Book Description

Fourteenth Century England has quickly established for itself a deserved reputation for its scope and scholarship and for admirably filling a gap in the publication of medieval studies. HISTORY Drawing on a diverse range of documentary, literary and material evidence, the contributors to this volume examine several inter-related topics on political, social and cultural matters in late medieval England. Aspects of both arms production and armigerous society are explored, from the emergence of royal armourers in the early fourteenth century to the social implications of later armour and armorial bearings. Another major focus is the church and religion more broadly. The nature and significance of the ceremonial entry, the adventus, of bishops is explored, as well as the legal impact of provisions in shaping church-state relations in mid-century. Religious constructsof women are considered in a comparative analysis of orthodox and Lollard texts. Finally, a group of papers looks at aspects of politics at the centre, with an examination of the queenship of Isabella of France and the issue of the Mortimer inheritance in the early years of Richard II. J.S. Hamilton is Professor and Chair, Department of History, Baylor University. Contributors: Beth Allison Barr, Philip Caudrey, Katherine Harvey, Mark King, Malcolm Mercer, Shelagh Mitchell, Lisa Benz St John, Charlotte Whatley