Henry II was born in Le Mans, France in 1133. Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, and Matilda, daughter of Henry I, were his parents. Henry’s younger brothers were Geoffrey and William (Bingham 22; Tabuteau 185).

Henry’s father gave Henry the best education possible at that time. Peter of Saintes, who was a well-known poet, was Henry’s first tutor. Adelard of Bath also taught Henry. William of Conches and Henry’s other previous tutors instilled in Henry the appreciation for literature. Soon after Henry II’s education, he became Duke of Normandy. With the death of his father, Henry II became the Count of Anjou at age eighteen. Once he became Count of Anjou, Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine on May 18, 1152, in the Cathedral of Poitiers. Their children were William, Henry, Matilda, Richard, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan, and John (Bingham 22; “Henry” 835-836; Tabuteau 185).

Once Stephen, who was a well-known king, died, Henry II became lord of all land between the Pyrenees and

Even though Henry II was a king, he did not resemble a king. He had a freckled face, gray eyes, and tawny hair. He also had a very short temper. At times, King Henry II would be as ruthless as a savage (“Henry” 835).

In 1166, Henry instructed all the sheriffs to make lists of known or suspected criminals. The accused person did not go through trial by jury; instead, he or she went through trial by ordeal. The accused person had their hands and feet tied together and then dropped in a lake. A person who sank was considered innocent, and a person who floated was guilty of the crime (McKay 413).

By not letting barons collect taxes, Henry II removed the baronial power. Sheriffs took the place of the barons. This method was very effective. Henry II also used the 1/10 tax in 1188. This tax was placed upon Saladin to gather money for the crusades against the Mohammedans (Larned 116-117).

King Henry II had two great achievements. One of his achievements was centralized government system. The system was actually handed down from King Henry I, the Curia Regis. These smaller king’s councils, otherwise known as exchequer courts, would be charged with the upkeep and maintenance of King Henry II’s financial system. He also introduced a centralized court at Westminster, where five barons permanently presided to handle judicial business. This court became known as the “Court of Common Pleas”. Henry II imposed a scutage tax on the people. By doing this, Henry II was able to employ mercenaries to act as his soldiers, thereby eradicating the bonds of loyalty that knights would have to their lieges (Larned 118-120).

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