scotland. £200,000 might not sound like a great sum in modern minds, but in the medieval period it was a small fortune. A depleted treasury meant Edward already started his kingship with problems. Add to this a crisis in Europe and its no wonder our little king was having difficulties.

Famine 1315-17

In the fourteenth century there was a world wide famine. It came amidst the growing raids in the north, the revolt in Bristol against Bartholomew Badlesmere (one of the rebels who stood with Lancaster in the civil war) and the battle for the Clare inheritance. Edward appears to have taken the blame for the famine – although how he had any control over nature is ridiculous. To a medieval mind it was justified. It was compared to the plagues of Egypt and was attributed as divine retribution against the king for going against the wishes of god. Either way, it put intense strain on the economic wellbeing of the kingdom. Prices of foodstuff had to rise and poverty and starvation amongst the peasant population were rife. The famine and debt left by Longshanks could be used to argue that Edward was a victim of economic events and that is one of many reasons as to why he never managed to get a grip of his kingdom.

Political Jealousies

Edward obviously did not help his own case. His reliance on favourites (whether they were lovers or not is irrelevant at this juncture) caused tension between the King and his other magnates. It is important to understand the nature of politics in this period to realise the damage this did.

Lords relied on the king to further their social standing through the act of patronage. By doing a good deed the king would reward his men with lands and money. However, Gaveston – and later Despenser – detracted the kings attention away from the other magnates and prelates of the land, meaning patronage was unfairly distributed. Edward really never managed to exploit the act of patronage well. In fact, in all honesty he sucked at it.

Having favourites also caused other more serious issues. The king was relied upon to sort our petty domestic disputes before it led to the unfurling of banners (the official declaration of war) and because only a select few had his ear, it caused arguments to get out of hand. The one that springs to mind is between Lancaster and Warenne after the latter abducted the formers wife. Despenser even went so far as to decide who could see the king and who could not. It is clear from the Ordinances, and even the clause added to the coronation oath, that the magnates tried to redress this balance, but never succeeded. The majority of the problems in the reign seem to come from the unfair treatment of some individuals who were less favoured than others. Audley and Damory lost their lands in the Marches following their inheritance from their marriages to the Clare sisters and yet Despenser remained untouchable, protected by the king. Gaveston’s raise to earl of Cornwall, a title that was usually reserved for the kings brothers, and Edward’s bestowal of gifts on him, had already caused resentments early on in the reign and Edward was repeating the same mistakes. I think it is safe to say that Edward was generous beyond measure to those he loved, but that he ignored everyone else outside of that circle.

Lack of Earls

The breakdown in the Marches prior to the civil war was a big turning point in the reign of Edward. It not only led to localised violence, but it was used as an excuse to settle old scores – especially against the pesky Despensers who had taken more or less control of the area.

During the latter part of Edward’s reign, we start to see a break up in the Court due to the favouritism of the Despensers. Even Isabella was severely put out by the man.

It is also worth noting that Edward was severally lacking in earls at this point. Many of them had died in the Scottish campaigns under Longshanks and had never been replaced. I don’t have any official sources on this but my lecturer mentioned that unlike other kings, Edward’s earls were depleted – and the ones he did have, he didn’t particularly like. His distain for Lancaster was probably warranted because of the murder of Gaveston, but there seems to be little love lost between the king and the others. Due to this lack of nobility, there was a distinct scrabble for titles and land, which, in hindsight, Edward could have exploited to his advantage, gaining loyal vassals in the process. However the king either didn’t recognise the uses of patronage, or he chose to raise those he favoured.

Sources Used:

• Prestwich, M, The Three Edwards: War and State in England 1272-1377, (Methuen and Co. LTD ,1980)
• Tuck A, Crown and Nobility, 1272-1461 (Oxford Blackwell, 2nd edition 1999)