Processing Piety and the Materiality of Spiritual Mission at Syon Abbey, 1415- 1539’

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Processing Piety and the Materiality of Spiritual Mission at Syon Abbey, 1415- 1539’ Claire K. Clement – PhD Dissertation Summary Title: ‘Processing Piety and the Materiality of Spiritual Mission at Syon Abbey, 1415- 1539’ This dissertation examines the intersection of spiritual values and material life at Syon Abbey, a wealthy Brigittine double monastery in late medieval England. As an institution it was, paradoxically, directed primarily toward an evangelical goal, while being focused on contemplative women who were strictly enclosed. In this dissertation, I assert that this apparent contradiction was resolved through a high degree of collaboration between the abbey’s religious women and men. I argue that Brigittine monasticism, and that of Syon in particular, was uniquely attuned to metaphors and meanings of materiality, which enabled the abbey to transform the women’s mundane material life of food, clothing, architecture, work, finance, and even bureaucracy, into spiritual fruits to be shared with the Syon brethren through dialogue within confessional relationships, and subsequently, with the laity through the media of sermons, sacraments, books, and conversation. I use the abbey’s extensive household financial accounts in conjunction with Brigittine writings and monastic legislative documents to examine the intersection of ideal material life and its spiritual meaning on the one hand, and the abbey’s lived materiality as reflected in its internal economic and administrative actions, on the other. The central question is the degree to which Syon’s material life was one of luxury in keeping with what the Order’s founder, Saint Birgitta, would have seen as worldly excess, or one of moderate asceticism, in keeping with the Brigittine Rule. Major findings are that in most respects (financial management, gender power, officer appointments, clothing, and some aspects of food), Syon’s materiality was lived in accordance with the Rule and the Brigittine mission, but that in some respects, it erred on the side of elite display and consumption (the majority of food items and the architecture and decoration of the abbey church), and in others, the source material is too incomplete to enable conclusions (the decoration of monastic buildings and the distribution of alms). In addition, by analysing the income from boarding of visitors and offerings from pilgrims, I examine the degree of Syon’s impact on the laity and how it changed with the approaching Dissolution, concluding that the abbey had a significant impact that declined only when legal restrictions were applied. Processing Piety and the Materiality of Spiritual Mission at Syon Abbey, 1415-1539 By Claire Kathleen Clement St. John’s College University of Cambridge Submitted: October 2015 This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at the University of Cambridge This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution. I further state that no part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the History Faculty Degree Committee. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Syon Abbey and the Materiality of Brigittine Mission ....................................... 1 The Spirituality of Medieval Materiality ............................................................................... 6 Brigittine Materiality .......................................................................................................... 10 Sources for the Material Life of Syon Abbey ...................................................................... 15 The Vineyard in Practice..................................................................................................... 21 The Plan of the Dissertation ............................................................................................... 37 Chapter 2: ‘Good Besynes’: The Religious at Work .......................................................... 39 The Syon Community in Overview ..................................................................................... 40 Spiritual Labour and Liturgy ............................................................................................... 41 Intellectual Labour ............................................................................................................. 44 Administrative Work of the Religious................................................................................. 50 Administrative Work of the Sisters ................................................................................ 53 Administrative Duties of the Men .................................................................................. 79 Manual Labour ................................................................................................................... 93 Manual Bookwork .......................................................................................................... 96 Craftwork and Needlework ............................................................................................ 97 Domestic Work .............................................................................................................. 99 Lay Sisters .................................................................................................................... 101 The Impact of Bureaucracy .......................................................................................... 103 Lay Staff............................................................................................................................ 104 Chapter 3: Organizational Alchemy: Hierarchy and Financial Management .................... 109 Financial Organization and Separate Households ............................................................ 109 Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Analysis ................................................................... 115 Syon Abbey Income .......................................................................................................... 121 Right Income Management .............................................................................................. 129 Expenditure in Overview .................................................................................................. 133 Alms ................................................................................................................................. 138 Chapter 4: Orderly Delights: Food Consumption at Syon ............................................... 142 The Brigittine Meaning of Food........................................................................................ 142 Sources for the Study of Syon’s Food ............................................................................... 146 Syon Food and Meal Regulations ..................................................................................... 152 Bread ................................................................................................................................ 157 Pottage ............................................................................................................................. 163 Ale and Beer ..................................................................................................................... 165 Wine ................................................................................................................................. 171 Meat ................................................................................................................................. 175 Fish ................................................................................................................................... 186 Spices and Dried Fruit ...................................................................................................... 194 Other Foods ..................................................................................................................... 203 Syon’s Changing Food Tastes ........................................................................................... 209 Chapter 5: The Fabric of Monastic Life: Textiles and Architecture .................................. 217 Clothing and Bedding ....................................................................................................... 217 Art, Architecture, and Décor ............................................................................................ 226 The Abbey Church ........................................................................................................ 229 The Monastic Buildings ................................................................................................ 235 Conclusion: Sharing the Fruits of Contemplation ........................................................... 240 Sharing the Fruits of Contemplation ................................................................................ 244 Pilgrimage .................................................................................................................... 246 Appendices .................................................................................................................
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