This is the first full-length analysis of the machinery and men of government under Henry I, which looks in much greater detail than is possible for other contemporary states at the way government worked and at the careers of royal servants. The early twelfth century was a major period of growth in English government apart from the royal household. Royal justice was vigorously administered, setting precedents for the later development of common law. At the local level the powerful sheriffs were kept under control, though aristocratic influence over the office survived. Government provided new opportunities in administration, and it is possible to identify a number of men who were effectively professional administrators. The book will therefore become essential reading on the reign of Henry I and on the general development of English government in the twelfth century.