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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
Twenty-eight years ago Professor Pollard, in a short note in the English Historical Review, gave a seemingly definitive explanation of the meaning of the phrase in pieno parlamento. His explanation has not, however, satisfied some later writers; there are still a number of different interpretations of the phrase current, and it seemed worth while to attempt a fuller statement. In seeking to establish a sound definition, however, a fresh problem was encountered, which remains unsolved after application to a wide circle of authorities, historical, legal and linguistic, and the following paper, which is in broad outline an elaboration of Professor Pollard's thesis, is therefore neither original nor complete.
page 13 note 01 E.H.R., 1915, pp. 660–2.Google Scholar The occasion for the note was J. H. Round's article in the same volume on the St. John peerage case of 1914, in which the expression plenum parliamentum had been variously interpreted as ‘a full meeting of the assembly, whatever be its constitution’ (Parmoor), ‘a legislative representative assembly with full powers’ (Atkinson, Finlay and Cozens Hardy), ‘a great pow wow’ or ‘a formal sitting’ (Simon). See Minutes of evidence fatten before the House of Lords committee of privileges in the St. John peerage claim (1915), pp. 55, 72, 189, 209, 218.Google Scholar
page 13 note 02 I should like especially to thank Professors Buckland, Deanesly, Holland, Prévité Orton, and Stenton, Miss E. S. Procter, Miss Inez Macdonald and Mr. L. C. Harmer for their kind answers and help.
page 13 note 03 Constitutional History, § 230.Google Scholar
page 13 note 04 Ibid., §§ 180, 224.
page 13 note 05 Ibid., §§ 203, 216.
page 14 note 01 Of the judicature in Parliament, p. 158. See also pp. 42, 161.Google Scholar
page 14 note 02 Studies in the constitutional history of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, p. 1.Google Scholar Note also Miss Rayner's remark ‘pleno consilio can be little different from magno consilio’, E.H.R., 1941, p. 220, n. 1.Google Scholar
page 14 note 03 Medieval representation and consent, p. 170.Google Scholar
page 14 note 04 Loc. cit., p. 660.Google Scholar Exceptions to this generalisation will be noted later.
page 14 note 05 Cheney, C. R., English Synodalia, p. 26 (c. 1100).Google Scholar
page 14 note 06 Chron, monasterii de Abingdon (R.S.), ii. 226 (1158?).Google Scholar
page 14 note 07 B.M. Add. Charters, 1045 (1180).
page 14 note 08 Deeds of dean and chapter of Windsor, xi.G.11, no. 14 (1174–88).
page 14 note 09 Madox, , Formulare Anglicanum, no. 660 (after 1180).Google Scholar
page 14 note 010 Chronicon de Melsa (R.S.), i. 309 (1197–1210).Google Scholar
page 14 note 011 Liebermann, , Gesetze der Angelsachsen, i. 656 (ca. 1212).Google Scholar
page 14 note 012 Bracton's notebook, Case 754 (1233).
page 14 note 013 Madox, , op. cit., no. 689 (1274).Google Scholar
page 14 note 014 Rot. Parl., i. 84 (1292).Google Scholar
page 14 note 015 Higden, (R.S.), vi. 337 (1387).Google Scholar
page 14 note 016 Wedgwood, J., History of Parliament, Register of Members, 1439–1500, p. ciii (1451).Google Scholar
page 14 note 017 Pollard, , Reign of Henry VII, ii. 56 (1487).Google Scholar For parallel usages, such as in plain battle, see New English dictionary, vii. 936, 938.Google Scholar
page 14 note 018 Rot. Parl., v. 356.Google Scholar
page 14 note 019 Thévenin, , Textes relatifs aux institutions … carolingiennes, no. 132.Google Scholar
page 15 note 01 Rodrigo, of Toledo, , Historia de Rebus Hispaniae, lib. vii. 2, 24Google Scholar, ed. Lorenzana, , Opera Patrum Toletanorum, iii. 166 (1188).Google Scholar A late thirteenth-century rendering is ‘ante todos, la corte llena’. Another instance in 1202 is translated en cumplida corte, but this is a later rendering. Cortes de los antiques reinos de Leon y de Castilla, i. 43, 45.Google Scholar I owe this reference to Miss Procter's kindness.
page 15 note 02 Langlois, , Textes relatifs á l'histoire du parlement, p. 78.Google Scholar
page 15 note 03 Cartulaire des îles normandes (Société Jersiaise), p. 141.Google Scholar
page 15 note 04 Acts of Parliament of Scotland, i. 426.Google Scholar
page 15 note 05 Ibid.
page 15 note 06 Barbour, , Bruce, xix. 49.Google Scholar
page 15 note 07 Wilkinson, , op. cit., p. 2, n. 3.Google Scholar
page 15 note 08 Cited Littré, Dictionnaire, i. 558Google Scholar, from Garnier de Pont Sainte Maxence (12th century). For copious illustration of the general statement that en plein = au milieu de, see ibid., iii. 1161.
page 15 note 09 Langlois, , op. cit., p. 186.Google Scholar
page 15 note 010 Rot. Parl., ii. 254 (1354).Google Scholar
page 15 note 011 Stat. Realm, i. 180 (1320).Google Scholar
page 15 note 012 Langlois, , op. cit., p. 86.Google Scholar
page 15 note 013 Boutaric, . Actes des Parlements, i. 179Google Scholar; Beugnot, , Les olim, ii. 54.Google Scholar
page 15 note 014 It should perhaps be made clear at this point that I do not hold that the non-use of the phrase is evidence that the conditions described by it were non-existent. The use of the phrase implies an emphasis on the solemnity of the occasion and the validity of the deeds; the validity and solemnity do not depend on the use of the formula.
page 16 note 01 Rot. Parl., i. 19, 146, 186, 172.Google Scholar
page 16 note 02 Ibid., 104.
page 16 note 03 Ibid., 19, 181.
page 16 note 04 Ibid., 104, 214.
page 16 note 05 Ibid., 172.
page 16 note 06 Ibid., 32.
page 16 note 07 Ibid., 79.
page 16 note 08 Ibid., 178.
page 16 note 09 Ibid., 25, 266.
page 16 note 010 Ibid., 79, 219, 177.
page 16 note 011 Cole, H., Documents illustrative of English history, pp. 2–3.Google Scholar
page 16 note 012 Ibid., p. 49.
page 17 note 01 Stat. Realm., i. 188.Google Scholar
page 17 note 02 Rot. Parl., i. 294, 365.Google Scholar
page 17 note 03 Stat. Realm, i. 183.Google Scholar
page 17 note 04 Ibid., 163.
page 17 note 05 Murimuth, (R.S.), p. 273.Google Scholar The Latin summary of the letter in Bridlington merely says in parliamento, omitting the pleno. Chron. of reigns of Edward I and Edward II (R.S.), ii. 50.Google Scholar
page 17 note 06 Ibid., p. 250.
page 17 note 07 Rot. Parl., ii. 31.Google Scholar
page 17 note 08 Ibid., ii. 65.
page 17 note 09 Ibid., 127.
page 17 note 010 1332, 1339, 1352.
page 18 note 01 1330, 1331, 1373.
page 18 note 02 1339, 1352.
page 18 note 03 1340, 1351.
page 18 note 04 1372, 1373.
page 18 note 05 Willard, and Morris, , The English government at work, 1327–1336, i. 108.Google Scholar
page 18 note 06 Cole, , op. cit., p. 3.Google Scholar
page 18 note 07 Ibid., pp. 4 f., 17 f.
page 18 note 08 Rot. Parl., ii. 61, 64, 67, 69, 150.Google Scholar
page 18 note 09 Ibid., 67.
page 18 note 010 Ibid., 127 (6).
page 18 note 011 Ibid., 129 (17).
page 18 note 012 Ibid., 237.
page 18 note 013 Ibid., 62 (14) (1331).
page 18 note 014 Ibid., 65 (9) (1332).
page 19 note 01 Rot. Parl., 65 (10) (1332).Google Scholar
page 19 note 02 Ibid., 127 (5) (1341).
page 19 note 03 Ibid., 300 (8) (1369).
page 19 note 04 Ibid., 64 (4), 65 (10).
page 19 note 05 Ibid., 127 (5) (1341).
page 19 note 06 Ibid., 67, 69 (6) (1332, 1333).
page 19 note 07 Ibid., 147–8, 150 (14) (1344).
page 19 note 08 Rotuli parliameniorum … inediti (Camden 3rd series, no. 51), p. 276.Google Scholar
page 19 note 09 Rot. Parl., iii. 10–12.Google Scholar
page 19 note 010 Ibid., 24 (99).
page 19 note 011 Ibid., 105.
page 19 note 012 Historia mirabilis parliamenti, p. 15.Google ScholarCamden Miscellany, xiv, cf.Google ScholarRot. Parl., iii. 236.Google Scholar A similar protest in 1397 is described on the parliament roll as being made overtement en Parlement, Rot. Parl., iii. 341.Google Scholar
page 20 note 01 Rot. Parl., iii. 148, 204.Google Scholar
page 20 note 02 Ibid., 203–10. In 1389 and 1397 other creations take place in full parliament (ibid., 263, 264, 355), but the phrase is not invariably used in this connection. It is not, for instance, used in the instance of John Cornwall, created baron of Fanhope in 1422 ‘in the presence of the three estates of the same parliament’ (Rot. Parl., iv. 401Google Scholar) and created baron of Milbroke ‘in parliament’ in 1442 (Rot. Parl., v. 40Google Scholar), though G.E.C, describes him as having been made a peer ‘in open parliament’. Complete Peerage, v. 254.Google Scholar See also Calendar of Close Rolls, 1432, p. 247.Google Scholar
page 20 note 03 Rot. Parl., iii. 283 (38).Google Scholar
page 20 note 04 Ibid., 310 (6).
page 20 note 05 Ibid., 300 (6).
page 21 note 01 Rot. Parl., iii. 415, 545.Google Scholar
page 21 note 02 Ibid., iii. 526, 604.
page 21 note 03 Ibid., iv. 275.
page 21 note 04 Ibid., iv. 94 (1416).
page 21 note 05 Ibid., iv. 419 (1433).
page 21 note 06 Nicolas, , Acts of the privy council, iv. 76.Google Scholar
page 21 note 07 Rot. Parl., iv. 502.Google Scholar
page 21 note 08 Ibid., v. 141–2, 143, 172, 228, 238.
page 21 note 09 Of the five successive prorogations of the parliament of 3 Edward IV, that on 4 Nov. 1463 is read in full parliament by the archbishop in the presence of the lords and commons (ibid., v. 498 f.), that on 5 May 1464 is by royal letters read in the great hall of the archbishop's palace at York before lords and commons in full parliament (ibid., v. 499 f.). The formula is not used for the prorogations on 17 June 1463 or 26 November 1464 (ibid., v. 500), and on 20 February 1464 the bishop of Lincoln reads the king's letters in the presence of the lords and commons in the great hall at York ‘palam et coram omnibus’ (ibid., v. 499).
page 21 note 010 Ibid., v. 497; vi. 4, 168, 197.
page 22 note 01 Rot Parl., v. 462, 618; vi. 197.Google Scholar
page 22 note 02 Ibid., vi. 39, 111, 149, 153, 197 (bis).
page 22 note 03 Ibid., vi. 153.
page 22 note 04 Ibid., v. 487.
page 22 note 05 Ibid., vi. 278.
page 22 note 06 Langlois, , op. cit., p. 78.Google Scholar
page 22 note 07 Langlois, , op. cit., p. 86.Google Scholar
page 23 note 01 Actes du parlement de Paris, ed. Boutaric, E., i. 179, 201, 205, 206, 277, 283.Google Scholar
page 23 note 02 Les olim, ed. Beugnot, A. A., ii. 191.Google Scholar
page 23 note 03 Actes, i. 224.Google Scholar
page 23 note 04 Brissaud, J., Hist, de droit français, i. 882.Google Scholar
page 23 note 05 Madox, , Formulare, no. 687.Google Scholar
page 23 note 06 Ibid., no. 660.
page 23 note 07 Deeds of dean and chapter of Windsor, xi.G.11, no. 14; Madox, , Formulare, no. 336.Google Scholar
page 23 note 08 Chronicon de Melsa (R.S.), i. 309.Google Scholar
page 23 note 09 Bracton's note book, case 754.Google Scholar
page 23 note 010 B.M. MS. Harl. 1708, fo. 70b. I owe this reference to the President of the Society.
page 23 note 011 Cartulaire des îles normandes (Société Jersiaise), p. 140.Google Scholar
page 23 note 012 Medieval administration of ike Channel Islands, p. 100.Google Scholar
page 23 note 013 Cartulaire, pp. 444, 450, 453, 455, 457.Google Scholar
page 24 note 01 University of California publications in History, 1926. Note especially pp. 163 ff.
page 24 note 02 Chron. mon. de Abingdon (R.S.), ii. 226.Google Scholar
page 24 note 03 Burton Cartulary, William Salt Archaeological Collections, V. i. 48–9.Google Scholar
page 24 note 04 Reg. Malmesburiense (R.S.), i. 459–60.Google Scholar
page 24 note 05 Madox, , Formulare, no. 221.Google Scholar For transactions in full county of Cheshire, 1189–1222, see Cheshire Sheaf, 1923, pp. 9–12.Google Scholar
page 24 note 06 Stat. West., ii, c. 39.
page 24 note 07 Close Rolls, 1227–31, pp. 23, 46, 58Google Scholar; ibid., 1231–4, pp. 369, 403, 411, 427, 432. 477. 478. 499; Ibid., 1234–7, pp. 34, 51, 62, 132, 140, 203 (and ten more examples).
page 24 note 08 Compare Cheney, C. R., English Synodalia, p. 33Google Scholar, for a similar development in the diocesan synod.
page 25 note 01 Burton Cartulary, loc. cit., V. i. 178.Google Scholar
page 25 note 02 Eng. Hist. Rev., 1922, pp. 481–500.Google Scholar
page 25 note 03 Cheshire Sheaf, 1923, pp. 1–58Google Scholar; Calendar of county court rolls of Chester (Chetham Society, 1925), pp. 13, 23, 53, 95, 109, 134.Google Scholar
page 25 note 04 Cheshire Sheaf, 1923, p. 66.Google Scholar
page 25 note 05 Early English county court, pp. 131–42.Google Scholar
page 25 note 06 Besides Morris's instances, the notification by the Lord Edward in full county court of Cheshire of the appointment of a warden of forests and escheats in 1259 is of interest. Calendar of county court rolls of Chester, p. 2.Google Scholar
page 26 note 01 Constitutional history, §§ 128, 203Google Scholar; Select charters (9th ed.), p. 124.Google Scholar
page 26 note 02 Pollock, and Maitland, , H.E.L., i. 526.Google Scholar
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page 26 note 04 Morris, , op. cit., p. 151Google Scholar; E.H.R., 1924, pp. 401–3.Google Scholar
page 26 note 05 Morris, , op. cit., p. 98.Google Scholar
page 26 note 06 Curia Regis Rolls, vi. 229–30.Google Scholar For other instances of the use of plenarius at this period to mean, apparently, the fully afforced court, see Monasticon, I. 44Google Scholar; II. 281; VI. i. 598; Madox, , Formulare, nos. 64, 195Google Scholar; MSS. of dean and chapter of Windsor, xi.G.11, no. 32; Lawrie, A. C., Early Scottish Charters, p. 166.Google Scholar
page 27 note 01 Rotuli Lit. Claus., i. 165–6.Google Scholar
page 27 note 02 Vicecomes comitatum plenum apud Ferneburgam congregans. Hist. Mon. de Abingdon (R.S.), ii. 228.Google Scholar
page 27 note 03 Rot. Lit. Cl., i. 437.Google Scholar Note also coram pleno comitatu in 1221 (Rolls of Justices in Eyre, vol. 59, Selden Soc., p. 367).Google Scholar
page 27 note 04 Bracton's note book, case 1672.
page 27 note 05 Rot. Parl., v. no.Google Scholar
page 28 note 01 Liber vitae ecclesiae dunelmensis (Surtees Soc.), i, fo. 46 v.Google Scholar I owe this reference to the kindness of Mr. C. R. Cheney.
page 28 note 02 Apart from, the Metz deed, en plain chapitre and in plena synodo seem to be the earliest examples of the construction.
page 28 note 03 Larson, L. M. in Haskins anniversary essays, p. 135.Google Scholar
page 28 note 04 Ficker, J., Forschungen zur Rechtsgeschichte Italiens, iv. 14, 53, 74.Google Scholar
page 28 note 05 Cited Brissaud, Hist, du droit français, ii. 1278.Google Scholar
page 29 note 01 Thévenin, , Textes relatifs aux institutions … carolingiennes, nos. 62, 69, 80, 81, 85, 90, 110, 134.Google Scholar See also Zeumer, , Formulae (Mon. Germ. Hist.), pp. 189, 214.Google Scholar
page 29 note 02 Thévenin, no. 132.
page 29 note 03 iv Edgar 3–5. (Liebermann, , i. 211.)Google Scholar
page 29 note 04 Kemble, , Cod. Dip., no. 186, 1034.Google Scholar
page 29 note 05 Kemble, , op. cit., nos. 923, 693, 998, 1288.Google Scholar
page 29 note 06 Kemble, , op. cit., no. 789.Google Scholar
page 29 note 07 Dd., i, 36.Google Scholar
page 29 note 08 Madox, , Formulare, p. xxiv.Google Scholar
page 29 note 09 Madox, , Formulare, nos. 322, 329.Google Scholar
page 29 note 010 Salter, H. E., Oxford charters, no. 52.Google Scholar
page 29 note 011 Jeayes, , Derbyshire charters, no. 1397.Google Scholar
page 29 note 012 Ibid., no. 134.
page 29 note 013 Madox, , Formulare, no. 316.Google Scholar
page 29 note 014 Round, J. H., Ancient charters, p. 73.Google Scholar
page 29 note 015 Royce, D., Landboc de Winchelcumba, p. 188.Google Scholar
page 30 note 01 Chron. Mon. de Abingdon, ii. 160.Google Scholar
page 30 note 02 Ibid., ii. 119.
page 30 note 03 Glanvill, , lib. i, c. 30.Google Scholar See also Bracton, De legibus, lib. iv, c. 15.Google Scholar
page 30 note 04 Close rolls, 1247–51, p. 107.Google Scholar
page 30 note 05 Rot. Parl., v. 499.Google Scholar
page 30 note 06 Ibid., ii. 323; iii. 153, 241, 257, 258, 341.
page 30 note 07 Statute rolls of the parliament of Ireland, 12–13 to 21–22 Edward IV, p. 56.Google Scholar (I owe this reference to the kindness of Mr. Richardson.)
page 31 note 01 Note the Irish version of the Modus: (of obtaining license to depart from parliament) ‘Et hoc in pleno parliamento ita quod inde fiat mencio in rotulis parliamenti. Clarke, M. V., Medieval representation and consent, p. 389.Google Scholar
page 31 note 02 Leges Henrici, 31, 4; 48, 5.Google Scholar
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page 31 note 04 Rotuli parliamentarian … inediti, p. xi.Google Scholar
page 31 note 05 Willard, and Morris, , English government at work, 1327–36, i. 108.Google Scholar
page 31 note 06 Baldwin, , Select cases before the king's council (S.S.), pp. 63, 69Google Scholar; cf. Introduction, p. xc, and Rot. Parl., ii. 330.Google Scholar
page 32 note 01 Rot. Parl., iii. 256 (19).Google Scholar
page 32 note 02 Memoranda de Parliamento de 1305 (R.S.), pp. 4, 293.Google Scholar I accept Maitland's interpretation of the passage (ibid., pp. xxxv–vi) rather than that of Wilkinson (op. cit., pp. 8–9Google Scholar) or of Cozens Hardy (Saint John peerage claim, p. 154Google Scholar) which I cannot regard as warranted by the French text.
page 32 note 03 Nicolas, , Proceedings of privy council, iv. 76.Google Scholar
page 32 note 04 It might be argued that the absence of the king in 1377 was due to Richard's minority, but in 1318 Edward II was absent when Langton's petition was read in full parliament. See E.H.R., 1932, p. 201, n. 5.Google Scholar
page 32 note 05 Rot. Parl., ii. 68.Google Scholar
page 33 note 01 See Jollifie, , ‘Some factors in the beginnings of parliament’, Trans. R. Hist. S., 1940, pp. 101–39.Google Scholar
page 33 note 02 Baldwin, , Select cases before the king's council (S.S.), pp. 117–18.Google Scholar
page 33 note 03 Pollard, , Reign of Henry VII, p. 56.Google Scholar
page 33 note 04 Ibid., p. 73.
page 33 note 05 Of the Judicature in Parliament, p. 120.Google Scholar
page 33 note 06 Ibid., p. 42.
page 33 note 07 Ibid., p. 164. Compare the contrast in c. 18 of the Irish Modus between in pleno and in aperto (Clarke, M. V., op. cit., pp. 389 f.).Google Scholar
page 33 note 08 Clarke, M. V., op. cit., p. 384.Google Scholar
page 33 note 09 Saint John peerage claim, p. 197.Google Scholar
page 34 note 01 Saint John peerage claim, p. 183.Google Scholar
page 34 note 02 Ibid., p. 72.
page 34 note 03 Nicolas, , Acts of the privy council, iv. 76.Google Scholar The discussion by A. R. Myers and W. H. Dunham of the record of 1449 preserved in MS. Harl. 6849, fo. 77 (John Rylands Bulletin, 10 1938Google Scholar; Speculum, 07 1942Google Scholar) illustrates the obscurity, at present, of the relations of the council and parliament at this date.
page 34 note 04 Note, for instance, the development of the fine.