Sources on King John
Source 1 – From a recent history book
John was a thoroughly bad lot. He was
cruel and beastly. He made many enemies
and killed people with his bare hands. He
was the worst king ever to have sat on the
English throne.
Source 2 – Written by J.R.Green
His punishments were cruel: the starvation of
children, the crushing of old men under copes of
lead. His court was a brothel where no woman
was safe from the royal lust. He scoffed at
priests. Hell itself is defiled by the fouler
presence of King John.
Source 3 – Written by Matthew Paris. He got most of his information from Roger of Wendover
John was a tyrant, a destroyer, crushing his own people. He lost the duchy of Normandy and many other
territories. He hated his wife and she him. He gave orders that her lovers were to be throttled on her bed.
Source 4 – Written by Roger
of Wendover
The servants of a certain
sheriff somewhere in Wales
brought to the royal court a
robber. He had robbed and
murdered a priest. John said,
‘He has killed an enemy of
mine, let him go.’
Source 5 – Written by Roger
of Wendover
Source 6 – From a recent
history book
In 1209, Geoffrey, a priest,
said it was not safe for
priests to work for the King
any longer. John heard of
this and, in a fury, had
Geoffrey imprisoned in
chains, clad in a cope of
lead, and starved. He died
an agonising death.
John tried hard to be a good
king. He visited all parts of
England and was merciful to
helpless people – the poor,
widows and children. But he
was untrustworthy and a
poor soldier who lost the war
with France.
Source 7 – Written by a contemporary monk
The king ordered the few monks who remained at Canterbury, the blind and the crippled, to be thrown out,
and the monks to be regarded as public enemies.
After John had captured Arthur (his young nephew) and kept him in prison for some time, he became drunk
and possessed with the devil and murdered him with his own hand; and tying a heavy stone to the body cast it
into a river.
Source 8 – John’s orders to an English city
We commit the Jews dwelling in your city to your charge; if anyone attempts to harm
them always protect and assist them.