The Remonstrances of 1297 (sometimes written in the original Anglo-Norman: Monstraunces) were a set of complaints presented by a group of nobles in 1297, against the government of King

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...

. Foremost among the nobles were Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, Marshal of England, and Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, Constable of England. The complaints had their background in the heavy burden of taxation caused by King Edward's extensive warfare in the mid-1290s. In 1297 Edward was planning a campaign to protect his possessions in

Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

and his trading interests with

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

yet it was the opinion of many that this war was unnecessary and risky, in a time when the situation in both

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

was threatening. Both Bohun and Bigod refused to serve in the campaign, claiming it was unclear where the expedition was going. Bigod argued in parliament that the earls' military obligation only extended to service alongside the king; if the king intended to sail to Flanders, he could not send his subjects to Gascony. The king nevertheless went on with the planned campaign, and demanded a grant of taxation from his subjects. This became the opposition's main grievance, since they claimed the tax was not raised in the proper manner. Rather than seeking the consent of the community of the realm in parliament, the king had been granted the tax by a small number of his closest supporters. As the king was on the coast preparing for the expedition, Bigod and Bohun turned up at the

Exchequer In the Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''Transaction account, current account'' (i.e., mon ...

demanding a stop to the collection of the tax, and at the same time presented the Remonstrances. The document was drawn up not only as a complaint by the two earls, but on behalf of the entire community of the nation. It claimed that the king had driven his subjects to poverty by excessive taxes. Objections against the planned campaign in Flanders were raised, as well as the king's failure to uphold ''

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...

''. In addition to the political, financial and constitutional issues, both earls had personal grievances against the king. Bohun had been poorly treated by Edward during a feud with the Earl of Gloucester a few years earlier. Bigod, meanwhile, had been engaged in a long-running dispute over debts he owed to the crown. As the king left for the Continent, the nation seemed to be on the brink of civil war. What brought the issue to a conclusion was the English defeat to the Scots at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. This united the country against a common enemy; Edward promised to address the grievances, while Bigod and Bohun agreed to serve on a campaign in Scotland. As a sign of good will, the king signed the '' Confirmatio cartarum''a confirmation of ''Magna Carta''.

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