Graduate Student, History
Thesis Title: Urban Identity in Medieval Lincoln, 1280-1400
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Rob Lutton
Richard Goddard |
About
Medieval Lincoln, arguably one of the most important trading centers in England during the high to late Middle Ages, is a city seldom given the focus it deserves by historians. Whilst the historiography for urban centers such as York, Norwich and Bristol has flourished during the last thirty years, Lincoln has, in terms of its cultural and social components, been left behind.
My PhD sets to redress this imbalance by focusing on identity in the city, and in particular upon the tripartite structure contained therein - church, crown and oligarchy - to elucidate how each was defined independently by itself as well as by others. In so doing, the thesis will draw upon a myriad of sources - archaeological, architectural, and written materials, both religious and secular - and offer an interdisciplinary approach to identity, placing the people and their lives, beliefs and concerns back at the heart of the city's history.
Chapters will include a discussion on the physical space of the city. Who lived where and why and how did topography define and redefine urban relations? The use of ecclesiastical and secular forms of law will also be discussed in separate chapters to see how individuals or groups were dealt with by their respective authorities. A fourth chapter will focus on the relationships between the citizens and outsiders, as it is important not to look at Lincoln as an isolated platform; the city was as much a centre for those in the region as it was for those lived there, housing, for example, the castle, where the sheriff resided, the cathedral and the bishop’s palace, as well as a large number of monastic institutions and guilds.
The final chapter will deal with the divisions between the religious and the laity. How did the large ecclesiastical population affect those living within and without its walls? Were relations cordial between the laity and those in orders, was there a greater feeling of piety, or was the converse in fact the case? Did individuals or groups reject the church in favour of their own gilds and fraternities?
What the PhD seeks to do, therefore, is to draw a synchronic portrait of the city, and to understand and explicate the importance of religious and secular forms of government on its people during the Middle Ages.
