Abstract

Like all rulers, Edward I was continually bothered by the problem of maladministration. Unlike some of his predecessors, however, he did not ignore the problem, but he tried to check it. Early in his reign he ordered an inquest on the misdeeds of the sheriffs and later important ministers, such as Adam de Stratton and the judges in 1289–90, were brought to trial. But these examples did not act as a deterrent. Officials in all branches of administration pursued their own interests instead of the king's and too frequently ignored the law in their haste to make their own or their family's fortunes. One of the king's hardest tasks was to find servants who were both efficient and trustworthy. When he did, he tended to overwork them, so that they could not devote adequate time and attention to each of the duties assigned to them. These recurrent problems of corruption and inefficiency have never been fully explored by administrative historians, who have concentrated, quite naturally, on the development of institutions. The administration of the royal mint under Edward I reflects some of the general difficulties facing mediaeval administration and a careful study of them can illuminate both the nature of the problems and the effectiveness of the measures the king took to overcome them