Spring, 2026

English Legal History Seminar
History 2080

LECTURE OUTLINES AND ASSIGNMENT LINKS

Spring, 2026

Each cell begins with a tag phrase that descibes the class, linked to place in the Syllabus where it is described. Sometimes there is more than one phrase so linked. Under that is the date of the class for this year’s course/seminar, linked to the outline that I used in class when the class has already been held.

Under the dates for the class there are one or more links to the documents assigned for the class. The documents frequently contain more than we will discuss in class, because they also include portions about which you might want to write a paper. At the beginning of the course/seminar, the Assignments tab gives a pretty good idea of where the class will focus. After that, I’ll send you an email. The Syllabus is more ambitious. We will not cover everything in it this year, and the dates in the syllabus are only approximate.

“Barbarian Law Codes”

Tue., Jan. 27

Aethelberht’s Laws

Anglo-Norman Administration

Tue., Feb. 03
Domesday Book Extracts
Domesday Huntingdonshire

Anglo-Norman Administration
Feudalism

Tue., Feb. 10
Coronation Charter of Henry I
Pipe Roll of 31 Henry I
Dialogue of the Exchequer
Milsom

Feudalism
Tue., Feb. 17 – preliminary
Tue., Feb. 17 – class
Glanvill
Polstead Saga

The Problem of Proof
Parliament and Statutes
Tue., Feb. 24 – preliminary
Tue., Feb. 24 – class

Assize of Clarendon (1166), c. 1–2, 14
Glanvill, 1.9
Polstead Saga, nos. 28–30, 33, 35, 38, and 46
Lateran 4 (1215), c. 18 (outline)
Tancred, Ordo (c. 1215), 3.6
Select Canterbury Cases, § A
Statute De Donis (1285)
Statute Quia Emptores (1290)

The King and the Law
Town and Country
Tue., Mar. 03 – preliminary
Tue., Mar. 03 – class
Coronation Charter of Henry I
Magna Carta
Bracton on Kingship
Confirmatio Cartarum
Lex mercatoria (extracts)
Selected Cases – Local Courts
Manor Court – Great Horwood

Marriage Law and Society
Tue., Mar. 10 – class
Smith c. Dolling (1271–1272)

Spring Break

Contracts in Local Courts
Legal Profession
Tue., Mar. 24 – class
Contract Cases in Local Courts
Medieval Teaching Materials

Old Personal Actions
Trespass to 1382
Tue., Mar. 31

Assumpsit
The Rise of Equity
Tue., Apr. 07

Statute of Uses; Perpetuities
The Deposition of Kings
Tue., Apr. 14

The Deposition of Kings (cont’d)
Calvin’s Case
The Hay-Langbein Debate
Tue., Apr. 21

[Home Page]  [FAS Home Page]  [HLS Home Page]  [Syllabus]  [Assignments] 

URL:  https://amesfoundation.law.harvard.edu/lhsemelh/lectures/index.shtml
last modified:  03/25/26

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