Paul Carley-Annear

Department: HASS
Discipline: History
Research Centre/Unit: Centre for Medieval Studies

Project Summary

My thesis is an examination of those free standing late medieval chapelries, established to meet the needs of dispersed communities, often sited at a distance from the parish church to ease travels of hazardous terrain or harsh seasonal weathers.

It compares the position of chapelries in two counties, Cornwall and Hereford, occupying the most southerly and westerly points from medieval English centres of power and each representing secular, monastic, manorial and castle communities.

Whilst considering why some pre-Conquest chapels evolved through the formation of the parish with parochial rights of baptism and burial, this study will focus on those lesser-studied chapelries for the late medieval period.

The proliferation of chapelries by c.1300 is initially examined within the context of canon law designed to protect the financial interests of the parish church. From this period chapelries became subordinate to their parish church and their challenges for parochial rights prompted a series of conflicts between diocesan authorities, lords and communities evident in late medieval episcopal registers and licences.

However, this study equally argues that relationships between chapelries, other institutions and jurisdictions within the church were often cordial, whereby parochial rights were freely granted by diocesan authorities in co-operation with lords and communities.

Critically, this thesis also examines the wider religious practice of chapelries evident in baptismal, matrimonial and burial ceremonies and how they acted as venues hosting churching and ordinations.

The reformation and its profound impact on parish structures is also examined, bringing supernumerary chapelries into question and this thesis seeks to explain why many, notably in towns, disappeared in consequence of reforming statutes whilst others survived to become the very parish churches that have come down to us today.

Supervisory Team

Professor James Clark and Professor Catherine Rider