The Medieval Chantry Chapel

Simon Roffey

ISBN 10: 1843833344 / ISBN 13: 9781843833345

Published by Boydell and Brewer Ltd, GB, 2007

About this Item

An archaeological investigation into the structure of the medieval chantry chapel, with many implications for religious practice at the time.The chantry -- a special, often private, chapel within a church dedicated to a particular benefactor or benefactor's family, where prayers for the benefactor's soul were said -- was probably the most common, and also one of the most distinctive, of all late medieval religious foundations. These structures, although much altered with time, are still a very noticeable feature of many late medieval parish churches. However, no systematic, thorough or comparative examination has been undertaken to discover what they may reveal about contemporary devotion, aspiration and planning. This is a void which this book seeks to fill. It shows how the use of archaeological approaches can illuminate aspects of medieval religious practice only hinted at in many historical documents; it also demonstrates how the structural and spatial analysis of former chantry chapels can shed light on the level of private and communal piety and reveal a wider, more universal, context to chantry foundation in the medieval parish church. In addition, it discusses how various personal strategies for intercession shaped both chapel space and fabric, and the ultimate effects of the Reformation on such structures. Includes a selected gazetteer of chantry chapels. Dr SIMON ROFFEY teaches in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Winchester.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781843833345

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Medieval Chantry Chapel
• Publisher: Boydell and Brewer Ltd, GB
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1843833344
• ISBN 13: 9781843833345
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 472 grams

About this title

Synopsis

An archaeological investigation into the structure of the medieval chantry chapel, with many implications for religious practice at the time.

The chantry -- a special, often private, chapel within a church dedicated to a particular benefactor or benefactor's family, where prayers for the benefactor's soul were said -- was probably the most common, and also one of the most distinctive, of all late medieval religious foundations. These structures, although much altered with time, are still a very noticeable feature of many late medieval parish churches. However, no systematic, thorough or comparative examination has been undertaken to discover what they may reveal about contemporary devotion, aspiration and planning. This is a void which this book seeks to fill. It shows how the use of archaeological approaches can illuminate aspects of medieval religious practice only hinted at in many historical documents; it also demonstrates how the structural and spatial analysis of former chantry chapels can shed light on the level of private and communal piety and reveal a wider, more universal, context to chantry foundation in the medieval parish church. In addition, it discusses how various personal strategies for intercession shaped both chapel space and fabric, and the ultimate effects of the Reformation on such structures.
Includes a selected gazetteer of chantry chapels.

Dr SIMON ROFFEY teaches in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Winchester.

About the Author

Simon Roffey is a Reader in medieval history at the University of Winchester with research interests in the archaeology of the early and later medieval periods, the archaeology of Winchester, church and building archaeology and the influence of the medieval period on creative writing and popular culture, including novels, films, games and art forms.