A French born noble, and progenitor of parliamentary democracy…

Educational fact file from Parliament UK.


From: www.parliament.uk: Living Heritage
Simon De Montfort’s Parliament was the first instance of a parliament in which representatives from towns and the shires were summoned together to discuss matters of national concern. This Parliament is seen as the earliest forerunner of the modern Parliament because of its inclusion of both knights and burgesses, for a reason other than the granting of taxation. This broadened the types of people represented at a high level who were participating in affairs of the nation.

Montfort’s second Parliament was summoned on 14th December 1264. Summoned were 23 lay magnates, 120 bishops, two knights from each county and two citizens from each town. Also summoned were four men from each of the Cinque Ports. The Parliament began on 20th January 1265, and would be the longest of Montfort’s leadership. The Parliament was summoned to discuss arrangements for Prince Edward’s release.

The composition of those attending the Parliament was significant because it formed the basis of a more representative democracy – the make up of Montfort's Parliament can be linked to the House of Commons as we know it today.

From: www.parliament.uk: Living Heritage
Simon de Montfort was not, of course, consciously founding the House of Commons. He has been seen as a principled leader, driven by a genuine sense that reform was right and just. He had strong religious convictions and close friendships with leading intellectuals of the time, connected with Oxford university, who were greatly concerned with political ideas about good government.

On the other hand, Simon de Montfort was seen by many at the time as an inflexible fanatic, or self-interested opportunist. He was unpopular among the barons, and this may have been part of the reason he struggled to gain support. He came to power by force and used his position to enrich his family and followers, to the point where he alienated his key ally, Gilbert de Clare, the new earl of Gloucester.

Montfort was a populist leader who presented himself as the defender of ‘England for the English’, a popular cause in the country at large, where people had come to see the king’s misgovernment as the result of his reliance on foreign advisors. He also pursued policies against the Jewish money-lenders, cancelling debts to many minor landowners who were suffering from excessive borrowing. This may well have been driven by conscience rather than populism. Many of the intellectual circle with which Montfort was involved were advocating new ideas about Christian piety that involved intolerance towards Jewish communities, and which resulted in the 1270s in the expulsion of all the Jews in England. Despite the principle of it, persecution of the Jewish money-lenders was undoubtedly popular with the social groups on which Montfort based his support, and which were represented in Montfort’s Hilary parliament of 1265.

When Edward became king after Henry III died in 1272, he once again began to call representatives of the counties and towns to parliament. This happened more and more frequently, and these representatives eventually formed the House of Commons in the fourteenth century.

From: www.parliament.uk: Living Heritage
The Provisions of Oxford were created in 1258 by a group of barons led by Simon de Montfort. The provisions forced Henry III to accept a new form of government. Written confirmations of the Provisions of Oxford were sent to sheriffs in all of the contemporary counties of England.

Why were the Provisions of Oxford important? The ‘Provisions of Oxford’ placed the king under the authority of a Council of Fifteen, to be chosen by twenty-four men made up of twelve nominees of the king, and twelve nominees of the reformers. The chief ministers, the Justiciar and Chancellor were to be chosen by and responsible to the Council of Fifteen, and ultimately to the community of the realm at regular parliaments to be held three times a year. This was revolutionary. It was the most radical scheme of reform undertaken before the arrest and execution of King Charles I in the 1640s.

In addition to controlling the central government, the reformers, urged on by swelling discontent among the lesser aristocracy, townsmen, merchants and freemen in the localities, began an investigation into abuses of local officials and a reform of local government. These reforms show the growing power of social groups beyond the major barons, who though still leading the reform, evidently felt they could not ignore popular discontent. In this regard they introduced reforms that were even harmful to their own local interests.


From: Encyclopædia Britannica - online Provisions of Oxford, (1258), in English history, a plan of reform accepted by Henry III, in return for the promise of financial aid from his barons. It can be regarded as England’s first written constitution.

Henry, bankrupted by a foolish venture in Sicily, summoned Parliament in the spring of 1258 (the Easter Parliament, or the so-called Mad Parliament). In return for a badly needed grant of revenue, Henry grudgingly agreed to abide by a program of reform to be formulated by a 24-man royal commission, half of whom were to be chosen by the king, half by the baronial party. The report of the commission (issued c. June 10) is known as the Provisions of Oxford.

The Provisions, confirmed by an oath of “community” of the magnates, were to remain in effect for 12 years and provide the machinery through which the necessary reforms could be accomplished. The government was placed under the joint direction of the king and a 15-member baronial council that was to advise the king on all important matters. All high officers of the realm were to swear allegiance to the king and the council. Parliament was to meet three times a year to consult on further reforms. A justiciar was appointed (for the first time since 1234) to oversee local administration, and the majority of sheriffs were replaced by knights holding land in the shires that they administered.

Annulled by papal bulls in 1261 and 1262 and by Louis IX of France in the Mise of Amiens (January 1264), the Provisions were restored by baronial action in 1263 and, in modified form, in 1264 but finally annulled by the Dictum of Kenilworth (October 1266).

NOTE: In italics saved from online sources as a starting outline only.