Political culture in later medieval England : essays by Simon Walker

Simon Walker studied modern history at Magdelen College, Oxford, graduating with first-class honours in 1979. When Walker began researching the retinue of John of Gaunt in 1980, 'bastard feudalism' had been the subject of debate for thirty-five years. A study of John of Gaunt's retinue could be expected to throw important, if not decisive, light on these problems. For not only was his the largest retinue in late medieval England, but for thirty years the duke himself had a dominant role in the domestic, military and diplomatic policy of England. In 1994, Michael Jones and Walker published for the Camden Society an edition of all the surviving private life indentures for peace and war apart from those of John of Gaunt and William, Lord Hastings. Walker's introduction to the volume reviewed the evolution of life indentures, the range of services they embraced, the regulation of obligations for service and reward, and the changing role of such indentures over the period 1278-1476. From these broad investigations into the balance of power between magnates and gentry, Walker returned to examine how, in individual cases, two men from different backgrounds built their careers on noble and royal patronage. Walker then turned to examine the retrospective view of the 1399 revolution in literate culture. He used case studies to build up a picture of collective mentalities among different social grades and vocational worlds, hoping ultimately to construct a new approach to the tensions and strength of the late medieval polity. This Is An Important Collection Of Pioneering Essays Penned By The Late Simon Walker, A Highly Respected Historian Of Late Medieval England. One Of The Finest Scholars Of His Generation, Walker's Writing Is Lucid, Inspirational, And Has Permanently Enriched Our Understanding Of The Period. The Eleven Essays Featured Here Examine Themes Such As Kingship, Lordship, Warfare And Sanctity. There Are Specific Studies On Subjects Such As The Changing Fortunes Of The Family Of Sir Richard Abberbury; Yorkshire's Justices Of The Peace; The Service Of Medieval Man-at-arms, Janico Dartasso; Richard Ii's Views On Kingship, Political Saints, And An Investigation Of Rumour, Sedition And Popular Protest In The Reign Of Henry Iv. An Introduction By G.l. Harriss Looks Back Across Walker's Career, And Discusses The Historiographical Context Of His Work. Both The New And Previously Published Pieces Here Will Be Essential Reading For Those Working On The Late Medieval Period. Front matter Dedication Contents Editorial note and acknowledgements Introduction I. Lordship and service Lordship and lawlessness in the palatinate of Lancaster, 1370–1400 Sir Richard Abberbury (c. 1330–1399) and his kinsmen: the rise and fall of agentry family Communities of the county in later medieval England Yorkshire justices of the peace, 1389–1413 Janico Dartasso: chivalry, nationality and the man-at-arms II. Political culture Richard II’s views on kingship Rumour, sedition and popular protest in the reign of Henry IV Remembering Richard: history and memory in Lancastrian England Political saints in later medieval England The Yorkshire risings of 1405: texts and contexts Civil war and rebellion, 1200–1500 A bibliography of the published writings of Dr Simon Walker Index An important collection of essays on the subjects of kingship, lordship, warfare and sanctity, penned by the highly respected historian of late medieval England, the late Professor Simon Walker