ABSTRACT
It may be no coincidence that King Stephen's last major act before the onset of full-blooded civil war in England, was radical administrative reform. The winter of 1138-39 was notable for wide-ranging changes in the structure and balance of government as handed on to Stephen by his predecessor, changes which were without clear precedent and therefore can be truly called radical. Lack of a precedent may suggest desperation on the part of the reformer or at least a lack of insight. Reforms which most easily catch the imagination are those which are designed to get back to what is perceived as a better time. These were no such reforms, they were radical and unprecedented, and disturbed people.
