a lot. At first Henry's early attempts to recover the English throne, which he claimed through his mother, were unsuccessful. He was made duke of Normandy in 1150, and at Geoffrey's death in 1151 inherited Anjou, Maine, and Touraine territories. His marriage in 1152 to Eleanor of Aquataine brought him Aquitaine, Poitou, and Auvergne territiories (Everard, 108). By an invasion of England in 1153, he finally forced King Stephen to acknowledge him as successor, and in 1154 Henry ascended the English throne. Henry's most significant achievement lay in his development of the structure of royal justice. With the aid of competent jurists, he clearly established the superiority of the royal courts over private, feudal jurisdictions. His justices toured the country, administering a strengthened criminal law and a revised land law, based on the doctrine of seisin (possession). Routine advances included the greatly extended use of writs and juries. While these developments were taking place, Henry was also engaged in consolidating his possessions. In 1157 he recovered the northern counties of England from Scotland and between 1171-1172 he undertook an expedition to Ireland, where he temporarily consolidated the conquests already made by Richard de Clare. But he was a bit less successful in his attempts in 1157 and 1165 to extend his authority in Wales. Henry also expanded his holdings in France, acquiring Vexin, Brittany, and Toulouse territories. (Shaner)One of the foundations for Henry's centralized government 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 the kings financial system (Amt, 53). This system soon began to generate and spin off different associate factions, and judicial matters began to come under the influence of these exchequer boards. Henry also instituted a centralized court at We...
