The Lancastrian Affinity 1361-1399

Abstract

Abstract John of Gaunt was arguably the most powerful nobleman in later medieval England, and his imposing affinity - household servants, indentured retainers, and estate officials - formed one of the most crucial bases of his power. This book examines in detail its genesis, composition, and actions. Simon Walker makes full use of the available sources, particularly seigneurial archives, to turn the focus away from the centre towards the local communities of shire and hundred, wherein lay the basis of law, order, and administration in Lancastrian England. Simon Walker shows the extent to which an even greater magnate like John of Gaunt was constrained in the policies he pursued by the actions and expectations of his followers. His exploration of the Lancastrian affinity in its local context modifies accepted views of `bastard feudalism', and increases our understanding of the powerful but still enigmatic figure of John of Gaunt himself.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 83 citations exist upstream.