Episcopal Attendance at the Parliaments of Edward III*

Abstract Edward III's reign is thought to have marked an important moment in the history of the episcopate's relationship with parliament, marking the point at which prelates increasingly neglected assemblies. In particular, it has been suggested that few of Edward III's bishops decided to attend parliaments, that episcopal attendance worsened as Edward's reign progressed, and that the clergy stopped using parliament as a venue to raise their grievances. This article challenges these arguments. While the surviving evidence is partial and incomplete, with the consequence that it is impossible to fully reconstruct prelates’ attendance at parliament, it argues that many of Edward's bishops did turn up to assemblies, that the number of bishops attending parliament might well have increased, and that the clergy ventilated their concerns in parliaments throughout Edward's reign.