They were served by a number of
thegns, who had duties in the household, which was composed of the
hall, the courtyard, and the bedchamber. They were important men -
thegns by rank. They were landholders, often in several areas, and
held leading positions in the shires. They were also priests and
clerics, who maintained the religious services and performed tasks
for which literacy was necessary. Edward was the first king to
have a "Chancellor". He kept a royal seal and was the chief royal
chaplain. He did all the secretarial work of the household and
court, drew up and sealed the royal writs, conducted the king's
correspondence, and kept all the royal accounts. The word
"chancellor" signified a screen behind which the secretarial work
of the household was done. He had the special duty of securing and
administering the royal revenue from vacant benefices. The most
important royal officers were the chamberlains, who took care of
the royal bedchamber and adjoining wardrobe used for dressing and
storage of valuables, and the priests. These royal officers had at
first been responsible only for domestic duties, but gradually
came to assume public administrative tasks.

Edward wanted to avoid the pressures and dangers of living in the
rich and powerful City of London. So he rebuilt a monastic church,
an abbey, and a palace at Westminster about two miles upstream. He
started the growth of Westminster as a center of royal and
political power; kings' councils met there. Royal coronations took
place at the abbey. Since Edward traveled a lot, he established a
storehouse-treasury at Winchester to supplement his traveling
wardrobe. At this time, Spanish stallions were imported to improve
English horses. London came to have the largest and best trained
army in England.

The court invited many of the greatest magnates and prelates
[highest ecclesiastical officials, such as bishops] of the land to
the great ecclesiastical festivals, when the king held more solemn
courts and feasted with his vassals for several days. These
included all the great earls, the majority of bishops, some
abbots, and a number of thegns and clerics. Edward had a witan of
wise men to advise him, but sometimes the King would speak in the
hall after dinner and listen to what comments were made from the
mead-benches. As the court moved about the country, many men came
to pay their respects and attend to local business. Edward started
the practice of King's touch