The Earls of Hereford and Their Retinue: A Network of Architectural and Sculptural Patronage in Twelfth-Century England, ca. 1130–55

Abstract

Miles of Gloucester, earl of Hereford (1141–43), and his son, Roger, earl of Hereford (1143–55), were two of the main participants in the civil war between King Stephen (1135–54) and his cousin, the empress Matilda. Previous assessments of the earls have focused on their political and military careers, and particularly their transgressions against the Church. A lesser known fact is that both men were significant patrons of ecclesiastical architecture and sculpture, and were responsible for founding or rebuilding a number of parish churches and chapels. Analysis of the extant twelfth-century architectural sculpture at these sites suggests that the earls sought to develop and propagate a certain repertoire of church decoration, while also looking to prestigious cathedral and abbey churches for inspiration. The earls commanded a sizable following of lesser magnates and secular lords, some of whom were responsible for founding or rebuilding their own parish churches and seigneurial chapels. Judging from the sculptural evidence, these retinue members emulated one another and their lords, the earls of Hereford. Altogether, these findings present an alternative cultural perspective on secular lordship in twelfth-century England.