Years of Division 1243–1250
This chapter addresses the years between Henry III's return from Gascony in 1243 and his departure again for the duchy ten years later, which form a discrete period in his personal rule, although one separated by his decision in 1250 to take the cross. Henry could claim many positive achievements. The most visible, of course, was the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey. Very hands on when it came to money, Henry managed in these years to keep going by cash or credit and in the early 1250s to save up a considerable treasure. Unfortunately, this is far from the whole picture. These were years of increasing tension and division. Henry suffered a series of bruising defeats over episcopal elections and had a bishop of Winchester forced on him by the pope. The establishment of his Lusignan half-brothers proved far more disruptive than that of the Savoyards, partly because of their own behaviour, partly because they seemed to suck up far too much from a diminishing pool of royal patronage. One result was factional struggles at court which sometimes pitched Henry against his queen. Another was the growing perception that England was being tyrannized by greedy and lawless foreigners. Ultimately, this was a decisive period in the development of parliament.