Living at Knole – a Social and Functional History of the House
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A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details KNOLE: AN ARCHITECTURAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY‘S HOUSE, 1456-1538 ALDEN GREGORY VOLUME 1 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Art History UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX October 2010 i DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be submitted in whole or in part to any other University for the award of any other degree Alden Gregory ii UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX Alden Gregory The degree of DPhil, October 2010 Knole: An Architectural and Social History of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s House, 1456-1538 ABSTRACT This thesis analyses new evidence for both the architectural and social histories of the late-medieval Archbishops of Canterburys‘ house at Knole in Sevenoaks, Kent. Built and occupied by a succession of archbishops between 1456 and 1538, Knole is today regarded as one of the most significant medieval houses in Great Britain. Using newly discovered summary building accounts the thesis suggests a new interpretation of the building phases of the house. This has reattributed most of the major phases to Archbishop Bourchier (c.1411 – 1486) and suggests that by the time of his death much of the extant fabric had been completed. Significantly it also suggests, for the first time, that Bourchier may have been responsible for building the ranges surrounding Green Court; a part of the house that has previously been attributed to later owners of Knole. The thesis also suggests that of Bourchier‘s successors at Knole only Archbishop Warham (c.1450 – 1532) made any significant alterations to the building and attributes to him the timber-framed ranges around Pheasant Court and the east front, including the Brown Gallery. In addition to its architecture, the thesis also considers how a house like Knole was used by the archbishops and discusses the evidence for its differing functions. It compares Knole to other late-medieval houses and palaces, most significantly to the nearby house at Otford; another property built by the Archbishops of Canterbury. The thesis concludes that, alongside some ritual and business functions, Knole‘s primary role was as a country retreat away from the demands of Court and politics. iii CONTENTS Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................vi List of Abbreviations.......................................................................................................viii INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 1) Background ...................................................................................................................1 2) The Architectural Historiography .................................................................................3 3) Architectural Phasing ....................................................................................................7 PART ONE: BUILDING KNOLE .................................................................................9 Phase 1 A – Knole Before 1445 ........................................................................................9 1) Knole‘s Early History ...................................................................................................9 2) The Early Owners of Knole ........................................................................................11 3) The Birdhouse Site ......................................................................................................13 Phase 1 B – Sir James Fiennes, 1445-1456 .....................................................................16 1) Sir James Fiennes ........................................................................................................16 2) Sir James Fiennes and the Evidence for Building Work at Knole ..............................18 Phase 2 A.1 – Archbishop Bourchier: Early Building Works and the Consolidation and Completion of Phase 1 B, 1456-1459 .......................................................................22 1) Archbishop Thomas Bourchier ...................................................................................22 2) Bourchier‘s Purchase of Knole ...................................................................................23 3) Archbishop Bourchier‘s Building Works ....................................................................25 4) Knole House in 1456 ...................................................................................................29 5) Summary .....................................................................................................................38 Phase 2 A.2 – Archbishop Bourchier: Extending and Rebuilding Knole, 1460-1468 ....40 1) Bourchier‘s Political Resurgence ................................................................................40 2) Knole and its Builders 1460-68 ...................................................................................40 2a) The Auditor: George Honton ................................................................................41 2b) The Masons: Thomas Jurdan, Walter Kyng and Thomas Danyell .......................42 2c) Local Labour at Knole ..........................................................................................45 2d) The Glazier: John Fort ..........................................................................................47 3) The Building Works 1460-68: Dating Evidence .........................................................49 4) The 1460s House .........................................................................................................51 4a) Stone Court North Range ......................................................................................52 4b) Stone Court South Range .....................................................................................53 4c) The Archbishop‘s Staterooms ...............................................................................56 4d) The Staircase.........................................................................................................62 4e) The Gatehouse ......................................................................................................64 4f) Adapting the 1456 House ......................................................................................66 4g) The Chapel ............................................................................................................67 4h) The Solar and the Tower ......................................................................................69 iv Phase 2 A.3 – Archbishop Bourchier: Green Court and Stable Court, 1472-1474 .........72 1) Political Turbulence and the Cessation of Works 1469-1471 .....................................72 2) Resumption of Work 1472-73 .....................................................................................75 2a) Brick Building at Knole ........................................................................................75 2b) Green Court and Stable Court ..............................................................................76 3) A Moat at Knole ..........................................................................................................83 4) Archbishop Bourchier‘s Death ....................................................................................84 Phase 2 B.1 – Archbishops Morton and Deane: Upkeep and Repair, 1486-1503 ...........85 1) Archbishop John Morton .............................................................................................85 2) Archbishop Henry Deane ............................................................................................92 Phase 2 B.2 – Archbishop Warham: Extending the House, 1504-1532 ..........................96 1) William Warham in Knole‘s Phasing ..........................................................................96 2) Warham the Builder ....................................................................................................97 3) Warham‘s Building Works at Knole ...........................................................................98 3a) 1504-1507: Upkeep and Repairs...........................................................................98 3b) 1508-1525: Evidence of New Building at Knole .................................................99 3c) The Brown Gallery, Chapel Corridor, Pheasant Court, the Leicester Gallery and the East Range .............................................................................................103 3d) Remodelling the Kitchen ....................................................................................110 4) William Warham and Otford Palace .........................................................................111 Phase 2 B.3 – Archbishop Cranmer: Upkeep