This is a series of articles dealing with the British nobility beginning with William the Conqueror in 1066 and ending with Henry VIII circa 1530. The information within has been compiled from multiple resources and a bibliography will follow the completed work. Beginning with the Normans, the Plantagenets, the Lancasters, the Yorks, and then finally, the Tudors.
Edward III: After taking the throne after the deposition of his father, Edward ruled for 50 years which was dominated by the 100 Years War with France. Edward III was the complete opposite of his father. He was shrewd in his choice of advisors and he never had to deal with rebellion and reigned well for 50 years. Parliament divided into two houses in 1332, the House of Lords and the House of Commons and it gains the right to investigate public abuses and impeach offenders. English became the official language rather than French but constant battles with France (the beginning of the 100 Year War) and the Scottish led to Edward having a stroke in 1377.
Edward III founded The Most Noble Order of the Garter, a chivalric order of 24 members that was to envision and portray the ideals of King Arthur’s Round Table.
Also during his reign, the Black Death, bubonic plague, killed one-third of the European population. This had a rather interesting sociological impact. Where there was now a shortage of labor, land owners were forced to pay better wages and with demand outweighing demand, craftsmen were able to charge higher prices for their products and services. The old days of the feudal system were beginning to erode