The world of the Stonors
Subtitle: a gentry society
By: Elizabeth Noble.
Publisher: Boydell Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Woodbridge; Rochester, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 224
ISBN-13: 9781843834298
Subjects: Stonor family; Gentry -- England -- Biography; Gentry -- England -- History -- To 1500; England -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485; Oxfordshire (England) -- Social life and customs; Oxfordshire (England) -- Biography; Great Britain -- History -- Lancaster and York, 1399-1485 -- Biography
Genres: Biography
Description: "The Stonor letters and papers of the later middle ages are second in quantity only to the Paston letters. Nevertheless, while studies of the ambitious Pastons abound, no historian has used the Stoner archive to write about this longer-established gentry family from Oxfordshire, despite the fact that their letters and papers have been available in print since the early twentieth century." "The present study helps to rectify this oversight. It argues that lineage, land and lordship were crucial elements in the Stoners' world, both materially and culturally, providing them with status and identity. They asserted their gentle lineage using a range of symbolic and other means, but did not neglect the more mundane management of their scattered lands." "Ties of lordship with the influential helped them to retain these lands, and it is clear that the Stonors worked hard to foster relationships with kin and neighbours. Indeed, their letters and papers allow us a far more extensive yet intimate view of all these social ties (extending over several counties) than is usually possible for the gentry."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [199]-215) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: Approaching the Stonors and their papers; title: The Stonors : a gentry family biography; title: Lineage; title: Landed estate; title: The Stonors' lords; title: Early social networks : Judge John to Thomas I; title: Later social networks and gentry values : Thomas II and William; title: Conclusion: Gentry networks, culture, mentality, and society.