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"The development of the exchequer was the most significant change in central government in the period 1066 to 1216. How far do you agree?" Model Essay$7.81
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The development of the exchequer was the most significant change in central
government in the period 1066 to 1216. How far do you agree?
It is undeniable that the development of the exchequer was a crucial change regarding central government
as it led to the growing centralisation of government. However, it was not the most significant change as
this was instead the delegation of kings to competent royal officials. It must also be noted that legal
changes were also important developments in central government but less important that delegation.
One key change in central government in the period was the development of the exchequer. It was
introduced during Henry I’s reign and later reintroduced by Henry II after it was disbanded during the civil
war in Stephen’s reign. Before the exchequer was developed, the financial system mainly consisted of the
treasury established by William I which collected royal money. However, this system had many faults, the
most significant one being the lack of administration. Unlike the exchequer, the treasury did not keep as
extensive records of money due and as a result, many sheriffs would often take this money for themselves.
The development of the exchequer under Henry I helped to solve this problem due to the use of pipe rolls
and tally sticks to keep a record of the money due and given in. Henry II later developed the exchequer by
introducing the charter of the barons which allowed barons to be taxed more efficiently. This was a huge
development as it meant that taxes were collected more efficiently and tax collection initially increased by
50%. The system was proven to be effective later in the period under Richard when it was stretched to its
limits due to his financial demands such as his ransom, the 3rd crusade and his wards of France, all of which
he used England’s finances to fund and England was able to cope thanks to the development of the
exchequer. However, even though this change was important, it was not the most significant. Whilst the
exchequer was set up by orders of Henry I, it was actually set up by Roger of Salisbury, someone whom
Henry I trusted and delegated to. The exchequer also needed competent royal officials to run it. Therefore,
although the development of the exchequer was an important change, it heavily relied on delegation to
royal officials to run smoothly, limiting its significance.
Another important change to central government in the period was changes to the legal system, however
similarly to the exchequer, this new system would not have run as smoothly without delegation. William I
established the basic legal system, laying the foundation for future developments. Henry I then expanded
upon this with the introduction of the bench, a group of 6 itinerant judges who toured the country and
heard cases in the king’s absence, allowing the legal system to be more swift and efficient. Henry II
developed upon this idea, setting up a headquarters for justices of the bench in Westminster and this led
to the development of common law as judges would often discuss cases with one another and set
precedence. However, the bench was only able to operate due to kings delegating to the justices of the
bench, giving them the power to hear cases in the king’s absence. Sometimes, the king did not delegate to
the bench and it would not operate, limiting its effectiveness. Both John and Stephen disbanded the bench
and John heard cases coram rege, thus limiting the significance of this development because it could only
be effective if the king delegated to the justices. Another legal development was the use of writs during
Henry II’s reign where anyone was able to have their case heard by the bench for a small fee, allowing
justice to be more fair and accessible to everyone. Therefore, developments in the legal system were
important changes in English central government but this depended heavily on delegation by the king.
Finally, the most significant change in English central government was delegation. Due to increased
absence from the kings to their continental possessions, with the Anglo-Saxon kings being absent for ½ of
their reign and the Angevin kings for 2/3, the king had to delegate the running of the country to competent
royal officials. One of the key ways he did this was through the creation of central government
departments such as the exchequer and the bench and men to run them with new positions, therefore
meaning that the development of the exchequer was highly influenced by increased delegation. New titles
such as chief justiciar and head of the exchequer emerged with new men to fill these positions. Henry I
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