Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
He developed the methods and structure of government so that
there was a great increase in the scope of administrative activity
without a concurrent increase of personal power of the officials who
discharged it. The government was self-regulating, with methods of
accounting and control which meant that no official, however exalted,
could entirely escape the surveillance of his colleagues and the King.
At the same time, administrative and judicial procedures were perfected
so that much which had previously required the King's personal
attention was reduced to routine.
The royal household translated the royal will into action. In
the early 1100s, there had been very little machinery of central
government that was not closely associated with the royal household.
There was a Chief Justiciar for legal matters and a Treasurer. Royal
government was largely built upon what had once been purely domestic
offices. Kings had called upon their chaplains to pen letters for them.
By Henry II's reign, the Chancery was a highly efficient writing office
through which the King's will was expressed in a flow of writs, and the
Chancellor an important and highly rewarded official, but he was still
responsible for organizing the services in the royal chapel. Similarly,
the chamberlains ran the household's financial departments. They
arranged to have money brought in from a convenient castle treasury,
collected money from sheriffs or the King's debtors, arranged loans
with the usurers, and supervised the spending of it. It was spent for
daily domestic needs, the King's almsgiving, and the mounting of a
military campaign. But they were still responsible for personal
attendance upon the king in his privy chamber, taking care of his
valuable furs, jewels, and documents, and changing his bed linens.
There were four other departments of the household. The steward
presided over the hall and kitchens and was responsible for supplying
the household and guests with food supplies. The butler had duties in
the hall and cellars and was responsible for the supply of wine and
ale. The marshall arranged lodgings for the King's court as it moved
about from palaces to hunting lodges, arranged the pay of the household
servants, and supervised the work of ushers, watchmen, fire tenders,
messengers and huntsmen. The constable organized the bodyguard and
escorts, arranged for the supply of castles, and mustered the royal
army. The offices of steward, constable, chamberlain, butler were
becoming confined to the household and hereditary. The Justiciar,
Chancellor, and Treasurer are becoming purely state offices. They were
simply sold or rented, until public pressure resulted in a requirement
of ability.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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