Helen Lacey | University of Oxford (original) (raw)
Papers by Helen Lacey
Journal of Medieval History, 2008
This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author f... more This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author for non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author's institution, sharing with colleagues and providing to institution administration. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright
A New World Post COVID-19, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown have led to academics and media outlets looking for his... more The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown have led to academics and media outlets looking for historical parallels to draw lessons from. Whilst great care needs to be taken when trying to relate events many centuries apart, this chapter reviews the Black Death (1348-1351) and particularly focuses upon its economic impact on England. We will contextualise the pandemic and illustrate both the immediate and longer term outcomes of this devastating event. Whilst we can direct the reader to implications for our current situation, we will also discuss the many differences of these two global events.
The fundamental contention of this study is that the royal prerogative of mercy played a pivotal ... more The fundamental contention of this study is that the royal prerogative of mercy played a pivotal role in later medieval society, both in influencing the day-today application of the law in the royal courts, and in shaping relations within the political community. In light of the recent neglect by historians of the role of the royal pardon, this study suggests that medieval notions of mercy and grace deserve a more thorough and nuanced appraisal than they have so far received. This thesis deals with several different facets of the royal pardon: its place in the legal system as a safeguard against inequitable judgements at common law; its role in reconciling the polity with the crown at moments of political crisis; and the discussion it provoked among legal theorists, literary authors, jurors and supplicants for mercy. Furthermore, it seeks to develop the study of medieval political culture by examining the role of the royal pardon across a whole range of institutions and models of political thought. Medieval perceptions of pardoning were influenced by legal theory, but also by the dictates of an evolving common law and by the role of patronage and affinity. The aim of this thesis is to examine the whole variety of political principles and practical constraints which shaped attitudes towards prerogative rights such as the royal pardon. This approach not only allows the full importance of this prerogative to be realised, but also, in a broader sense, demonstrates that 'new constitutional history' can usefully be taken forward and adapted for future scholarship. This thesis establishes the central role played by the royal pardon in the life of the medieval English populace, and, in so doing, demonstrates the value of new methodological approaches in pushing forward the boundaries of research into medieval political culture.
The letter of pardon was a document familiar to the king's subjects in the middle ages; imbue... more The letter of pardon was a document familiar to the king's subjects in the middle ages; imbued with symbolic resonance as the judgement of the monarch, it also served a practical purpose, offering a last hope of reprieve from the death sentence or life as an outlaw. The fourteenth century in particular was a pivotal time of change for the system of English justice, and saw the evolution of a legal structure still recognisable today, yet the role of the royal pardon adapted and endured. This book offers the first comprehensive study of the royal pardon in fourteenth-century England, using evidence drawn from legal and literary texts, parliamentary records, yearbooks, and plea rolls to examine the full influence of royal mercy. Its implications go well beyond legal history, encompassing the major political and constitutional debates of the period, the theological underpinnings of royal mercy, and the social context of the law. Chapters analyse the procedures of pardoning, the role...
york.ac.uk
The immediately apparent contrast between the illuminations which accompany the coronation ordo o... more The immediately apparent contrast between the illuminations which accompany the coronation ordo of Liber Regalis, 1 and those which illustrate the Coronation Book of the French king, 2 derives, fundamentally, from the adoption of the "king in majesty" symbolism in the former, as opposed to the individualised narrative of the latter. The explanation for the parallel existence of two such different approaches has long been articulated within a teleological framework concerned to chart the relative progress of different regions towards "naturalism" in representation. Thus this model explained their coexistence in terms of a disparity in technical skill: the French were able to specifically depict Charles V in their coronation book, while the English artists were only able to produce a standard "king in majesty" type in their equivalent. 3 In demonstrating the inadequacy of this approach, it is the fact that Liber Regalis is not the English equivalent of the French Coronation Book, which must be brought to the fore. The comparisons that have been made between the texts of the two ordines have served to associate manuscripts which in fact belong to different genres. 4 Indeed, it is this difference in the function of the two manuscripts which prompts the adoption of contrasting illustrations: the function of the manuscript was surely the overriding influence on the nature of the illustrations that accompanied it. Rather than attempting to perpetuate the untenable suggestion that English artists were unable to
Anales de la Universidad de Alicante. Historia Medieval, 2017
This article examines the reported speech of individuals who were accused of voicing criticism of... more This article examines the reported speech of individuals who were accused of voicing criticism of the monarch or of royal government in fourteenthcentury England. These words were attributed to individuals outside of the social elite, who were then drawn into political discourses shaped by the ideologies and institutional structures of the state. This process might influence relations between neighbours and local communities, as well as between individuals and the officials who represented the Crown. When we think about how this affects our understanding of late medieval political culture, we need to think about the whole context of the accusation: the role of 'informers', witnesses and local juries. Political news sometimes emanated from royal office holders, messengers, clerks and sheriffs, allowing them to demonstrate just how well-connected they were with those in power. They could also manipulate the process to accuse opponents of spreading false tales and pursue local vendettas through the royal courts. All those who participated in the process had to interact with the language and procedures of royal government and they constructed their narratives carefully as part of the performance required by the various courts, councils and tribunals they came before. The written records, then, allow us to examine how the words of these individuals were rendered in textual form, and further, to think carefully about how they were represented as subjects of the Crown.
Journal of Medieval History, 2008
This article focuses on the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 as a means of examining some of the late med... more This article focuses on the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 as a means of examining some of the late medieval assumptions about the nature of royal mercy. Rather than adding to the weight of scholarship on the causes and characteristics of the Revolt, this article discusses the views on mercy (‘grace for the rebels’) that were reportedly expressed by all parties during the course of the rebellion. The first section analyses
the chronicles and their references to discussion of pardon and mercy during the revolt itself. The second section examines the role of the royal pardon in the subsequent judicial proceedings in the Home Counties d who were the first recipients of pardon, and how were they able to secure royal grace? The final section then discusses the formulation of the pardon in the autumn parliament, and the debate surrounding the course of government policy in the wake of revolt on an unprecedented scale. This article seeks to demonstrate that the Crown and commons shared a common language of pardon, and understood that by framing their discussion in terms of royal grace, they were alluding to a particular kind of idealised relationship between the king and his subjects.
Journal of Medieval History, 2008
This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author f... more This article was published in an Elsevier journal. The attached copy is furnished to the author for non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the author's institution, sharing with colleagues and providing to institution administration. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright
A New World Post COVID-19, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown have led to academics and media outlets looking for his... more The COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown have led to academics and media outlets looking for historical parallels to draw lessons from. Whilst great care needs to be taken when trying to relate events many centuries apart, this chapter reviews the Black Death (1348-1351) and particularly focuses upon its economic impact on England. We will contextualise the pandemic and illustrate both the immediate and longer term outcomes of this devastating event. Whilst we can direct the reader to implications for our current situation, we will also discuss the many differences of these two global events.
The fundamental contention of this study is that the royal prerogative of mercy played a pivotal ... more The fundamental contention of this study is that the royal prerogative of mercy played a pivotal role in later medieval society, both in influencing the day-today application of the law in the royal courts, and in shaping relations within the political community. In light of the recent neglect by historians of the role of the royal pardon, this study suggests that medieval notions of mercy and grace deserve a more thorough and nuanced appraisal than they have so far received. This thesis deals with several different facets of the royal pardon: its place in the legal system as a safeguard against inequitable judgements at common law; its role in reconciling the polity with the crown at moments of political crisis; and the discussion it provoked among legal theorists, literary authors, jurors and supplicants for mercy. Furthermore, it seeks to develop the study of medieval political culture by examining the role of the royal pardon across a whole range of institutions and models of political thought. Medieval perceptions of pardoning were influenced by legal theory, but also by the dictates of an evolving common law and by the role of patronage and affinity. The aim of this thesis is to examine the whole variety of political principles and practical constraints which shaped attitudes towards prerogative rights such as the royal pardon. This approach not only allows the full importance of this prerogative to be realised, but also, in a broader sense, demonstrates that 'new constitutional history' can usefully be taken forward and adapted for future scholarship. This thesis establishes the central role played by the royal pardon in the life of the medieval English populace, and, in so doing, demonstrates the value of new methodological approaches in pushing forward the boundaries of research into medieval political culture.
The letter of pardon was a document familiar to the king's subjects in the middle ages; imbue... more The letter of pardon was a document familiar to the king's subjects in the middle ages; imbued with symbolic resonance as the judgement of the monarch, it also served a practical purpose, offering a last hope of reprieve from the death sentence or life as an outlaw. The fourteenth century in particular was a pivotal time of change for the system of English justice, and saw the evolution of a legal structure still recognisable today, yet the role of the royal pardon adapted and endured. This book offers the first comprehensive study of the royal pardon in fourteenth-century England, using evidence drawn from legal and literary texts, parliamentary records, yearbooks, and plea rolls to examine the full influence of royal mercy. Its implications go well beyond legal history, encompassing the major political and constitutional debates of the period, the theological underpinnings of royal mercy, and the social context of the law. Chapters analyse the procedures of pardoning, the role...
york.ac.uk
The immediately apparent contrast between the illuminations which accompany the coronation ordo o... more The immediately apparent contrast between the illuminations which accompany the coronation ordo of Liber Regalis, 1 and those which illustrate the Coronation Book of the French king, 2 derives, fundamentally, from the adoption of the "king in majesty" symbolism in the former, as opposed to the individualised narrative of the latter. The explanation for the parallel existence of two such different approaches has long been articulated within a teleological framework concerned to chart the relative progress of different regions towards "naturalism" in representation. Thus this model explained their coexistence in terms of a disparity in technical skill: the French were able to specifically depict Charles V in their coronation book, while the English artists were only able to produce a standard "king in majesty" type in their equivalent. 3 In demonstrating the inadequacy of this approach, it is the fact that Liber Regalis is not the English equivalent of the French Coronation Book, which must be brought to the fore. The comparisons that have been made between the texts of the two ordines have served to associate manuscripts which in fact belong to different genres. 4 Indeed, it is this difference in the function of the two manuscripts which prompts the adoption of contrasting illustrations: the function of the manuscript was surely the overriding influence on the nature of the illustrations that accompanied it. Rather than attempting to perpetuate the untenable suggestion that English artists were unable to
Anales de la Universidad de Alicante. Historia Medieval, 2017
This article examines the reported speech of individuals who were accused of voicing criticism of... more This article examines the reported speech of individuals who were accused of voicing criticism of the monarch or of royal government in fourteenthcentury England. These words were attributed to individuals outside of the social elite, who were then drawn into political discourses shaped by the ideologies and institutional structures of the state. This process might influence relations between neighbours and local communities, as well as between individuals and the officials who represented the Crown. When we think about how this affects our understanding of late medieval political culture, we need to think about the whole context of the accusation: the role of 'informers', witnesses and local juries. Political news sometimes emanated from royal office holders, messengers, clerks and sheriffs, allowing them to demonstrate just how well-connected they were with those in power. They could also manipulate the process to accuse opponents of spreading false tales and pursue local vendettas through the royal courts. All those who participated in the process had to interact with the language and procedures of royal government and they constructed their narratives carefully as part of the performance required by the various courts, councils and tribunals they came before. The written records, then, allow us to examine how the words of these individuals were rendered in textual form, and further, to think carefully about how they were represented as subjects of the Crown.
Journal of Medieval History, 2008
This article focuses on the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 as a means of examining some of the late med... more This article focuses on the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 as a means of examining some of the late medieval assumptions about the nature of royal mercy. Rather than adding to the weight of scholarship on the causes and characteristics of the Revolt, this article discusses the views on mercy (‘grace for the rebels’) that were reportedly expressed by all parties during the course of the rebellion. The first section analyses
the chronicles and their references to discussion of pardon and mercy during the revolt itself. The second section examines the role of the royal pardon in the subsequent judicial proceedings in the Home Counties d who were the first recipients of pardon, and how were they able to secure royal grace? The final section then discusses the formulation of the pardon in the autumn parliament, and the debate surrounding the course of government policy in the wake of revolt on an unprecedented scale. This article seeks to demonstrate that the Crown and commons shared a common language of pardon, and understood that by framing their discussion in terms of royal grace, they were alluding to a particular kind of idealised relationship between the king and his subjects.