Aspects of archaeology, history, landscape, material culture and structures of bishops’ houses in the English dioceses of Carlisle and Durham, and the Scots dioceses of Glasgow and St Andrews c1450-1660

Abstract

Using historical and archaeological datasets, this PhD explores how bishop’s palaces reflect the differing needs and ambitions of their residents between 1450 and 1660. These two centuries witnessed both great religious transformation during the English and Scottish Reformations and political upheaval during the English Civil War and the period of the Commonwealth. Yet the episcopacy was central throughout as bishops, preoccupied with their judicial and spiritual responsibilities, continued to manage their large and dispersed estates.
The last major study of bishop’s palaces was published in 1998 by Michael Thompson, more than 20 years ago. Few have been analysed since and little has been done to place results into their wider political, social and regional context. This doctoral thesis redresses that imbalance with an analysis of the four bishoprics of Durham, Carlisle, Glasgow and St. Andrews. The diversity of their fortunes and geography maximises opportunities for comparison and contrast. Durham was one of the wealthiest bishoprics, Carlisle one of the poorest while the inclusion of Glasgow and St. Andrews spans the Anglo-Scottish border. How did the changing political and religious setting affect the function of these sites and how might these changes be reflected in the archaeological record?
Four major themes are addressed: household and family, hospitality, bishop’s houses and their landscapes, and what became of their houses when the bishops were no longer present. The approach is interdisciplinary, combining archaeological and historical data including unpublished ‘grey literature’, historic documents, cartography and illustrations as well as evidence from the most recent archaeological excavations. Finally, there are strong strategic and academic reasons to view this PhD as timely. The topic aligns with the AHRC funded-initiative ‘Religion and Society’, as well as a major new permanent exhibition exploring the history of faith in Britain which is to be housed in a new national museum at Bishop Auckland, a favoured residence of the Bishops of Durham.