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Birth:          17 Jun 1239 Westminster, Middlesex, England
Christening:    21 Jun 1239 Westminster, Middlesex, England
Death:          7 Jul 1307 Burgh-on-Sands, Cumberland, England
Burial:         28 Oct 1307 Westminster Abbey, Westminster, Middlesex, England

Notes
Duke of Aquitaine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_I_of_England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the 
Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 
1307. He spent much of his reign reforming royal administration and common law. 
Through an extensive legal inquiry, Edward investigated the tenure of various feudal 
liberties, while the law was reformed through a series of statutes regulating criminal 
and property law. Increasingly, however, Edward's attention was drawn towards 
military affairs.

The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his 
father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons. In 1259, he 
briefly sided with a baronial reform movement, supporting the Provisions of Oxford. 
After reconciliation with his father, however, he remained loyal throughout the 
subsequent armed conflict, known as the Second Barons' War. After the Battle of 
Lewes, Edward was hostage to the rebellious barons, but escaped after a few months 
and joined the fight against Simon de Montfort. Montfort was defeated at the Battle of 
Evesham in 1265, and within two years the rebellion was extinguished. With England 
pacified, Edward joined the Ninth Crusade to the Holy Land. The crusade 
accomplished little, and Edward was on his way home in 1272 when he was informed 
that his father had died. Making a slow return, he reached England in 1274 and was 
crowned at Westminster on 19 August.

After suppressing a minor rebellion in Wales in 1276–77, Edward responded to a 
second rebellion in 1282–83 with a full-scale war of conquest. After a successful 
campaign, Edward subjected Wales to English rule, built a series of castles and towns 
in the countryside and settled them with English people. Next, his efforts were 
directed towards Scotland. Initially invited to arbitrate a succession dispute, Edward 
claimed feudal suzerainty over the kingdom. In the war that followed, the Scots 
persevered, even though the English seemed victorious at several points. At the same 
time there were problems at home. In the mid-1290s, extensive military campaigns 
required high levels of taxation, and Edward met with both lay and ecclesiastical 
opposition. These crises were initially averted, but issues remained unsettled. When 
the King died in 1307, he left to his son, Edward II, an ongoing war with Scotland and 
many financial and political problems.

Edward I was a tall man for his era, hence the nickname "Longshanks". He was 
temperamental, and this, along with his height, made him an intimidating man, and he 
often instilled fear in his contemporaries. Nevertheless, he held the respect of his 
subjects for the way he embodied the medieval ideal of kingship, as a soldier, an 
administrator and a man of faith. Modern historians are divided on their assessment of 
Edward I: while some have praised him for his contribution to the law and 
administration, others have criticised him for his uncompromising attitude towards his 
nobility. Currently, Edward I is credited with many accomplishments during his reign, 
including restoring royal authority after the reign of Henry III, establishing Parliament 
as a permanent institution and thereby also a functional system for raising taxes, and 
reforming the law through statutes. At the same time, he is also often criticised for 
other actions, such as his brutal conduct towards the Scots, and issuing the Edict of 
Expulsion in 1290, by which the Jews were expelled from England. The Edict remained 
in effect for the rest of the Middle Ages, and it was over 350 years until it was formally 
overturned under Oliver Cromwell in 1656.
Early years, 1239–63[edit]

Childhood and marriage[edit]

Edward was born at the Palace of Westminster on the night of 17–18 June 1239, to 
King Henry III and Eleanor of Provence.[3][a] Edward is an Anglo-Saxon name, and 
was not commonly given among the aristocracy of England after the Norman 
Conquest, but Henry was devoted to the veneration of Edward the Confessor, and 
decided to name his firstborn son after the saint.[4][b] Among his childhood friends 
was his cousin Henry of Almain, son of King Henry's brother Richard of Cornwall.[6] 
Henry of Almain would remain a close companion of the prince, both through the civil 
war that followed, and later during the crusade.[7] Edward was in the care of Hugh 
Giffard – father of the future Chancellor Godfrey Giffard – until Bartholomew Pecche 
took over at Giffard's death in 1246.[8]

There were concerns about Edward's health as a child, and he fell ill in 1246, 1247, 
and 1251.[6] Nonetheless, he became an imposing man; at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) he 
towered over most of his contemporaries, and hence perhaps his epithet 
"Longshanks", meaning "long legs" or "long shins". The historian Michael Prestwich 
states that his "long arms gave him an advantage as a swordsman, long thighs one as 
a horseman. In youth, his curly hair was blond; in maturity it darkened, and in old age 
it turned white. [His features were marred by a drooping left eyelid.] His speech, 
despite a lisp, was said to be persuasive."[9]

In 1254, English fears of a Castilian invasion of the English province of Gascony 
induced Edward's father to arrange a politically expedient marriage between his 
fourteen-year-old son and thirteen-year-old Eleanor, the half-sister of King Alfonso X of 
Castile.[10] Eleanor and Edward were married on 1 November 1254 in the Abbey of 
Santa Marνa la Real de Las Huelgas in Castile.[11] As part of the marriage agreement, 
the young prince received grants of land worth 15,000 marks a year.[12] Although the 
endowments King Henry made were sizeable, they offered Edward little independence. 
He had already received Gascony as early as 1249, but Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of 
Leicester, had been appointed as royal lieutenant the year before and, consequently, 
drew its income, so in practice Edward derived neither authority nor revenue from this 
province.[13] The grant he received in 1254 included most of Ireland, and much land 
in Wales and England, including the earldom of Chester, but the King retained much 
control over the land in question, particularly in Ireland, so Edward's power was limited 
there as well, and the King derived most of the income from those lands.[14]

From 1254 to 1257, Edward was under the influence of his mother's relatives, known 
as the Savoyards,[15] the most notable of whom was Peter of Savoy, the queen's 
uncle.[16] After 1257, Edward increasingly fell in with the Poitevin or Lusignan faction 
– the half-brothers of his father Henry III – led by such men as William de Valence.[17]
[c] This association was significant, because the two groups of privileged foreigners 
were resented by the established English aristocracy, and they would be at the centre 
of the ensuing years' baronial reform movement.[19] There were tales of unruly and 
violent conduct by Edward and his Lusignan kinsmen, which raised questions about 
the royal heir's personal qualities. The next years would be formative on Edward's 
character.[20]
In February 1307, Bruce reappeared and started gathering men, and in May he 
defeated Aymer de Valence at the Battle of Loudoun Hill.[221] Edward, who had 
rallied somewhat, now moved north himself. On the way, however, he developed 
dysentery, and his condition deteriorated. On 6 July he encamped at Burgh by Sands, 
just south of the Scottish border. When his servants came the next morning to lift him 
up so that he could eat, he died in their arms.[222]

Various stories emerged about Edward’s deathbed wishes; according to one tradition, 
he requested that his heart be carried to the Holy Land, along with an army to fight 
the infidels. A more dubious story tells of how he wished for his bones to be carried 
along on future expeditions against the Scots. Another account of his deathbed scene 
is more credible; according to one chronicle, Edward gathered around him the Earls of 
Lincoln and Warwick, Aymer de Valence, and Robert Clifford, and charged them with 
looking after his son Edward. In particular they should make sure that Piers Gaveston 
was not allowed to return to the country.[223] This wish, however, the son ignored, 
and had his favourite recalled from exile almost immediately.[224] The new king, 
Edward II, remained in the north until August, but then abandoned the campaign and 
headed south.[225] He was crowned king on 25 February 1308.[226]

Edward I's body was brought south, lying in state at Waltham Abbey, before being 
buried in Westminster Abbey on 27 October.[227] There are few records of the 
funeral, which cost £473.[227] Edward's tomb was an unusually plain sarcophagus of 
Purbeck marble, without the customary royal effigy, possibly the result of the shortage 
of royal funds after the King's death.[228] The sarcophagus may normally have been 
covered over with rich cloth, and originally might have been surrounded by carved 
busts and a devotional religious image, all since lost.[229] The Society of Antiquaries 
opened the tomb in 1774, finding that the body had been well preserved over the 
preceding 467 years, and took the opportunity to determine the King's original height.
[230][u] Traces of the Latin inscription Edwardus Primus Scottorum Malleus hic est, 
1308. Pactum Serva ("Here is Edward I, Hammer of the Scots, 1308. Keep the Vow"), 
which can still be seen painted on the side of the tomb, referring to his vow to avenge 
the rebellion of Robert Bruce.[231] This resulted in Edward being given the epithet the 
"Hammer of the Scots" by historians, but is not contemporary in origin, having been 
added by the Abbot John Feckenham in the 16th century.[232]

Historiography[edit]
The first histories of Edward in the 16th and 17th centuries drew primarily on the 
works of the chroniclers, and made little use of the official records of the period.[233] 
They limited themselves to general comments on Edward's significance as a monarch, 
and echoed the chroniclers' praise for his accomplishments.[234] During the 17th 
century, the lawyer Edward Coke wrote extensively about Edward's legislation, terming 
the King the "English Justinian", after the renowned Byzantine law-maker, Justinian I.
[235] Later in the century, historians used the available record evidence to address 
the role of parliament and kingship under Edward, drawing comparisons between his 
reign and the political strife of their own century.[236] 18th-century historians 
established a picture of Edward as an able, if ruthless, monarch, conditioned by the 
circumstances of his own time.[237]

The influential Victorian historian William Stubbs instead suggested that Edward had 
actively shaped national history, forming English laws and institutions, and helping 
England to develop parliamentary and constitutional government.[238] His strengths 
and weaknesses as a ruler were considered to be emblematic of the English people as 
a whole.[239] Stubbs' student, Thomas Tout, initially adopted the same perspective, 
but after extensive research into Edward's royal household, and backed by the 
research of his contemporaries into the early parliaments of the period, he changed his 
mind.[240] Tout came to view Edward as a self-interested, conservative leader, using 
the parliamentary system as "the shrewd device of an autocrat, anxious to use the 
mass of the people as a check upon his hereditary foes among the greater 
baronage."[241]

Historians in the 20th and 21st century have conducted extensive research on Edward 
and his reign.[242] Most have concluded this was a highly significant period in English 
medieval history, some going further and describing Edward as one of the great 
medieval kings, although most also agree that his final years were less successful 
than his early decades in power.[243][v] Three major academic narratives of Edward 
have been produced during this period.[248] Frederick Powicke's volumes, published 
in 1947 and 1953, forming the standard works on Edward for several decades, and 
were largely positive in praising the achievements of his reign, and in particular his 
focus on justice and the law.[249] In 1988, Michael Prestwich produced an 
authoritative biography of the King, focusing on his political career, still portraying him 
in sympathetic terms, but highlighting some of the consequences of his failed policies.
[250] Marc Morris's biography followed in 2008, drawing out more of the detail of 
Edward's personality, and generally taking a harsher view of the King's weaknesses 
and less pleasant characteristics.[251] Considerable academic debate has taken 
place around the character of Edward's kingship, his political skills, and in particular 
his management of his earls, and the degree to which this was collaborative or 
repressive in nature.[252]

There is also a great difference between English and Scottish historiography on King 
Edward. G. W. S. Barrow, in his biography on Robert the Bruce, accused Edward of 
ruthlessly exploiting the leaderless state of Scotland to obtain a feudal superiority over 
the kingdom.[253] This view of Edward is reflected in the popular perception of the 
King, as can be seen in the 1995 movie Braveheart's portrayal of the King as a hard-
hearted tyrant.[254]

Family and children[edit]
First marriage[edit]

By his first wife Eleanor of Castile, Edward had at least fourteen children, perhaps as 
many as sixteen. Of these, five daughters survived into adulthood, but only one son 
outlived his father, namely King Edward II (1307–1327). He was reportedly concerned 
with his son's failure to live up to the expectations of an heir to the crown, and at one 
point decided to exile the prince's favourite Piers Gaveston.[255] His children by 
Eleanor of Castile were as follows:

Sons from first marriage[edit]
John (13 July 1266 – 3 August 1271), predeceased his father and died at Wallingford 
while in the custody of his granduncle Richard, Earl of Cornwall, buried at Westminster 
Abbey.
Henry (6 May 1268 – 14 October 1274), predeceased his father, buried in Westminster 
Abbey.
Alphonso, Earl of Chester (24 November 1273 – 19 August 1284), predeceased his 
father, buried in Westminster Abbey.
Son (1280/81 – 1280/81), predeceased his father; little evidence exists for this child.
King Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), eldest surviving son and heir, 
succeeded his father as king of England. In 1308 he married Isabella of France, with 
whom he had four children.

Daughters from first marriage[edit]
Daughter (May 1255 – 29 May 1255), stillborn or died shortly after birth.
Katherine (before 17 June 1264 – 5 September 1264), buried at Westminster Abbey.
Joanna (Summer or January 1265 – before 7 September 1265), buried in Westminster 
Abbey.
Eleanor (c. 18 June 1269 – 19 August 1298), in 1293 she married Henry III, Count of 
Bar, by whom she had two children, buried in Westminster Abbey.
Juliana (after May 1271 – 5 September 1271), born and died while Edward and Eleanor 
were in Acre.
Joan of Acre (1272 – 23 April 1307), married (1) in 1290 Gilbert de Clare, Earl of 
Hertford, who died in 1295, and (2) in 1297 Ralph de Monthermer. She had four 
children by Clare, and three or four by Monthermer.
Margaret (c.15 March 1275 – after 11 March 1333), married John II of Brabant in 1290, 
with whom she had one son.
Berengaria (May 1276 – between 7 June 1277 and 1278), buried in Westminster 
Abbey.
Daughter (December 1277 – January 1278), buried in Westminster Abbey.
Mary of Woodstock (11/12 March 1279 – 29 May 1332), a Benedictine nun in 
Amesbury, Wiltshire, where she was probably buried.
Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (c. 7 August 1282 – 5 May 1316), married (1) in 1297 John I, 
Count of Holland, (2) in 1302 Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford. The first marriage 
was childless; by Bohun Elizabeth had ten children.

Second marriage[edit]

By Margaret of France Edward had two sons, both of whom lived into adulthood, and a 
daughter who died as a child.[256] The Hailes Abbey chronicle indicates that John 
Botetourt may have been Edward's illegitimate son; however, the claim is 
unsubstantiated.[257] His progeny by Margaret of France was as follows:

Sons from second marriage[edit]
Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1 June 1300 – 4 August 1338), buried in 
Bury St Edmunds Abbey. Married (1) Alice Hales, with issue; (2) Mary Brewes, no 
issue.[258]
Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent (1 August 1301 – 19 March 1330), married 
Margaret Wake with issue.[259]

Daughter from second marriage[edit]
Eleanor (6 May 1306 – 1310)[260]

Parents
PLANTAGENET Henry III (1 Oct 1206 - 16 Nov 1272)
OF PROVENCE Eleonore (Leonor) (ABT 1222 - 25 Jun 1291)

Siblings
PLANTAGENET Edward I "Longshanks" (17 Jun 1239 - 7 Jul 1307)
PLANTAGENET Edmund "Crouchback" (16 Jan 1244 - 5 Jun 1296)

Marriage To OF CASTILE Eleanor (Leonor) (1244 - 28 Nov 1290)
    m. 18 Oct 1254 Burgos, Spain

Notes
marriage was a contract marriage. Note when children born

Parents
ALFONSEZ Fernando III "The Saint" (5 Aug 1201 - 30 May 1252)
DE DAMMARTIN Joan (ABT 1220 - 16 Mar 1279)

Children by OF CASTILE Eleanor (Leonor) 1244 - 28 Nov 1290
____ Joan of Acre (Apr 1272 - 23 Apr 1307)
PLANTAGENET Elizabeth (7 Aug 1282 - 5 May 1316)
____ Edward II (25 Apr 1284 - 21 Sep 1327)

Marriage To OF FRANCE Margaret (Marguerite) (1282 - 14 Feb 1318)
    m. 1299 

Notes

Parents
____ Philippe III "le Hardi" ("the Bold") (1 May 1245 - 5 Oct 1285)
DE BRABANT Marie (1260 - 12 Jan 1321)

Children by OF FRANCE Margaret (Marguerite) 1282 - 14 Feb 1318
PLANTAGENET Thomas "of Brotherton" (1 Jun 1300 - 4 Aug 1338)
____ Edmund "of Woodstock" (5 Aug 1301 - 19 Mar 1330)

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