Public History: Its Uses and Abuses Group D Portfolio Henry I And

Public History: Its Uses and Abuses Group D Portfolio Henry I and Reading Abbey Eleanor Hicks, Fraser Hodgkins, Bethany Holt, Sochima Ikpa, Richard Keogh, Georgia Kett, Jodie Larkin and Daniel Lloyd. Contents Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………... 3 Arms and Armour …………………....…………………………………………………….. 7 Interior Design and Furniture ….………....…………………………………………...……. 20 Clothing and Attire ……………………..…………………………………………………... 49 Project Log …………………………………………………………………………………. 54 Minutes ……………………………………………………………………………... 55 Email Correspondence ……………………………………………………………... 68 Facebook Group Screenshots ………………………………………………………..76 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………….... 86 Appendix ……………………………………………………………………………………. 88 2 Introduction Our group project research has been on behalf of a local theatre company, Reading Between the Lines, for their upcoming play based on the life of Henry I. Each of the three groups working on the project have been given different aspects of this period to research, with our group being tasked with looking at material culture, particularly aspects such as clothing, weaponry, interior decoration and objects from that period; essentially the basis of what will form their set design and use of props. When approaching our research, we decided to look at material culture in terms of three categories: weaponry, clothing and attire, and interior design and architecture. We then agreed on forming smaller groups of two or three who would research one of the three categories. Doing so has helped us to avoid overlapping in the material we have looked at, and has made researching more efficient. The negative side of this is that we haven't collaborated on every area of our research; nonetheless, we have continued to feed back to one another as to what we have found from the individual themes that we have each studied. We have worked effectively as a group, with everyone making contributions to discussion and their areas of research. Moreover, we have maintained communication throughout the project and set up a group page which has been used to share research notes, as well as a group chat to ask questions and arrange face to face meetings. We have arranged several face to face meetings, as it is not always guaranteed when using the online page that everyone has seen what is posted, and meeting in person has made this project easier to complete. We have faced a number of challenges throughout our research; one which was apparent from the outset is the period that we are researching. Studying the material culture of a period that was centuries ago poses an obvious dilemma, as even the strongest of materials will deteriorate over time at the very least; thus more delicate objects for example furniture made of wood or objects made from textiles have generally long been destroyed, often simply due to natural processes of decay and corrosion. 3 Additionally, the fact that Henry I led an itinerant lifestyle has made it difficult for objects to be recovered from this period, as being constantly mobile would have meant that household items were more likely to go missing. What's more, even with objects that have been recovered, certain factors have to be considered; for example, it was not uncommon that objects might be recycled, especially materials of value such as gold might be reused to create something else. Furthermore, objects that survived may have been altered over the decades and centuries to reflect the changing tastes in fashion and decor. Thus, when looking at these materials in books or museum catalogues, it should be considered whether this is what the original object would have looked like or whether it has been changed to fit another purpose. Additionally, there is also a scarcity in secondary research on the material culture for this period, with many historians choosing to focus on either the earlier Anglo-Saxon or the later Medieval period. A lack of academic study in these fields is a problem we particularly encountered when looking at weaponry. Bachrach identifies that “from the perspective of medieval military history, arms and armour is arguably a virgin field” and likewise claiming there was “very little effort to integrate the information thus generated into the study of warfare” highlights the challenge faced.1 It was due to this that a broader level of research was needed and similar to the other sub-groups, looking at artwork, tapestries, archaeology and also internet and literary findings helped to inform the final conclusions regarding weaponry during the reign of Henry I. In regards to Clothing, finding evidence and sources for particular social groups proved to be difficult. There was little evidence concerning women and almost none in terms of lower status women. The terminology used created some confusion and so images proved to be a useful accompaniment to this. As a result of the historical material that is available to us, we have had to make certain accommodations by using sources which may not relate as specifically as we had hoped to the given context. We have found, particularly when looking at architecture and decor, that it has been helpful to look at sources and artefacts originating from outside of the Anglo-Norman culture. More specifically, 1 Bernard Bachrach Medieval Siege Warfare: A reconnaissance. The Journal of Military History Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan., , 1994) pp.119-133 (p.130) 4 French material culture from around the same period has been very useful as there is a much greater abundance in the written material. Additionally, much in the way of popular style and decoration under Henry I is likely to have been very similar to that of the French, as the Normans had transmitted much of these French cultural influences since the conquest in 1066. Furthermore, we have sometimes had to compromise by using primary evidence, or secondary research which may relate to a slightly earlier or later period of medieval history. The project has prompted us to adopt a new and more proactive way of looking at history. Whereas many of us would generally solely use library materials to research an essay or project, most of which are secondary sources, our group project has provoked us to look more at primary materials such as artefacts from museum collections. Working as a group has also helped us to develop communication skills, as it was important to ensure all members of the project were up to date with one other’s progress, which we achieved by arranging regular meetings. Furthermore, although we have each worked individually to some extent on each of our research topics, our portfolio and presentation have been compiled collectively; thus, we have all had an input in editing one another's work. 5 Research: I: Arms and Armour II: Interior Design and Furniture III: Clothing and Attire 6 Arms and Armour ● Becoming a knight entailed a long apprenticeship, so was only available to affluent families. ○ The cost of arms and armour would have exceeded that of the lower class. ● Most households would not follow the king on a day-to-day basis. ○ Absence of many military personnel in presence of the king, and even a century after Henry I, the ways of the household may not be so different. 2 ● General supplies ○ Hauberk, Norman Sword, Conical Helmet, Anglo-Saxon Battle Axe and Norman Cavalry Shield. ○ Hauberks were not made in bulk, nor bought from farms or by the king. ○ Each soldier was provided with his own armour. ■ Due to price of chainmail hauberks, boiled or padded leather was more accessible to the poorer class. ○ Most armour was probably repaired several times (handed down). ■ It was common for it to be rusty or have areas of newer chain links, meaning that there would be little uniformity between different sets of chainmail except when they were produced together. 3 ● Crossbows were a reality by this stage ● Trebuchets – weighted artillery 4 ● The use of “Padded garments” – Leather was used as an armour, which offered some protection against arrows. ● A sword would be sheathed on the man’s left side. ○ This is most likely because, for the majority, their right hand was their dominant hand, thus allowing them to draw the sword across their body due to the length. ● Secondary weapon (axe or mace) held on the saddle-bow. ○ The likelihood of losing your weapon in combat was relatively high, therefore some of them may have carried a spare; however, this was only for knights or rich cavalry. ● Mail did not protect from bruises and/or broken bones.5 ● Bearded axes: ○ Triangular blade face, edge slightly curved ○ Slightly longer than swords - staff of axe possibly closer to 3 1/2ft long ● The chainmail fashioned into a cowl with a face opening to be worn beneath the conical helmet ● Kite-shaped shields ○ Effective from horseback 2 Stephen Church, The Household Knights of King John (Cambridge, 1999) pp. 39-40 3 Stephen Morillo, Warfare Under the Anglo-Norman Kings, 1066-1135 (Woodbridge, 1994) pp. 79-80 4 R. Smail, ‘Art of War’, in A. Poole (eds) Medieval England (Oxford, 1958) pp. 142, 144 5 James Mann, ‘Arms and Armour’, in A. Poole (eds) Medieval England (Oxford, 1958) pp. 317-319 7 ○ Used in shield-walls ● Lighter armoured (leather jerkins) archers. As seen on the image on the right, only one archer has mail. ● Anglo-Saxon militia or “Fyrd” – some were only armoured with basic leather or everyday clothes. As seen in the image below, it is not likely that the peasants o militia would have advanced their own armours into the. ● The image above right, showing a horseman, shows no sign of a specified cavalry sword, rather a standard arming sword is seen. The saddle and stirrups are clearly indicated and also a typical scabbard. ● Spears were likely to be between six and seven feet long. ● Bows were approximately 4ft in length with quivers being either on the archers back or hanging at their waist.

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