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Faversham Magna Carta

Edward I of England · 1300

An official 1300 copy of Magna Carta issued by King Edward I and sent to the town of Faversham, a Cinque Port.

This official 1300 copy of Magna Carta, issued by Edward I, shows the charter being proclaimed to towns beyond the baronial circle.

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A large parchment document with handwritten Latin text in brown ink, displayed under glass in a dark frame. A round wax seal hangs below on a strip, and a small placard sits at the lower right of the case.
Faversham Magna Carta, issued by Edward I, 1300. Faversham Town Council.

About this source

What it is

This is a 1300 exemplification, or official copy, of Magna Carta issued by King Edward I and sent to Faversham, held today by Faversham Town Council. It is written in Latin on parchment, with a seal attached, and has been displayed publicly in exhibitions such as one at Rochester Cathedral.

Why it matters

Magna Carta was not just agreed once in 1215; kings reissued it over the following decades, and copies were sent out to towns across England so that local communities knew their rights. This Faversham copy shows that the charter's principles reached well beyond the barons who first negotiated with King John, down to the level of ordinary towns and ports.

Look closer

  • Why might King Edward I, decades after 1215, choose to reissue Magna Carta?
  • What does sending a copy to a town like Faversham suggest about who was meant to know about the charter?
  • How does display in a glass case today change how we experience this document compared to its original use?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Magna Carta on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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