Travels through Property Law by Tom Brodersen, Esq.
If you have British friends, be sure to thank them for allowing us to peek through their windows at the amazing Royal History that they have lived through this year.
The 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign have been fascinating, and the English have proven themselves valuable allies on many occasions. Of course, that is also true for the first half of the 20th Century, and the two world wars where we proved ourvalue as allies.
Most present day Americans probably date the earliest prior history (from our perspective, at least) as starting with Columbus, followed by English, Dutch, Spanish and other European colonization of the land which we now call America.
Most law students, however, will tell you that the important earlier history has a date in common with English common law, that is 1066 AD, when William the Conqueror (a Norseman, aka Viking) crossed the English Channel and captured the English throne.
Not only is that date the start of the Medieval period of English history and the line of English kings and queens familiar to Americans today (Henry, George, Edward, Richard, and Queens Victoria and Elizabeth, etc.), it is also the birth of what became English common law, which was actually feudalism carried across the English channel by William the Conqueror. Later, in the new world, each American colony or state that joined the new nation adopted the English common law in place on (or about) the date of their admission to the union.
Most of that common law no longer applies in England today, having been replaced by statutes. But it is much easier to understand what is now American common law if you understand English common law and some of that history.
The “Dark Ages,” before the modern Royal line begins, shows that the Vikings plundered and even took over some of the provinces that would become England, starting at the monastery in Lindisfahrne in 793 AD (Northumbria). In the following years they defeated several of the local kings, and their kingdoms were surrendered to the Vikings. If you ever look at historic maps of England, you will notice large areas labelled as “Danelaw,” a reference to the huge impact which being occupied by the Danish Vikings had on the law, language and culture of England.* Footnote
If there ever was an actual King Arthur (of which there is really no evidence), it would have been prior to these events.
There will be a quiz later. FN *Although my family name is Danish, I have no evidence that any of my ancestors participated in those battles!
ANDERSON & BRODERSEN, P.A.
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