Parliament of England

1066 - following the Norman Conquest, under the fuedal system that evolved, the laws of the Crown could not have been upheld without the support of the nobility and the clergy. This led to the creation of the Great Council. A typical Great Council would consist of archbishops, bishops, abbots, barons and earls as well as the reigning monarch. The Great Council is recognised as having been the beginnings of the present day House of Lords. The Anglo saxons also held regular 'moots' in the counties where discussion of local matters were carried out. The 'shire moot' was attended by the local lords and bishops, the sheriff, and most importantly, four representatives of each village. After the Conquest, the 'moots' became known as the County Court and formed the basis for the House of Commons. The Great Council and the County Court gradually evolved into the Parliament of England, becoming known as such in the 13th century. 1215 - King John forced to agree to Magna Carta, the "great charter" of legal rights which insisted that he listen to and follow the advice of the barons. 1258 - at the meeting of Parliament at Oxford the barons stated their dissatisfaction with Henry III, and tried to force him to accept a set of conditions called the Provisions of Oxford which called for regular meetings of parliament three times a year. 1707 - the Parliament of England was dissolved following the Acts of Union with Scotland.