To what extent was the reign of Henry I the most important turning point in the
development of central government in the period 1066 to 1216?
Throughout the time period 1066 to 1216, central government underwent a number of important developments
under all of the Kings, with most Historians arguing that the most significant developments occurred under William I,
Henry I, Stephen and Henry II. However, a closer examination of the time period shows that the reign of Henry I was
the most important turning point and contributed the most to central government, with other kings making smaller
contributions.
To a greater extent, the reign of Henry I was the most significant turning point in the development of central
government in this time period. Unlike most kings, Henry I established most of the systems in central government,
most notably the bench and exchequer, and was able to develop a system which could cope with an absent
monarch, a major improvement in central government which continued throughout the time period. One of the key
systems he established was the bench within the legal system which was a group of six judges who heard cases
across the country. This led to justice being delivered a lot swifter as the king did not have to hear cases “coram
rege”. In addition to the bench, Henry I also established the concept of equality in the eyes of the law, a significant
development which led to justice being fairer and laid the foundations for common law, a development under Henry
II. Moreover, Henry also introduced the Exchequer with the aim to improve taxation and this was successful, with
taxation rising by 50%. This was able to happen due to an increase in written records to ensure taxation was being
collected. Therefore, this shows how significant the reign of Henry I was in developing central government as he was
innovative and helped improve the sophistication of central government which had not previously existed.
To a lesser extent, other Historians have argued that the reign of Henry I was not the most significant turning point
in central government’s development because other kings made important changes, however it is evident that none
of these are as significant as the developments Henry I made. Each king in some way impacted central government
to a varying degree with the most notable influencers besides Henry I were William I, Stephen and Henry II. Some
argue that William I had the most significant impact as he laid the basic foundations for central government which
later kings built on. He established a basic treasury in Winchester as well as introducing the feudal system. However,
William I tended to stress continuity with the past in order to emphasise his legitimacy. As a result, he mainly
continued and expanded upon Anglo-Saxon traditions so little change in central government occurred. Also, even
though William I may have laid the foundations for central government, they were very basic and no where near as
sophisticated as they were at the end of the time period, therefore limiting his impact in comparison to the impact
Henry I had on central government.
Moreover, some Historians argue that Stephen’s reign saw the most changes in central government. Stephen’s reign
was dominated by civil war so, as a result, central government was forced to change accordingly and this led to huge,
significant changes. Stephen had to decentralise government, closing the Exchequer and disbanding the bench.
Instead, he created 20 earldoms in the East of England which was still under his control with 20 earldoms in control,
each one have extensive control over financial and legal matters. This led to a lack of royal control and this system
was often abused. This was clearly a very significant change in central government, however, unlike Henry I’s
developments, these changes were short lasting. Where Henry I’s changes lasted throughout the period, the
decentralisation of government was reversed by Henry II, limiting the impact of these changes. Also, whilst Henry I’s
developments improved central government, the changes in Stephen’s reign were regression rather than
development. Therefore, it is evident that the reign of Henry I was more significant in leading to changes in central
government.
Finally, many Historians argue that it was Henry II rather than Henry I who’s reign was the turning point in the
development of central government as Henry II was able to improve upon Henry I’s developments in central
government. However, it is evident that Henry II only expanded upon the innovations Henry I made and, had Henry I
not made those developments, Henry II would not have been able to expand upon them, thus making Henry I’s reign
the turning point. For example, Henry II reintroduced and improved the Exchequer, however it was Henry I who
introduced it initially. Also, Henry II did establish the idea of common law but Henry I helped to lay the foundations
of this through his idea of equality in the eyes of the law. Many of the “developments” Henry II made were merely
reintroducing and improving the departments such as the bench and exchequer which Henry I introduced. Henry I’s
