In The Foundations of Gentry Life, Peter Coss examines the formative years of the English gentry. In doing so, he explains their lasting characteristics during a long history as a social elite, includ
This book is a study in the evolution of English society between c. 1180 and c. 1280. The argument proceeds by means of a detailed analysis of the honour and locality of Coventry, concentrating upon the nature of lordship and upon the social and economic fortunes of knights, free tenants and local administrators, and the relationships between them. A further dimension is added by the existence of an important seignorial borough at the centre of the locality. The book therefore not only explores the role of the town in the evolution of the knightly class, but also examines more broadly the relationship between town and country in this period. Following this analysis the book turns to a broader consideration of the fortunes of the knightly class in the Warwickshire region and to the issues surrounding the evolution of knighthood in general.
This book is a study in the evolution of English society between c. 1180 and c. 1280. The argument proceeds by means of a detailed analysis of the honour and locality of Coventry, concentrating upon the nature of lordship and upon the social and economic fortunes of knights, free tenants and local administrators, and the relationships between them. A further dimension is added by the existence of an important seignorial borough at the centre of the locality. The book therefore not only explores the role of the town in the evolution of the knightly class, but also examines more broadly the relationship between town and country in this period. Following this analysis the book turns to a broader consideration of the fortunes of the knightly class in the Warwickshire region and to the issues surrounding the evolution of knighthood in general.
Medieval culture was intensely visual. Although this has long been recognised by art historians and by enthusiasts for particular media, there has been little attempt to study social display as a subj
