ABSTRACT
In England, Count John had seized the moment of his brother's distress to advance his own ambitions, but the government took strong measures to pacify the kingdom and to strengthen English defences. A study of the justiciarship finds that Hubert Walter enjoyed 'unequalled importance and prestige', and that he 'had a wider discretion in matters of government than his predecessors'. Hubert Walter built up England's administrative system without unduly encouraging the arbitrary nature of Angevin government. The government of the realm fell to Geoffrey fitz Peter, who had been closely associated with the great justiciar-archbishop. Although policies established in the previous justiciarship continued uninterrupted, Geoffrey fitz Peter did make personnel changes among sheriffs, justices and constables. With few exceptions, the justiciars of the latter half of the reign - Hubert Walter and Geoffrey fitz Peter - preserved order in the kingdom and succeeded in binding baronial support to the government despite their ever-increasing financial demands.
