The Royal Funerary and Burial Ceremonies of Medieval English Kings, 1216-1509 Anna M. Duch ...

367 Pages·2016·1.63 MB·English

TheRoyal Funeraryand Burial Ceremonies of Medieval English Kings,
1216-1509
AnnaM. Duch
DoctorofPhilosophy
UniversityofYork
History
May2016
2
Abstract
WhenErnst KantorowiczpublishedTheKing’sTwoBodiesin1957, far greater
importancewasplaceduponthebody politic, theofficeofKing, thanonthebody natural, the
kingasa man. Inpart, thisthesissetsout to overturnthisnotion:theroyalcorpsewasthe
centralandmost vitalelementoftheroyalfunerary andburialceremonies, andconcernforthe
royalbody anditssoullastedfor centuries. AlthoughtheKingalways lived, themortalkingdid
not becomeinert or nullupondeath.
TheEnglishroyalfuneralhasbeenunderstudied. ThepracticalmechanicsofEnglish
kings’ funerals(including thepreservationofthebody, theroleoftheChurch, andtheevents
oftheceremonies)havenot beenlaidout clearly. Thisthesisseeksto updatetheanalysisof
bothindividualkingly funeralsandtheoverarching development ofroyalexequiesover three
centuries, fromJohnin1216to Henry VIIin1509. It ismy argument that thelanguageused
intheroyalprescriptivefunerary andburialtextspermittedindividual variationbasedon
personalpreferences, the uniquecircumstancesofthedeath, andtherequirementsofthe
Churchfor a Christianburial. Theroyalprescriptivetextswereelastic, enablinga wide variety
ofkingsduringthemedievalperiodto belaidto rest fittingly andhonorably, accordingto their
station. Theseprescriptivetextsdidnot cover commemoration, anomissionthat allowed
flexibility incelebratingthelegacy ofa deceasedking. Inspecialcases, the livingelectedto
rebury thedead, beit for practicalreasonsor to enhancethelegaciesofboth parties. The
ceremoniesandtheensuingcommemoration,combinedwitha pronounced preferencefor
burialinEnglandfor membersoftheroyalhouse, formedanEnglishroyal way ofdeath.
3
TableofContents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
TableofContents............................................................................................................................3
Preface.............................................................................................................................................6
Acknowledgements.........................................................................................................................7
Author’sDeclaration.......................................................................................................................8
Chapter I: Introduction..................................................................................................................9
TheCaseofEdwardIV..............................................................................................................9
Historiographic Background.....................................................................................................13
ThePresent WorkandItsPurpose.........................................................................................17
Sources.......................................................................................................................................21
AnOutlineofContents.............................................................................................................30
TheCaseofKingJohn..............................................................................................................33
Chapter II: At the Hour ofDeath ..............................................................................................38
John............................................................................................................................................41
Henry III....................................................................................................................................43
EdwardI....................................................................................................................................45
EdwardII...................................................................................................................................46
EdwardIII.................................................................................................................................49
RichardII...................................................................................................................................51
Henry IV....................................................................................................................................54
Henry V.....................................................................................................................................56
Henry VI....................................................................................................................................58
EdwardIV..................................................................................................................................59
EdwardV...................................................................................................................................61
RichardIII.................................................................................................................................63
Henry VII..................................................................................................................................66
Conclusions...............................................................................................................................67
Chapter III: By theBooks............................................................................................................70
DeExequiisRegalibus...............................................................................................................72
ThePersonalWillsofKings.....................................................................................................85
TheLiberRegieCapelle...........................................................................................................95
ArticlesOrdainedbyKingHenryVIIfortheRegulationofHisHousehold......................107
Conclusions.............................................................................................................................111
4
Chapter IV:DisruptionandDeviation.......................................................................................118
Disruptive.................................................................................................................................121
Deviant?...................................................................................................................................133
CulturalTransmission.............................................................................................................147
TheCaseofEdwardII............................................................................................................156
Conclusions.............................................................................................................................164
Chapter V: Location...................................................................................................................168
Westminster Abbey.................................................................................................................169
Worcester Priory.....................................................................................................................184
Leicester GreyfriarsandChertsey Abbey...............................................................................186
Gloucester Abbey andKing’sLangley....................................................................................188
Canterbury Cathedral..............................................................................................................191
St.George’sChapel, Windsor................................................................................................193
England....................................................................................................................................196
Conclusions.............................................................................................................................202
Chapter VI:Statusand Agency inCommemoration.................................................................206
TheCareoftheLiving............................................................................................................210
Anniversaries...........................................................................................................................217
Tombs......................................................................................................................................230
Conclusions.............................................................................................................................250
Chapter VII:ReburialandTranslation......................................................................................253
TheNecessity ofReburial.......................................................................................................255
BLHarley MS 6466, ff.33r-34v.............................................................................................260
TheCaseofRichardII...........................................................................................................264
TheCaseofHenry VI............................................................................................................271
TheCaseofRichardIII..........................................................................................................280
Conclusions.............................................................................................................................288
Chapter VIII: TheLast Things.................................................................................................291
TheCaseofEdwardV............................................................................................................291
Outbound: BeyondtheThesis...............................................................................................298
TheConclusion.......................................................................................................................300
5
Appendix One: LiturgicalSourceInformation.........................................................................311
Appendix Two:ComparisonofVespers, OfficeoftheDead..................................................315
Appendix Three: ComparisonofMatins, OfficeoftheDead.................................................316
Appendix Four:ComparisonofLauds, OfficeoftheDead.....................................................318
Appendix Five: ComparisonoftheMassesofthe BlessedVirginMary.................................319
Appendix Six:ComparisonoftheMassoftheTrinity..............................................................321
Appendix Seven: ComparisonofRequiemMass.....................................................................322
Appendix Eight:Appendix Eight:DatesofDeathandBurial..................................................323
Appendix Nine: InitialBurialSitesandAgency, 1216-1509....................................................324
Appendix Ten:Miracles ofHenry VIinCirculationPrior to theBattleofBosworth............325
List ofAbbreviations...................................................................................................................326
Bibliography................................................................................................................................328
6
“Andyoumay say to her, indeed, that if shewasright to grievefor thedeath ofher sister, she
should havestartedmourningthehour that her sister wasfirst married[…]for fromthat
moment, oneshouldhaveconsideredher to bedeadandlost.”
--EdwardIto Brother Henry, Queen
Margaret’sconfessor, onhowto sweetly
comfort Margaretafter her sister’sdeath,
19May 1305
7
Acknowledgements
InSeptember 2012, at thebeginningofmy finalyear asa master’sstudent, Iattended
Orbit, a specialevent for theFort WorthSymphony Orchestra. Alongwith a morefamous
pieceby Strauss, theorchestra playedJohnAdams’ “Short Rideina Fast Machine.” How
fittingthat titlewasfor the academic maelstromthatfollowed!
First, I must thankmy supervisor, Professor MarkOrmrod, for hisguidance, profound
patience, andwisdomin allthings. Evenfromtheearliest daysofour correspondence, Ihave
appreciatedhiskindness. Imust also thankMrs.CarolineKennan, not onlyfor her
professionalassistance, but also for her friendlinessandwarmth.
IntheDepartment ofHistory at theUniversity ofYork, IthankProfessor JohnCooper
andProfessor SarahReesJonesfor their input. Ialso thanktheDepartment for givingmethe
opportunity to participateinthePost GraduatesWho Teachprogramme. IthanktheCentre
for MedievalStudiescommunity at largefor their support, especially Dr.Michele
Campopiano, Dr.LauraCrombie, GillianGalloway, Brittany Snowcroft, ChrisLinsley, Jeff
Berry, Erika Graham-Goering, andparticularly ElizabethBiggs.
Thisthesiswouldnot be possiblewithout thepeopleat thevariousarchives. Ithank
Dr.DavidMorrisonat Worcester Cathedral; Dr.PaulDryburghandthestaffat theNational
Archives; Gary Brannanat theBorthwickInstitute for Archivesat theUniversity ofYork; the
staff at St.George’sChapel, Windsor; MissChristineReynolds, AssistantKeeper of
Munimentsat Westminster Abbey; andthestaffat theBritishLibrary. Iapologizeto anyoneI
may havemissedonthislist.
Therearea number ofpeopleintheacademic community that haveofferedmeadvice
andinsight, andothersthat haveallowedmeto contributeinsomesmall way to their own
projects.Iwould liketo thankProfessor Elizabeth A.R.Brown, Professor ChrisGiven-Wilson,
Professor DouglasBiggs, Professor GwilymDodd, Dr.Elena Woodacre, Dr.ArminDietz, Dr.
JoelBurden, Dr.Lucinda Dean, Dr.Becky Holdorph, andEmma Levitt. Again, Iapologize
for any omission.
Although severalthousandmiles haveconsistently separatedusfor thelast sevenyears,
Ithankmy family for their support inthisendeavour; Icamefromnowherestrange. Lastly, I
thankmy favouritesouvenir fromTexas, LukeTruxal. It’strue. Allofit.
8
Author’sDeclaration
Ideclarethat thisthesisis a presentationoforiginalwork, andIamthesoleauthor. Some
elementshave beenpresentedasconferencepapers, but these havenot been published. This
workhasnot beenpreviously presentedfor anawardat thisor any other University. All
sourcesareacknowledgedasReferences.
9
Chapter I: Introduction
TheCaseofEdwardIV
EdwardIV’stombvault, sharedwithhisqueen, ElizabethWoodville, wasfoundby
workersandthenopened 14March1789inthe presenceofMessrsCarliol, Emlyn, andLind,
membersoftheSociety ofAntiquaries.1 Withinlivingmemory, in1774, EdwardI’stombhad
beenopened, revealinga well-preservedmonarchcoveredinresplendent medievaltreasures.2
What wouldbefoundwithEdwardIV?
Thefinaljourney ofEdwardIV’scorpsehadbeen well-documented. Thenatureofhis
deathanddeathbedspeechhadbeendramatized by contemporarychroniclers.3 Therewasan
officialaccountofhisfunerary andburialceremonies. Variousheralds, Garter knights, and
other scribesmadecopies ofthisoriginalmanuscript, addingtheir personal knowledgeto the
narrative. Extantcopies4 oftheEnglishnarrativeincludeBLAdditionalMS 45131, f.23andff.
27v-29v; BLEgertonMS 2642, ff.181r-182vand 186v-188v; CollegeofArmsMS I.7ff.7v-8v;
CollegeofArmsMS I.3, f.7vandff. 8v-10v; CollegeofArmsMS I.IIff.84-86v; andan
accountpublishedinthefirst volumeofArchaeologia, derivedfroma manuscript ownedby
JohnAnstis, antiquary andGarter KingofArms.5 Thelast may bea compilationofthedetails
intheother fivemanuscriptslistedabove.6 AFrenchaccount, foundinCollegeofArmsMS
Arundel51, ff.14-18, offersa secondnarrativeofthesameevents.7
1J.Carliol,H.Emlyn,andJ.Lind,“TheVault,Body,andMonumentofEdwardIVinSt.George’sChapelat
Windsor,”VetustaMonumenta,3(1790),1-4,platesVII,VIII,andIX.
2JosephAyloffe,“AnAccountoftheBodyofKingEdwardtheFirst,asItAppearedonOpeningHisTombinthe
Year1774,”Archaeologia,3(January1775),376-431.
3SeeChapterII,59-61.
4ThislistwaspartiallycompiledwhenthecompletelistinTheRoyalFuneralsofTheHouseofYorkatWindsor
wasencountered. AfulldescriptionofthesemanuscriptsandacollatedversionoftheEnglishnarrativeisfound
inAnneF.SuttonandLiviaVisser-FuchswithR.A.Griffiths,TheRoyalFuneralsoftheHouseofYorkat
Windsor(London:RichardIIISociety,2005),32-40.
5“AnExtractrelatingtotheBurialofK.EdwardIV.FromaMSofthelateMr.Anstis,nowinthePossessionof
ThomasAstle,Esquire,”Archaeologia,1(1770),348-355. SeealsoStuartHandley,“Anstis,John(1669–1744),”
ODNB,accessed12May2016,doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/584.
6SuttonandVisser-Fuchs,TheRoyalFuneralsoftheHouseofYork,32
7Ibid,41-45fortranscriptionandtranslation.
10
Thefinancialinformationrelatedto EdwardIV’sfuneralandburialismorelimited, but
stillpresent. ThomasBourchier, archbishopofCanterbury, hadsequesteredtheroyalgoods,
seals, andjewelsdueto theinactionofEdwardIV’sexecutors.8 Later, hegrantedpermission
for thoseexecutorsto havethegoodsvaluedandsoldto pay £1,49617s2dfor thecostsofthe
funeral.9
Tuckedaway amongtheexpensesofRichardIII’s coronationandthefirst eighteen
monthsof hisreign, intherecordsoftheLordChamberlain, isa singlefolio outliningan
accountof“stuffremaining”after EdwardIV’sburial.10 Many oftheclothitemsonthefaceof
thefolio may havebeenusedat EdwardIV’sfuneralandthenreturnedto theLord
Chamberlain. Alternatively, they wereitemsorderedinexcessfor theevent. Theseincluded
clothsofgold, coatsoftheking’sarms, ermineand silktrimmingsfor clothing, andbanners
bearingtheimagesofOur Lady, theHoly Trinity,andthearmsofSt.EdwardtheConfessor.11
Thereareno valuesassignedto theseitems, but thequantity ofeachitemandtheamountof
clothinyardsisprovided; thecost to buy or createtheseitemscanbeestimatedusing
contemporary valuationsofgoods. Archbishops Bourchier’sfigureof£1,49617s2d seems
very plausibleuponviewingthevast amountsofrichcloth.
Theseitemsalso correspondwiththenarrativedescriptionsintheEnglishandFrench
accountsandfulfilthedemandsoftheroyalprescriptivetexts. Thesetexts werecompiledover
thecenturiesandprovidedguidanceandexpectationsfor thesuitabletreatment ofa deceased
king. Oneofthetexts,DeExequiisRegalibus, dictatedthemanner inwhich thedeadking was
to beembalmed, dressed, andarrangedinhiscoffin. To confirmthat allofthishadoccurred,
8RegistrumThomeBourgchier,CantuariensisArchiepiscopiAD1454-1486,editedbyF.R.H.DuBoulay.
CanterburyandYorkSociety,54(Oxford:1957),52.
9Ibid,54.
10TNALC9/50/66r. ThisispublishedinTheCoronationofRichardIII:TheExtantDocuments,editedby
AnneF.SuttonandP.W.Hammond(Gloucester:AlanSutton,1983),140-141.Theauthorsindicatethattheflow
ofsuchsumptuousgoodswasconstant;“aftertheburyingofEdwardIVtherewere255½yardsofvelvetinstock,
afurther821¾yardswereboughtwithintheaccountandamere66yardsremainedattheendoftheaccount,”
70.
11Theverseofthefolioappearstobeaninventoryofaroyalbedroom,includingfeatherbeds,quilts,andpillows.