BattlefieldsEdward I — Clerical Taxation Resistance 1296
Medieval

Edward I — Clerical Taxation Resistance 1296

1296
England
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
English Clergy
Forces
clergy claiming papal immunity
VS
Victor
Edward I
Forces
Edward I using legal weapon of outlawry backed by implicit violence
Outcome
Clergy capitulated after Edward withdrew royal protection threatening them with violence; tax paid
The Battle

History & Significance

Following Pope Boniface VIII's bull Clericis Laicos in 1296 forbidding clergy to pay taxes to secular rulers without papal approval, English clergy initially refused to pay Edward I's war tax. Edward responded by outlawing the clergy, withdrawing royal protection from them. Without royal protection clergy were vulnerable to assault and theft. The threat of violence forced the clergy to capitulate and pay voluntarily without citing papal authority.

Questions & Answers

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