Leges Henrici Primi facts for kids

The Leges Henrici Primi (say: LEH-jez HEN-ree-kee PREEM-ee), also known as the Laws of Henry I, is an old book about laws. It was written around 1115. This book tells us about the legal rules and customs in England during the time of King Henry I of England. Even though it wasn't an official government document, it seems to have been written by someone who worked for the king.

The book explains many laws and how legal cases were handled back then. The title makes it sound like King Henry made all these laws. But actually, it mostly lists older laws that were still used during his reign. The only law from King Henry himself that's included is his special promise, called a coronation charter, which he made when he became king. The Leges covers many different topics. These include church cases, serious crimes like treason and murder, theft, and how much money people had to pay in fines.

This important book still exists today in six old copies, called manuscripts. These copies were made between about 1200 and 1330. We also know about three other copies that existed long ago but are now lost. The complete Leges Henrici Primi was first printed in 1644. Before that, a small part of it was printed in 1628. This book is considered the very first legal book in English history. Many historians believe it had a huge impact on how people understood English law before King Henry II came to power.

What is the Leges Henrici Primi?

The Leges Henrici Primi is more than just a list of laws. It's a complete legal guide, the first of its kind in England. It was written in Latin around 1115. This book describes the legal customs of England during the Middle Ages. It was one of several similar books written for royal administrators, who were people who helped the king run the country.

Other books like the Leges from that time include the Quadripartitus and parts of the Leges Edwardi Regis. The Leges Henrici Primi is the longest of these early legal writings. It tried to cover as many laws and legal procedures as possible.

Where did the laws come from?

The laws and rules found in the Leges come from many different places. Some can be traced back to the laws of King Cnut and other older Anglo-Saxon law codes. Some of these older law codes might even be lost today. The book also uses legal terms that aren't found in any other surviving law books. This suggests it might contain parts of lost laws or rules.

The Leges also used ideas from outside England. It borrowed from thinkers like Isidore of Seville and Ivo of Chartres. It also included ideas from Frankish (French) and canon law (church law). Even the Vulgate Bible and old Roman law codes were used, though only a little.

Who wrote the Leges Henrici Primi?

The Leges was written by an unknown Norman person between 1114 and 1118. Many historians believe this same person also wrote another legal book called the Quadripartitus. However, some historians disagree and think they were written by different people.

The Leges and the Quadripartitus were likely part of a bigger plan. The author probably wanted to create a four-volume work. This work would cover the laws of their own time, older Anglo-Saxon laws, and how to handle legal cases. Both books include King Henry's Charter of Liberties. This was a special promise King Henry made when he became king. He promised not to rule like his brother, King William II. About one-third of the information in the Leges is also found in the Quadripartitus.

There's evidence that the author worked for Gerard. Gerard was a very important official, a chancellor, for Kings William I and William II. He later became the Archbishop of York under Henry I. The book was probably written in Winchester.

The book is usually called the Leges Henrici Primi, or Laws of Henry the First. This name comes from a phrase found in most of the old copies. It helps us know which King Henry the book is about.

What's inside the book?

The Leges is not a new set of laws made by King Henry. Instead, it's a collection of laws that were already in use during his reign. It doesn't list every single law from that time. It starts with King Henry's Charter of Liberties, which was his promise after becoming king. This is the only actual legal document copied into the Leges.

After that, the book discusses legal matters. Then it has a long section about church issues. The rest of the book covers other topics, like injuries, theft, murder, and family disagreements. It also explains how legal procedures should work. For example, it tells how to call people to court and what steps to take before a trial. The book doesn't have a very strong organization. This means the author sometimes repeats things or doesn't explain some topics fully.

The book shows that the king's legal system dealt with some issues that later became church court matters. Church leaders were expected to attend local courts and could even be called to answer charges there. The Leges also describes different courts and what kind of cases they handled. It assumes that the old Anglo-Saxon laws of England were still in effect. It also talks about forest law under Henry I. Another new topic in the Leges is laws about roads and highways.

The Leges also covers royal money matters. It sets the tax rate for Danegeld (a land tax) at one shilling per hide of land. It also lists fines for crimes. For example, the fine for murder was 46 marks. The author of the book even criticized the king's judges, saying they were greedy. It describes detailed steps for handling murder cases.

The Leges also tried to explain the general ideas behind the law. It included many famous sayings, like "who unknowingly offends will knowingly amend" (meaning if you do something wrong by accident, you should fix it on purpose).

Old copies of the book

The Leges Henrici Primi has survived to today in six old handwritten copies, called manuscripts. These manuscripts belong to two main groups. The first group includes the Sc manuscript, made around 1225, and its copy, Hg, made around 1250. The Sc manuscript is part of the Red Book of the Exchequer at The National Archives. The Hg manuscript is at the British Library.

The other four surviving manuscripts belong to the "London group." These are known as K, Co, Or, and Rs.

• K is at the British Library and is the only copy with pictures or decorations. It was made around 1310.
• Co is at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Library and was made around 1320.
• Or was originally at Oriel College, Oxford Library but is now at the Bodleian Library. It was made around 1330.
• Rs is at the John Rylands Library in Manchester and was made around 1201.

We also know about three other manuscripts from the "London group" that are now lost. These were called Gi, Sl, and Tw. There might have been two other copies as well, but we know very little about them.

Besides these medieval copies, there are also three copies made in the early modern period (after the Middle Ages). These are at the Cambridge University Library, Trinity College, Cambridge, and the British Library.

How the book was published

The first full printed version of the Leges came out in 1644. It was an extra part of another book called Arcaionomia. The actual text of the Leges was put together by Roger Twysden. Before this, two other scholars, William Lambarde and Henry Spelman, had wanted to print the Leges, but they couldn't finish the project. A small part of the Leges was printed earlier in 1628.

Another edition of the Leges was published in 1721 by David Wilkins. In 1972, a modern translation was published by Clarendon Press. This version has the original Latin text on one page and the English translation on the page next to it. It also includes new explanations and information about the manuscripts.

Why the Leges is important

The Leges Henrici Primi is a very important historical source for studying the Middle Ages. Historian Patrick Wormald said that the Leges "has had more effect on views of English law before Henry II than any other" book of its kind. This means it greatly shaped how people understood English law before King Henry II's time.