Gentry culture in late-medieval England

The essays in this fascinating and important collection examine the lifestyles and attitudes of the gentry in late-medieval England. They consider the emergence of the gentry as a group distinct from the nobility, and consider the various available routes to gentility. Through surveys of the gentry’s military background, administrative and political roles, social behaviour and education, the reader is provided with an overview of how the group’s culture evolved and how it was disseminated. Studies of the gentry’s literacy; their reception, creation and circulation of literature; their religious activities, and their experiences of music and the visual arts more directly address the practice and expression of this culture, exploring the extent to which the gentry’s activities were different from those of the wider population. As a whole, the book offers a broad view of gentry culture that explores, reassesses, and sometimes even challenges the idea that members of the gentry cultivated their own distinctive cultural identity.

This book will appeal to students looking for a comprehensive introduction to late-medieval gentry culture, as well as to researchers interested in gentry studies more generally.

Contents

List of contributors

Acknowledgements

List of abbreviations

Editors Introduction

1. Gentility – Philippa Maddern

2. Chivalry – Maurice Keen

3. Politics – Peter Fleming

4. Education and recreation – Nicholas Orme

5. Literacy – Alison Truelove

6. Literature – Raluca Radulescu

7. Cultural networks – Deborah Youngs

8. Religion – Christine Carpenter

9. Music – Tim Shaw

10. Visual culture – Thomas Tolley

Bibliography and further reading

Index