Employment on the Priory of Durham Estates, 1494–1519: The Priory as an Employer

Abstract

This article argues that during the years in which he was Archbishop of York, 1514 to 1530, Thomas Wolsey monopolised the patronage of the city of York's governing institution. Unlike previous patrons, Wolsey's status as both the prelate of the archdiocese and the most prominent Crown minister and favourite of Henry VIII, gave him an unprecedented position in the city's quest for securing royal favour. The mayor and commonalty of York were not only aware of Wolsey's pre-eminent standing, but sought to exploit their perceived special connection with him for the city's economic benefit. It was York's governors who initiated and strived to maintain a continual patron-client relationship with Wolsey. In doing so, they deviated from the typical pattern of clientage among sixteenth-century urban governments by forsaking multiple ties with other local and regional notables. Brokers formed the channel through which patronage and clientage were transmitted. These were both men associated with Wolsey through archidiocesan administration and resident locally, and men situated in Wolsey's London household at York Place. By examining patronage and clientage in the context of the city's most pressing issues, this article sheds light on urban-Crown relations in the early Henrician period under Wolsey's supremacy.     

The Life and Career of Sir William Plumpton from 1404 to 1480

Abstract

Plumpton, an ardent Lancastrian, received protection and patronage from the Percies and was loyal to them throughout his life. He enjoyed exceptional local power from 1438 to 1460 as steward of the Honour of Knaresborough. He served as a JP, an MP, sheriff, and steward of Northumberland's Spofforth and other estates in Yorkshire, as well as overseeing his own lands in four counties. Detailed study of the Knaresborough court rolls and Duchy of Lancaster records led to a re-examination of the dating and interpretation of his officeholding and career, particularly in the 1460s and 1470s. He did not regain the stewardship in 1460s, as was believed, but was re-instated in 1471; he was replaced within a few years, probably because of corruption. Principal officeholders at Knaresborough, 1438–1500, are listed, and further unpublished material includes cases which the litigious Plumpton initiated in King's Bench from 1461. His attitudes, often cheating and ruthless, to friends and family, are examined, and his career compared with those of other members of the gentry; Plumpton's status is examined, this being aided by the findings from a rare unpublished fifteenth-century subsidy roll.     

Henry VIII's Progress Through Yorkshire in 1541 and its Implications for Northern Identities

Abstract

Henry's visit to the North in 1541 has been seen as, alternatively, a powerful response to the ongoing threat to order in the years after the Pilgrimage of Grace or a move in diplomatic relationships with Scotland and France. This paper suggests the level of immediate threat of disorder in the North was low and that the role of the journey in relations with Scotland was more its consequence than its cause. Rather it finds the significance of the visit in a potential renegotiation of the position of the North within the wider realm, a question opened by political and constitutional changes since 1530, a negotiation which the King himself overthrew. Instead of accommodation, Henry sought to emphasise the extent of his defeat of the Pilgrims and the Percy interest, and to humiliate utterly all but the most clearly loyal elements, especially in York itself. Yet the memory of his triumph, if triumph it was, was poisoned for Henry by his failure to meet James of Scotland and by the collapse of his marriage to Catherine Howard; and it passed remarkably quickly from the collective memory of the North, overlain by a developing sense of relations with the Tudors, as with their predecessors, as supportive of a distinctive northern identity.     

TIN ISOTOPY—A NEW METHOD FOR SOLVING OLD QUESTIONS

Tin was a vital commodity in times past. In central Europe, the earliest finds of tin‐bronze date to about 2200 bc , while in Greece they are c. 400–500 years earlier. While there is evidence for prehistoric copper mining—for example, in the Alps or mainland Greece, among other places—the provenance of the contemporary tin is still an unsolved problem. This work deals with a new approach for tracing the ancient tin via tin isotope signatures. The tin isotope ratios of 50 tin ores from the Erzgebirge region (D) and 30 tin ores from Cornwall (GB) were measured by MC–ICP–MS. Most ore deposits were found to be quite homogeneous regarding their tin isotope composition, but significant differences were observed between several deposits. This fact may be used to distinguish different tin deposits and thus form the basis for the investigation of the provenance of ancient tin that has been sought for more than a century. Furthermore, the tin‐isotope ratio of the ‘Himmelsscheibe von Nebra’ will be presented: the value fits well with the bulk of investigated tin ores from Cornwall.     

GEOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE VOLCANIC TUFFS USED IN THE ETRUSCAN TOMBS OF NORCHIA (NORTHERN LATIUM,ITALY) AND A STUDY OF THE FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR RAPID SURFACE AND STRUCTURAL DECAY

The geochemical and engineering geological properties of the tuffs used in the rock‐cut cliff tombs of the Etruscan necropolis of Norchia were investigated to evaluate their susceptibility to different weathering agents and confirm their origin. For the first time, materials were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA, DGA and DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM–EDS) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (ED–XRF), and their different origins confirmed. Tests of material properties indicate that both tuffs are poorly durable, but one of them is less susceptible to weathering. Although tombs made with the more resistant material show limited surface weathering, they undergo severe structural damage because of stress release and plant root infiltration. This, combined with the microclimatic conditions established inside river canyons, can trigger rock falls, leading ultimately to the complete destruction of these tombs.     

OXYGEN AND CARBON ISOTOPE ANALYSIS OF HUMAN TOOTH ENAMEL FROM THE NEW KINGDOM SITE OF TOMBOS IN NUBIA

This study examines the feasibility of using oxygen isotope analysis of tooth carbonate to identify immigrants from the New Kingdom site of Tombos in Nubia (n = 30). In comparison with published data, the results (δ¹⁸O_ca,VSMOW = 31.4‰) imply a substantial presence of immigrants. However, further analysis of these data strongly suggests the need to consider hydrological and cultural factors such as the contribution of aquifer waters to the Nile, use of groundwater sources, and differences in handling and storage of water. The carbon isotope analysis, in conjunction with published ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data, provides additional support for the presence of immigrants at Tombos.     

ORTHOIMAGE‐BASED DOCUMENTATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STRUCTURES: THE CASE OF A MEDIAEVAL WALL IN PONTEVEDRA,SPAIN

During the completion of the expansion works at the Museum of Pontevedra (Spain), a stretch of about 60 m of the medieval walled enclosure surrounding the historic city centre was discovered. Due to its value as a heritage element, the discovery of this archaeological structure required the implementation of preservation activities and exhaustive documentation so that future generations will be able to know and enjoy this piece of history. This paper presents digital models that reproduce the original structure of the wall using close‐range digital photogrammetry, as well as orthophotos, which thoroughly document the dimensional and textural characteristics of the archaeological site. In addition to analysing the accuracy and validity of photogrammetry in the conservation of archaeological heritage, a methodology of data capture, processing and photogrammetry representation is evaluated.     

ELECTROCHEMISTRY AND AUTHENTICATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL LEAD USING VOLTAMMETRY OF MICROPARTICLES: APPLICATION TO THE TOSSAL DE SANT MIQUEL IBERIAN PLATE

An essentially non‐invasive electrochemical methodology addressed to the authentication of archaeological lead is described. The method is based on the record of the voltammetric response of nanosamples from the archaeological artefact mechanically transferred to a graphite ‘pencil’ electrode in contact with aqueous buffers. Three diagnostic criteria for authentication are described based on the appearance of: (i) oxidative dissolution signals for trace metals like copper, arsenic, antimony and, often, tin and silver accompanying stripping peaks for lead, (ii) peak potential shifts for reduction peaks for patination products, and (iii) the presence of reduction peaks for PbO₂. The method is applied to the authentication of an Iberian lead plate from the Tossal de Sant Miquel (Llíria, Spain) site using a series of genuine and false pieces from different provenances in the Valencian region (Spain).     

CLAY RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL CHOICES FOR NEOLITHIC POTTERY (CHALAIN,JURA, FRANCE): CHEMICAL,MINERALOGICAL AND GRAIN‐SIZE ANALYSES*

Many authors have considered pottery manufacturing constraints and sociocultural elements as factors in change in past civilizations over time. The main issue of this research is to better understand the reasons for changes, or choices, in pottery raw materials. The very precise and detailed stratigraphy and cultural succession of occupations is based on dendrochronological data from the lake‐dwelling sites of Chalain (Jura, France). Petrographic, palaeontological and chemical analyses were used to determine the nature and origins of the raw materials used by the Neolithic potters. Stratigraphy and dendrochronological data were used to reconstruct in detail the evolution dynamics of fabric changes. Several raw material sources were identified for many of the pottery groups. Each of them was sampled for qualitative experimental tests of pottery forming. The experimental results show a high variability between the sediments tested. This variability was quantitatively estimated by XRF, XRD, the Rietveld method, calcium carbonate quantification and laser grain‐size analyses of matrices, indirect measures of plasticity. These analytical results allow a better understanding of the differences observed in the experimental tests. On the basis of these experimental and analytical results, changing parameters such as pottery manufacturing constraints, mineralogical characteristics of raw materials and sociocultural factors are considered. In conclusion, all the social and technical parameters, in each archaeological context, must be taken into account for a better understanding of the changes occurring throughout the chronological sequence.