Medieval Religious Patronage: A Study of the Anglo-Welsh Marcher Lords and their Connections to Religious Houses, 1066-1300.

Abstract

In a world where religion played a far greater role in society than it does in the modern day, it is no surprise that those living in the medieval period desired a close association with the church. Nowhere is this association clearer than with the aristocracy of the time. This project looks in detail at the close relationship between Anglo-Norman castle lords and monastic institutions, considering the different ways in which they patronised religious houses and the spiritual and social gains that they could enjoy as a result of their support. By looking at the study area of the Anglo-Welsh Marches, an overview is built up of the connections between the monastery and the castle, before individual high status Anglo-Norman families and their associated religious institutions are considered to give a more complete and detailed picture. In addition to the social aspects of this association, the wider environments of monastic sites are also studied, raising notable similarities between religious and high status secular landscapes.