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{{Short description|Name given to the English parliament of 1376}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox legislative term
| name                  = Good Parliament
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| body                  = [[Parliament of England]]
| meeting_place         = [[Palace of Westminster]]
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| opposition            =

| term_start            = {{Start date|1376|04|28|df=y}}
| term_end              = {{End date|1376|07|10|df=y}}
| before                = [[45th Parliament of King Edward III]]
| after                 = [[Bad Parliament]]
| chamber1              = [[Painted Chamber]]
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}}
{{Parliaments of medieval England sidebar}}
The '''Good Parliament''' is the name traditionally given to the [[English Parliament]] of 1376.  Sitting in [[London]] from April 28 to July 10, it was the longest Parliament up until that time. It turned into a parliamentary revolution, with the Commons (supported to some extent by the Lords) venting their grievances at decades of crippling taxation, misgovernment, and suspected endemic corruption among the ruling classes. 

It took place during a time when the [[English court]] was perceived by much of the English population to be corrupt, and its traditional name was due to the sincere efforts by its members to reform the government.  It had a formidable enemy, however, in [[John of Gaunt]], fourth son of [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] and the effective ruler of England at the time.

==In session==
Parliament had not met since November 1373, two and a half years previously, the longest period without a Parliament since 1305.{{sfn|Kleineke|2019}} Although Edward III and his councillors recognised the danger of calling a parliament during a period of dissatisfaction, due to [[John of Gaunt's chevauchée of 1373|reversals in the Hundred Years War]] the need for funds was so pressing in 1376 that another parliament was necessary.{{sfn|Castor|2024|p=18}}

Once the members were assembled, they were determined to clean up the corrupt [[Royal Council]].  [[Peter de la Mare]], a [[knight of the shire]] representing [[Herefordshire]], had been elected as [[Speaker of the English House of Commons|Speaker]] by the [[House of Commons of England|House of Commons]],<ref>[https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/originsofparliament/birthofparliament/overview/riseofcommons/ Rise of the Commons], [[parliament.uk]]</ref> and on the first day he delivered an address criticising England's recent military failures, condemning the corruption at court, and calling for close scrutiny of the royal accounts. 

The Commons refused to grant money for the war unless most of the great officers of state were dismissed. [[Richard Lyons (Warden of the Mint)|Richard Lyons]] and [[William Latimer, 4th Baron Latimer|Lord Latimer]], who were believed to be robbing the treasury, were called before Parliament and then imprisoned. Latimer's impeachment is the earliest recorded in Parliament.{{sfn|Kingsford|1892}} The king's mistress [[Alice Perrers]], another focus of popular resentment, was barred from any further association with him and removed from the court.{{sfn|Highfield |Tout|1999}} 

With the [[Black Prince]] supporting reform,{{cn|date=October 2025}} John of Gaunt was left isolated. Parliament then imposed a new set of councillors on the king including [[Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March|Edmund Mortimer]], the Earl of March;{{sfn|McNeill|1911}} and [[William of Wykeham]], Bishop of Winchester.{{sfn|Leach|1911}}

The Black Prince's death on June 8th robbed the Parliament of one of its strongest supports. Due to fears of John of Gaunt claiming the throne{{cn|date=October 2025}} Parliament summoned Edward III's grandson [[Richard II of England|Richard]] and acknowledged him as heir to the throne.{{sfn|Castor|2024|p=20-21}} 

But even after the government acceded to virtually all their demands, the Commons then refused to authorise any funds for the war, losing the sympathy of the Lords as a result.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

Parliament was dissolved on 6 July.{{sfn|Thompson|1888}}

==Aftermath ==
The following autumn, John of Gaunt attempted to undo its work. He barred the admission of the new councillors assigned to the king. He threw Peter de la Mare into prison at [[Nottingham]].  He dismissed the new council and recalled Latimer. Alice of Perrers was restored to the company of the king. John also attacked William of Wykeham.{{sfn|Leach|1911}}

In 1377, John had another parliament convene, the [[Bad Parliament]]. John had the Good Parliament declared void and its acts removed from the books. However the Parliament got the name the "Good Parliament" due to its popularity outside the court for addressing large number of individual grievances with the removal of removal of unpopular royal advisers.{{sfn|Kleineke|2019}}

==See also==
*[[List of parliaments of England]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|title=The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV|year=2024|author-link=Helen Castor|first=Helen |last=Castor}}
* {{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-III-king-of-England/The-years-of-decline-1360-77#ref43763 |title=The years of decline: 1360–77|first1=J.R.L. |last1=Highfield |first2=Thomas Frederick |last2=Tout|year=1999|encyclopedia=britannica.com}}
* {{cite web|url=https://historyofparliament.com/2019/06/18/dramatic-parliaments-of-the-late-14th-century-part-one/ |title=The Good, the Bad and the Wonderful: The dramatic Parliaments of the late 14th century (Part One)|website=historyofparliament.com|first=Hannes |last=Kleineke|date=18 June 2019}}
* {{cite DNB|wstitle=Latimer, William (1329?-1381)|author-link=Charles Lethbridge Kingsford|first=Charles Lethbridge |last=Kingsford|year=1892}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=William of Wykeham|author-link=Arthur Francis Leach|first=Arthur Francis |last=Leach}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=March, Earls of|volume=17|pages=685–688|first=Ronald John|last=McNeill|authorlink=Ronald McNeill, 1st Baron Cushendun}}
* {{cite DNB|wstitle=De la Mare, Peter|author-link=Edward Maunde Thompson|first=Edward Maunde |last=Thompson|year=1888}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1376 in England]]
[[Category:14th-century English parliaments]]
[[Category:Corruption in England]]
[[Category:Privy Council of England]]
[[Category:Edward the Black Prince]]