This is More Important than the Magna Carta

West gate of the Castle

Lincoln Castle reopened in April 2015 following the completion of the £22 million renovation and improvement of the castle. One of the most important features of the work is a new building where Magna Carta will be preserved in ideal conditions and may be viewed by the public.

The improvements to the castle were timed to coincide with the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta in 1215. Magna Carta will not be the only charter on view: Lincoln is the only place where Magna Carta can be viewed alongside The Charter of the Forest, although there is also a copy of The Charter at Durham.

The Charter of the Forest was sealed by the young King Henry III on 6th November 1217. This charter dealt with the rights of the common man, whereas Magna Carta covered issues affecting the barons. “Forest” in this context included not only wooded areas but, more commonly, royal hunting grounds and fields. From Henry II's time these areas had grown and people were regularly outlawed for breaking forest law. The Royal Forests were an important source of wood for fuel and charcoal making, turf for fuel and for the grazing of animals.

The Charter set out a requirement for the King to give up the Royal Forests and to free up the lands that Henry II and King John had made Royal Forests, uniquely giving back to the common man freedom to use those areas.

Charter of the Forest

A clause in The Charter specifically stated that "Henceforth every freeman, in his wood or on his land that he has in the forest, may with impunity make a mill, fish-preserve, pond, marl-pit, ditch, or arable in cultivated land outside coverts, provided that no injury is thereby given to any neighbour." 

The death penalty was abolished for capturing deer and mutilation as a lesser punishment was banned, although law breakers were still imprisoned or fined. The laws of The Charter were enforced in the forests by Verders' Courts.

Magna Carta is seen as the foundation of human rights in countries such as the United States, but the Charter of the Forest may be a more important document for the 'common man' of England and deserves its own celebration in 2017.

(First published 30th September 2014)

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A King's Crowning at St Mary's Guildhall

St Mary's Guildhall from the courtyard

Lincoln was a very important place during much of the medieval period, visited by kings throughout the medieval period, several parliaments were held here and King John visited on no less than six occasions.

Henry II visited in 1157 and held a crowning ceremony on Christmas Day at St Mary's Guildhall, which is believed to have been constructed for Henry as a royal townhouse. Henry probably used this second crowning as a way of securing the support of his noblemen prior to his departure for Flanders, where he was guardian of the lands of Dietrich of Alsace.  His Coronation had taken place in London on 19th December 1154.  

A medieval Christmas was a much different affair to Christmas today, the word Christmas is derived from the Saxon “Cristes Maesse”, meaning “Festival of Christ”, the Church ensured it was a true religious holiday, gift-giving was banned by the Church as a pagan custom and the tradition of outdoor carol singing began because the church would not allow carols to be sung in churches, the archaic meaning of the word carol is “to sing or dance in a circle”.

The rich would eat goose and venison on Christmas Day and, with the king's permission, swan; woodcock was another popular bird.  Turkey did not arrive in England until the mid 16th century. The poor would have a much meaner Christmas, their lord may donate the “humbles” or offal of his Christmas deer and they would eat "Humble pie".

A food that has come to us from this time is the mince pie, made with shredded or minced assorted meats, spices and fruit, the pie would be in the shape of Christ's crib.  It was considered lucky to eat one mince pie on each of the twelve days of Christmas.

December 25th was originally a pagan festival to celebrate the forthcoming better weather and longer days, first adopted by the Romans as "Saturnalia" and later by the Roman Catholic church as Christmas or, as it was sometimes known, Xmas, the X is the Greek letter for "Chi" and Christ.

Boxing Day was traditionally a time when the rich provided gifts for the poor, usually money in a pot with a slit in the top, these pots were called “piggies”.  Christmas day was a quarter day when rents were usually due, so this Boxing Day tradition was generally welcomed by the poor.

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