Repeal of the Coventry Parliaments legislation
Parliament repealed all legislation passed at the Coventry parliament of 1459 in a session on 7 October 1460.
With the Yorkists now in control of the government, the previous Parliament’s acts, heavily dominated by Margaret of Anjou, could be set aside.
Repealing Actions of The Coventry Parliament of 1459
The ‘Parliament of Devils’ as the 1459 sittings are known, had attained all of the leading Yorkists and consolidated the power base around Queen Margaret. The new Parliament, once formalities were dealt with, opened with a powerful statement of intent:
“To the king our sovereign lord, the commons assembled in this present parliament pray that various seditious and ill-disposed persons, having no regard for the fear of God, or for the harm of the prosperous estate of your most noble person, or of this your realm, in a malicious and importunate manner urged your highness to summon and call a parliament to be held at your city of Coventry, on 20th November, in the thirty-eighth year of your noble reign [1459], with the sole intention of destroying certain of the great, noble and faithful true lords and estates of your blood, and others of your true liege people of this your realm, because of the great rancour, hatred and malice that the said seditious persons had long felt towards them, and because of their insatiable greed for the lands, hereditaments, possessions, offices and goods of the said lords and true lieges; by which urging, certain acts, statutes and ordinances were made in the said last parliament against all good faith and conscience, to completely destroy your said true lords, estates and liege people…” Translation of the Parliamentary Roll for the October 1460 Parliament.
Links
British History Online – Parliamentary Roll for October 1460
History of Parliament Blog – The Parluament of Devils