2-619-304 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

King John Signing Magna Charta, 1850. A satirical illustration of King John sighing the Magna Carta. King John signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede, Surrey, 15 June 1215. John (c1167-1216) became King of England in 1199. The Angevin kings of England, Henry II, Richard I and John arbitrarily abused feudal rights. The nobility forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, guaranteeing their restoration. From The Comic History of England by Gilbert Abbott A. Beckett, illustrated by John Leech [Bradbury, Agnew & Co., London, 1850.]