The Birth of England

Great Britain is subdivided into three major parts – England, Scotland, and Wales. Except for Mt. Penine in the northern section, England is a vast plain, while Scotland and Wales are mountanous. Many rivers flow through te whole island.

Ireland is composed of two countries – the Republic of Ireland (or Eire), and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland and Great Britain form the United Kingdom.

The climate in the British Isles is moderate. Rains occur regularly due to the formation of heavy clouds the whole year round.

William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087). A centralized form of government was beginning to take shape in England as early as 1000 A.D. When the king of England died in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, claimed his right to the throne. William was related to the royal family; but he was a Frenchman, not a native of England. For this reason, Harold, Earl of Undaunted, William crossed the English Channel with a strong army and seized the Crown from Harold.

King William laid the foundation of a strong monarchy in England. He increased his power by redistributing land to his nobles according to the customs of Norman feudalism. Thus, the nobles owed him military service, allegiance, and feudal dues. Later he conscripted all young men into the army, which he himself controlled. By maintaining his own army, the King no longer needed the military assistance of the nobles. thus ensuring the military’s loyalty to him.

King William also authorized the publication of the Domesday Book – a survey of all landholdings and other taxable commodities. This survey helped him to easily collect feudal dues and other taxes.

William was succeeded ny his sons, William Rufus (1087-1100) and later, Henry I. The latter, who ruled from 1100 to 1135, made the central government more efficient. He set up a new department, the Exchequer, to handle finances. After his reign, England came under the rule of the House of Plantagenet, which was founded by Henry II.

Henry II (1154-1189). Henry II was one of England’s greatest kings. He was famous for building the foundation of the country’s judicial system. Before his time, laws were numerous, varied, and confusing. Then he proclaimed what became known as the common law, a set of laws based on customs and traditions and previous court decisions. The common law was the richest reference fot determining right and wrong.

Henry II appointed many judges and scattered them all over the kingdom. He made sure that they did not stay too long in a single district. Because the judges were not natives of the area they were assigned to, bribery, corruption, and favoritism among relatives were minimized. Each judge followed a particular route or circuit, hence the term “circuit judge”.

The jury system became fully developed during King Henry’s time. Jury members in a particular case were composed of a visiting judge and a jury of 12 men who had no direct interest in that case. Their judgement was presumed to be unbiased because they were not directly involved with the issuesand the litigants in the case. Before the hearings began, jury members were made to take an oath, attesting that they would serve the ends of justice with fairness and integrity.