Henry Knighton, the Commons and the crisis of governance in the 1380s

Dodd, Gwilym

Abstract

This discussion provides the first in-depth investigation into the meaning and significance of a quite exceptional petition presented by the parliamentary Commons in the reign of Richard II. The petition survives as a unique copy in the chronicle of Henry Knighton: it was not recorded on the parliament roll. Knighton inserted the petition into his more general account of the Merciless Parliament of 1388. In this discussion I argue that the petition is most likely to have been presented in the parliament that met in the aftermath of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, and as a result holds great constitutional significance.

Citation

Dodd, G. (2021). Henry Knighton, the Commons and the crisis of governance in the 1380s. Historical Research, 94(264), 235-266. https://doi.org/10.1093/hisres/htab005

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 20, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Apr 26, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Deposit Date: Feb 18, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 27, 2023
• Journal: Historical Research
• Print ISSN: 0950-3471
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2281
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 94
• Issue: 264
• Pages: 235-266
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/hisres/htab005
• Keywords: Cultural Studies; Sociology and Political Science; History
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5333335
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/histres/article/94/264/235/6253057