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What did the quo warranto inquiries investigate?

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Edward I Edward I, watercolour, 15th century; in the British Library (Cotton MS. Julius E. IV).

The quo warranto inquiries, initiated under the Statute of Gloucester in 1278, were legal proceedings designed to bring existing franchises under royal control and prevent the unauthorized assumption of new ones.12

During these proceedings, the magnates and other tenants were required to demonstrate "by what warrant" or legal right they held their specific franchises, jurisdictions, and liberties. By compelling individuals to justify their authority, King Edward I sought to strengthen royal authority and ensure that these powers were not being exercised without proper legal standing. These inquiries created significant debate, which was eventually addressed and resolved through the Statute of Quo Warranto of 1290.12