Gone Medieval – King Edward I: Hammer of the Scots

Host: Matt Lewis
Guest: Dr. Andrew Spencer (Senior Tutor and Fellow, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge)
Date: August 29, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the life and reign of King Edward I, exploring not just his infamous military campaigns in Wales and Scotland, but also his personality, upbringing, legal reforms, foreign policy, and relationship with Parliament. With expert guest Dr. Andrew Spencer, the discussion seeks to move beyond Edward’s martial reputation to assess his character, achievements, and complexities as ruler. Listeners gain fresh insight into "the Hammer of the Scots," learning why his legacy is both significant and controversial.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Edward’s Early Life and Background

[03:48 – 07:19]

• Family & Birth:
  • Born 1239 to Henry III and Eleanor of Provence; grandson of King John.
  • His birth follows dramatic events and speculation surrounding succession.
• Name Significance:
  • Named after Edward the Confessor, a rare Anglo-Saxon name among Anglo-Norman royalty.
  • “It’s slightly weird that we call him Edward I when he’s actually Edward III, I think.” (Dr. Andrew Spencer, 06:14)
  • Naming reflects Henry III’s devotional preferences and possibly a growing sense of Englishness.

2. Personality, Appearance, and Temperament

[09:05 – 12:24]

• Physicality:
  • Exceptionally tall (measured at 6’2’’ posthumously, possibly taller in life), known as “Longshanks.”
  • Striking features: drooping eye, silver to golden to black hair, and a slight lisp.
• Temper:
  • Known for the classic Plantagenet temper and fierce presence.
  • Famous incident: a church dean dies of a heart attack out of fear when tasked to challenge Edward’s taxes (10:56).
• Early Reputation:
  • As a prince, ran wild with a rough crowd—concerns over youthful excess and violence but later matures through experience.

3. Edward’s Long Apprenticeship

[12:24 – 16:22]

• Becomes king at 33, much older than typical medieval monarchs, which allowed:
  • Opportunity to make and learn from mistakes without the stakes of kingship.
  • Built relationships with key nobles and knights.
  • Witnessed and learned from the disasters of his father's tumultuous reign, particularly the Barons’ War.

4. Marriage to Eleanor of Castile

[16:22 – 19:19]

• Politically motivated match in 1254 aimed at halting war with Castile.
• Edward is initially given vast titles and lands, although actual control is limited.
• Romance develops after marriage—they have 12–14 children and share a famously close relationship.
  • “It is one of the great sort of medieval romance stories.” (16:22)

5. Rise to Power – Barons’ Wars and the Road to Kingship

[19:19 – 28:01]

• Early support for baronial reform (The Provisions of Oxford, 1258), influenced by turmoil in Wales and at court.
• Gradually shifts back to royalist side when reforms threaten the future crown.
• Captured at Lewes (1264); chooses to surrender to be with his father, Henry III—a move attributed to both honor and political calculation.
• Evesham (1265): Orchestrates the targeted killing of Simon de Montfort in a brutal campaign—“the murder of Evesham, for battle it was none” (Dr. Spencer, 25:40).
• After internal chaos subsides, Edward departs for crusade.

6. The Crusade and Return

[28:01 – 34:24]

• Motivated by piety, family legacy (fulfilling his father’s vow), and Europe’s political dynamics—especially the prestige of crusading with Louis IX of France.
• Suffers a near-fatal assassination—possibly involving Eleanor, though likely exaggerated by later writers.
• Learns of his father's death while abroad, doesn't return for over a year—testament to newfound political stability at home.

7. Kingship and Domestic Reforms

[39:43 – 45:08]

• Edward’s greatest achievement arguably his legal reforms, unifying English law with statutes like Statute of Westminster (1275).
• Embraces Parliament as a tool for royal agenda, harnessing it for legislation, advice, and taxation.
  • “Parliament is a key vehicle in which for doing this. And Edward is a parliamentary king.” (40:23)
• Works effectively with Parliament for 25 years; period from 1274–1294 among the most peaceful/effective in English governance.

8. Expulsion of the Jews (1290)

[45:48 – 51:05]

• Driven less by personal animus than by the prevailing anti-Semitism of medieval Europe and practical politics—Jewish communities had become debt-ridden and economically less useful to the crown.
• Expulsion gained Edward valuable parliamentary support for a large tax.
  • “He was quite happy to sacrifice [the Jews] in order to gain the support of his subjects for a large grant of taxation.” (Dr. Spencer, 49:12)
• England’s expulsion unusually lengthy, lasting until the mid-17th century.

9. Foreign Policy & Gascony

[51:05 – 58:56]

• Gascony seen by Edward as his personal domain rather than “foreign policy.”
• English reluctance to engage in its defense led to diplomatic struggles with France.
• French monarchy increasingly intolerant of English-ruled territory; tensions rise, leading up to confiscation threats and creation of conflicts influencing the Scottish wars.

The Famous Campaigns: Wales & Scotland

10. Conquest of Wales

[58:56 – 66:35]

• Edward’s strategy was shaped by formative experiences in earlier conflicts with Welsh princes.
• Initially tries diplomatic means to obtain homage from Llywelyn ap Gruffydd; only after repeated refusals and rebellion does he resort to conquest.
• Builds massive castles and installs tight royal administration—not merely military, but institutional subjugation.
  • “Edward is not very good at seeing things from other people’s point of view… So naturally, the Welsh rebel in 1282.” (Dr. Spencer, 63:47)

11. War with Scotland

[66:35 – 80:00]

• Scottish succession crisis after the death of Alexander III.
  • Edward initially acts as mediator; Scottish lords accept his overlordship as price.
  • Exploits opportunity: Scottish monarch becomes a vassal.
• War erupts when Edward demands Scottish aid against France; Scots instead ally with the French (Auld Alliance) and invade northern England.
• “Edward’s sense of his own rights, the determination to pursue his own rights at the cost of everything, this stubbornness… are revealed in the Scottish wars.” (Dr. Spencer, 76:43)
• Treats personal betrayal harshly: executes rivals like Dafydd ap Gruffydd, William Wallace, and turns vindictive against the Bruces after their rebellion.
• Dies in 1307 en route to campaign in Scotland; conquest unfinished, but his reputation as “Hammer of the Scots” endures largely due to Tudor-era mythology.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you cross him, if you lose his trust, then it's a very uncomfortable place to be." — Dr. Andrew Spencer on Edward's vindictiveness ([75:33])
• "Edward is one of the great kings. I think he’s a king you might find uncomfortable at times. He’s very demanding but offers a great deal as well." — Dr. Andrew Spencer ([80:34])
• "Parliament is a key vehicle... for doing this. And Edward is a parliamentary king." — Dr. Andrew Spencer ([40:23])
• "It didn’t have to work out in the way that it did. And I don’t think that Edward has this grand plan at the start of his reign that he’s going to conquer Britain." — Dr. Andrew Spencer ([65:10])
• "You don’t execute people at this point... [Evesham] is essentially what happens at Hastings, which is that Edward, echoing William the Conqueror, develops a death squad led by Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, with the sole purpose of killing Simon de Montfort." — Dr. Andrew Spencer ([25:40])

Timeline of Important Segments (Timestamps, MM:SS)

• Edward’s Background & Naming: [03:09–07:19]
• Edward’s Appearance & Temper: [09:05–12:24]
• Long Apprenticeship & Political Maturation: [12:59–16:22]
• Marriage to Eleanor of Castile: [16:22–19:19]
• Barons’ Wars & Rise to Power: [19:19–28:01]
• The Crusade Experience: [28:55–34:24]
• Legal/Parliamentary Reforms: [39:43–45:08]
• Expulsion of Jews: [45:48–51:05]
• Foreign Policy & Gascony/France: [51:05–58:56]
• Conquest of Wales: [58:56–66:35]
• Scottish Wars: [66:35–80:00]
• Edward’s Legacy, Judgment as King: [80:00–83:06]

Episode Tone

The discussion is vivid, insightful, and analytical, often direct but peppered with wry commentary (“They take their glasses off and just allow it to be a bit blurry” ([68:13])). Both Matt Lewis and Dr. Andrew Spencer maintain a balance between critical scrutiny and appreciation of Edward’s initiatives and limitations, highlighting the ironies and paradoxes of his rule.

Conclusion: How Should We Remember Edward I?

Edward I emerges as a towering, complex figure: a reformer, opportunist, and ruthlessly effective ruler whose reign solved many 13th-century problems but set the stage for the protracted wars and tensions of later medieval England. Loved or feared, he exemplified the age’s contradictions and left a lasting mark both on the institutions of the English monarchy and its troubled relationships with its neighbors.

Recommended Further Reading:
Andrew Spencer, Nobility and Kingship in Medieval England: The Earls and Edward I, 1272–1307
Listen to additional Gone Medieval episodes on Henry III and the Declaration of Arbroath for further context.