Parliament of England

Parliament of England
Name	Parliament of England
Background color	#800000
Text color	#FFFFFF
Legislature	English Parliament
House type	Unicameral (to c. 1341), Bicameral (c. 1341–1707)
Houses	House of Lords, House of Commons
Established	c. 1236 (de facto), 1295 (Model Parliament)
Preceded by	Curia Regis
Succeeded by	Parliament of Great Britain
Disbanded	1 May 1707
Leader1 type	Lord High Chancellor
Leader1	Lord Cowper (last)
Election1	1705
Leader2 type	Speaker of the Commons
Leader2	John Smith (last)
Election2	1705
Members	Variable; approx. 190 peers and 513 MPs (1707)
Meeting place	Palace of Westminster, Westminster, Middlesex

Parliament of England. The supreme legislative body of the Kingdom of England from the High Middle Ages until its merger with the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. Evolving from the advisory Curia Regis, it developed into a bicameral institution comprising the House of Lords and the House of Commons, with its primary seat at the Palace of Westminster. Its history is central to the development of English law, constitutional monarchy, and the principles of representative government.

Origins and development

The institution's roots lie in the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot and the Norman Curia Regis, a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics advising the monarch. The term "parliament" emerged in the 1230s, with the Provisions of Oxford (1258) under Henry III establishing regular meetings. The seminal Model Parliament summoned by Edward I in 1295 is traditionally cited as its formal beginning, incorporating knights and burgesses alongside bishops, abbots, and earls. Key developments like the Ordinances of 1311 and the deposition of Edward II in 1327 affirmed its growing political authority.

Structure and composition

By the mid-14th century, Parliament had solidified into two distinct houses. The upper house, the House of Lords, consisted of Lords Spiritual—senior bishops and abbots—and Lords Temporal, the hereditary peers of the realm. The lower house, the House of Commons, was composed of representatives elected from the counties (Knights of the shire) and boroughs (burgesses). Presiding officers included the Lord Chancellor in the Lords and an elected Speaker in the Commons. Sessions were held at various locations, including Westminster Hall and the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey.

Powers and functions

Parliament's primary functions were granting taxation to the Crown, passing statute law (with royal assent), and addressing petitions for redress of grievances. Its power of the purse was cemented by precedents like the confirmation of Magna Carta and statutes such as De Tallagio Non Concedendo. It acted as a high court through the House of Lords, trying cases of impeachment and appeals. Landmark legislation included the Statute of Marlborough, the Statute of Westminster 1275, and the Act of Supremacy 1559, which shaped English law and the English Reformation.

Key historical periods

Parliament was a central arena during constitutional crises. The Good Parliament (1376) saw the first use of impeachment. The Wars of the Roses saw its use by factions like the House of York. The English Reformation Parliament (1529-1536) passed laws severing ties with the Papacy under Henry VIII. The English Civil War pitted the Long Parliament against Charles I, leading to the Rump Parliament and the king's execution. The Restoration and the Glorious Revolution produced foundational texts like the Habeas Corpus Act 1679 and the Bill of Rights 1689.

Relationship with the monarchy

The relationship was defined by conflict and negotiation over prerogative and privilege. Confrontations included the baronial revolt, the Deposition of Edward II, and the Merciless Parliament against Richard II. The Tudor period saw a working partnership, especially under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The Stuart period reignited conflict over taxation and sovereignty, culminating in the Petition of Right, the English Civil War, and the Glorious Revolution, which established parliamentary supremacy over the Crown.

Evolution into the Parliament of Great Britain

Following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 under James I, England and Scotland shared a monarch but retained separate legislatures. Political and economic pressures for fuller union increased after the Acts of Union 1707 were passed by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. These acts, which took effect on 1 May 1707, dissolved both institutions and created a new Parliament of Great Britain, housed at the Palace of Westminster, inheriting the traditions and authority of its English predecessor.

Category:Parliament of England Category:Defunct bicameral legislatures Category:Political history of England Category:1707 disestablishments in England