Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Coke, Wentworth, And The Drafting Of The Petition Of Right, Frances S. Taylor

Honors Theses

In 1628, members of the English Parliament confronted the problem of arbitrary rule by the king, Charles I. Wishing to prevent future royal violations of their fundamental liberties, both houses sought a remedy. Their efforts culminated in the Petition of Right, a statement of the rights of Englishmen under the common law. While many men could be named as contributors to the Petition's success, Sir Edward Coke and Sir Thomas Wentworth, members of the House ofCommons, stand out as two of its major architects. Without their contributions, the Petition would have succumbed to outside pressures early in the session. Biographers …