In what year did English become the official language used for drafting documents?

Alright, let's talk about when English officially elbowed its way into legal documents. For centuries after the Norman Conquest in 1066, French was the language of the English court and government. Think about it: the ruling class was Norman French! Over time, though, English started to creep back into use among all levels of society. By the 14th century, there was a growing sense of English identity, and a push to use English in more formal settings. Crucially, in 1362, the Statute of Pleading made English the language of the courts, although legal records were still kept in Latin. It wasn't until around 1400 that English really took hold as the language used for drafting official documents. So, while other dates might seem plausible, 1400 marks a significant turning point where English started to be formally used in writing official documents.