Question 1
1 ‘King John did not suffer from the impact of the Interdict and his excommunication’.
Use the four sources in their historical context to assess how far they support this view.
Source A: A monk of St Alban’s describes John’s reaction to the imposition of the Interdict in 1208.
The king of England, being greatly enraged on account of the Interdict, sent his sheriffs to all quarters of England, giving orders with dreadful threats to all priests as well as to those subject to them, to depart from the kingdom immediately and to demand justice for him from the pope. He also gave all the bishoprics, abbacies and priories into the charge of laymen and ordered all ecclesiastical revenues to be confiscated. But most of the abbots refused to quit their monasteries unless expelled by violence. When the agents of the king found this out, they would not use violence, because they did not have a warrant from the king to that effect. But they converted all monastic property to the king’s use, giving the monks only a scanty allowance of food and clothing out of their own property.
Roger of Wendover, History of England, written before 1236
Source B: A monk explains the impact of the Interdict in 1208.
Great sorrow and anxiety spread throughout the country. Neither Good Friday nor Easter Sunday could be celebrated but an unheard‑of silence was imposed on the clergy and monks by laymen. The bodies of the dead could not be buried in consecrated cemeteries, but only in vile and profane places. The people were forced to pay at first a quarter of their money to the king, then a third and then half. Even the rents of the cardinals were taken from them and Peter’s Pence, which the Roman Church had received since the time of Cnut was withheld by the king.
Gervase of Canterbury, The Deeds of Kings, written before 1210
Source C: A chronicler gives an account of events in Wales.
The Welsh princes, encouraged by the pope who had absolved them from the agreement which they had made the previous year with the English king and from the allegiance and oaths which they had given, attacked the English king in return for the Interdict being relaxed in their lands. King John, stirred up to violent anger, hanged the Welsh hostages and gathered an army against them from all parts of the kingdom. And then, when he had gathered such a multitude as had never been seen before, God put his forces to flight.
Barnwell Chronicle, 1212
Source D: John outlines new financial arrangements regarding the Papacy.
We will and establish that, from the proper and special revenues of our realms, for all service and customs that we should receive for ourselves, the Roman Church shall receive 1000 marks sterling each year, to wit, at the feast of St Michael 500 marks and at Easter 500 marks. 700 marks will come from the realm of England and 300 marks from Ireland. All of which we bind ourselves and our successor not to contravene. If we or our successors attempt to contravene this, let him forfeit his right to the kingdom and let this charter of obligation and grant on our part remain in force for ever.
Charter, May 1213
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