W HAT IMPRESSION DOES THIS GIVE OF K ING J OHN ? W. Stubbs, Constitutional History of England (1875) John was the worst of all our kings... a faithless son/ a treacherous brother... polluted with every crime... in the whole view there is no redeeming trait.

H OW D ID J OHN G ET A R EPUTATION AS A B AD K ING ? Describe how interpretations of John have changed over time Use provenance to explain why interpretations exist Come to a conclusion about how historical sources have shaped our views on John

H OW IS J OHN I NTERPRETED IN THE M ODERN E RA ? As we watch each clip take notes on how John has been presented. Think about: His character traits How he runs the country How far does this view agree with Stubbs?

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? Read Source A by Roger of Wendover, a monk writing in 1226 Highlight key words which show you what the monk’s interpretation of John is In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests.

In 1209 he [John] had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he [John] had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he [John] had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he [John] had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? Clearly there are items in here which show John as a bad king... But how valid is this interpretation? In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk Stick the source in your book and annotate around to explain how far we can trust the PROVENANCE of the source Use the information to help you You might like to use 2 colours

In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk John did not favour the church as his brother had done John was excommunicated in 1209 – a serious offence Told lots of odd stories probably hearsay from barons who did not like him John brought in several laws protecting the church The priest who was supposed to have been crushed was still alive in 1225 H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? He did live through and witness some of John’s reign He never actually met John He was a priest and may have been putting John up as an example not to follow

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? The monk Matthew Paris took over from Roger of Wendover in creating Chronicles for St Albans in He took a lot of Roger’s work and revised it. Look for the links between Roger’s account and John’s

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk John was a tyrant not a king, a destroyer instead of a governor, crushing his own people. He had lost the duchy of Normandy and many other lands because of his laziness. He invaded and destroyed his subjects’ property. He gave orders that his wife’s lovers were to he seized and strangled on her bed. He seduced the more attractive daughters and sister of the barons. Why has Matthew Paris changed the story slightly? What might other monks have said about John?

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? JR Green: In his inner soul John was the worst outcome of the Angevins. His punishments were refinements of cruelty, the starvation of children, the crushing of old men under copes of lead. His court was a brothel where no woman was safe from royal lust. He was superstitious but scoffed at priests. He turned his back on the mass even during his coronation, but he never went on a journey without relics round his neck. John was a tyrant not a king, a destroyer instead of a governor, crushing his own people. He had lost the duchy of Normandy and many other lands because of his laziness. He invaded and destroyed his subjects’ property. He gave orders that his wife’s lovers were to he seized and strangled on her bed. He seduced the more attractive daughters and sister of the barons. In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk In 1209 he had a clergyman crushed under a cope [stone] of lead and he died an agonising death. He ordered that a Jew should have a tooth knocked out daily until he revealed where his treasure was hidden. John let people go who murdered priests. By Roger of Wendover - Monk Sound familiar? What happened when the Victorians took up the story? Read the Source (Source C) from JR Green’s A Short History of the English People written in the 1880s – where do you think his ideas came from?

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? Uncritical historians Legends passed on by barons Monks with an agenda

H OW D ID W E G ET THE S TORY OF J OHN THE B AD ? In no more than 100 words write a paragraph to explain how and why historical sources have given us our modern view of John as a bad king Remember Make a clear point Give evidence from the sources we have used Explain how and why these change our opinion of John

“He who controls the past, controls the future.” ~Orwell “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it” ~Churchill “God cannot alter the past, but historians can.” ~Butler What point are these three making?