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English Parliament

Type Object Region England Time c. 1215

The English Parliament was a proto-representative institution that evolved in the late medieval period from the royal council, with the king summonin…

Timeline

  1. 1215–1225Runnymede and Westminster · EnglandThe Magna Carta established the principle that the king was bound by law, and the royal council became the core venue where nobles and clergy negotiated taxation and affairs of state, laying the groundwork for embedding representative elements.
  2. c. 1230–1240Palace of Westminster · EnglandUnder Henry III the frequency of parliamentary meetings rose; in the January 1236 Parliament, knights and burgesses attended alongside nobles and clergy to discuss taxation and affairs of state, and the representative structure took further shape.
  3. 1236–1250The counties and towns of England · EnglandKnights from the counties and representatives of some towns were chosen to attend Parliament at Westminster, which gradually combined the elements of a baronial council and popular representation, paving the institutional path toward the 1295 'Model Parliament'.

Sources