Parliament, politics and protocol: the Modus tenendi parliamentum and the settlement of the realm under Edward II

Dodd, Gwilym

Abstract

The Modus tenendi parliamentum has long perplexed scholars. For over a century they have battled to make sense of its 26 chapters, which purport to describe the centuries-old traditions, functions and processes of the English parliament. A number of hypotheses have emerged to explain its compilation, most notably that it was a Lancastrian political manifesto, a legal treatise or an administrator’s programme for reform. In this discussion I argue that a fresh approach is needed. Whilst agreeing with the scholarly consensus that the Modus was originally written in the reign of Edward II (1307–27), I suggest instead that it was a product of the deep political fissures which bedevilled the political community. Its defining characteristic was an attempt to steer a middle ground between the warring factions, and its purpose was to project parliament as the vital institutional context for renewed political consensus.

Citation

Dodd, G. (2022). Parliament, politics and protocol: the Modus tenendi parliamentum and the settlement of the realm under Edward II. Journal of Medieval History, 48(5), 631-663. https://doi.org/10.1080/03044181.2022.2131601

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 17, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 13, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 14, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Medieval History
• Print ISSN: 1304-4184
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-1279
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 48
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 631-663
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03044181.2022.2131601
• Keywords: Parliament; Edward II; Modus tenendi parliamentum; Thomas of Lancaster; Treaty of Leake; fourteenth century; England
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/11744680
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03044181.2022.2131601
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Medieval History on 13.10.22, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03044181.2022.2131601