Description

Piety and Prestige in Medieval Suffolk

Edited by Peter Bloore and Edward Martin

Wingfield may now be a quiet and rather small rural village in north Suffolk, but in medieval times it was the seat of the del la Pole family, who rose from lowly merchants to the uppermost level of the aristocracy.

This book is the result of papers delivered at a 2012 symposium where Wingfield was explored in the context of its landscape, the building of the castle, church and chantry college, and the symbolic function of these structures as a demonstration of aristocratic status. A DVD is included.

The book is a major contribution to our understanding of this largely forgotten area of medieval Suffolk; casting new light on the remarkable lives of Sir John Wingfield and the de la Pole family; and adding significantly to a wider understanding of the role of aristocratic patronage of chantry colleges and church monuments, the scale and prestige of which reflected both piety and worldly power.

249 pages