The Bassets of High Wycombe : politics, lordship, locality and culture in the thirteenth century

• Main Author: Stewart-Parker, William John
• Other Authors: Carpenter, David Arscott
• Published: King's College London (University of London) 2015
• Subjects: 900
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.650775

This thesis will examine the careers of Alan Basset of High Wycombe and his descendants, in politics, government and society in the thirteenth century. Alan’s five sons boasted varied and dynamic careers: Thomas was a household knight and died on campaign with the crown; Gilbert, although a knight of the royal household, was driven into rebellion in the early 1230’s; Warin died defending his family’s honour in this rebellion; Fulk rose to become bishop of London; and Philip, despite taking part in Gilbert’s insurrection, was in royal service from the 1240’s, becoming Justiciar between 1261-1263 in the midst of the period of reform and rebellion. The research will add to the body of knowledge concerning the relationships between different layers of society both locally and across the kingdom, and demonstrate how service to the Angevin kings could establish a family’s fortune. The study will consider themes of family relationships, landholding, affinity networks, neighbourhood, ecclesiastical patronage and religious devotion, marriages and inheritance, including the role of the Basset women as wives, widows and heiresses in extending family networks, alongside individual careers in royal and church offices. The developing wealth and status of the Bassets of High Wycombe both individually and as a family will be set against the broader contemporary economic and social changes, affecting the knightly class in particular. The research is based on the unique corpus of charter material concerning the family. There is throughout the century an interesting division within the family between loyalists and rebels, which will illustrate issues relating to disinheritance and restoration, and the formal and informal mechanisms deployed in the pursuit of reconciliation. The research will furthermore examine the changing ideology of lordship itself - honour, duty, service and religious devotion- and the evolving relationship between lords and their tenants.