Homage, Overlordship and the Consequences of Peace: The Treaties of Norham (1209, 1212), Anglo-Scottish Relations and the ‘Scottish Clause’ in Magna Carta Revisited

This article re-examines the relationships between the kings of the English and the Scots during the period 1209–15 following the discovery of the main text of the Treaty of Norham in 1209. Analysing the lead-up to the treaty and its aftermath transforms our understanding of the political options available to William, king of Scots (1165–1214), towards the end of his long reign and, in so doing, highlights further the political wrangling which occurred in the first two weeks of June 1215 as John attempted to preserve several key gains he had made over the king of Scots in the years before the baronial rebellion ignited against him. In so doing, it moves discussion of overlordship beyond the simple paradigm of (English) dominance, stressing instead the protective value of overlordship to the structuring of medieval politics.