Slaves and the Unfree in the Laws of Æthelberht

Slaves and the Unfree in the Laws of Æthelberht

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The twelfth-century collection of laws preserved in Textus Roffensis, the ‘Rochester Book’, illuminates the position of those who were slaves during the Anglo-Saxon period.

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Chapter Library Doorway, c. 1340

Chapter Library Doorway, c. 1340

Commissioned by Bishop Hamo de Hythe around the time of the Black Death, the Chapter Doorway is described as one of the finest examples of the English Decorated style, although we find issue its iconography today.

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North Nave Transept haircuts and headwear

Decorative carvings in the form of human heads became popular in church architecture around the turn of the 13th century, fossilising a record of medieval clothing, hairstyles and headwear.

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Masons' marks

Masons' marks

Thousands of marks by the masons provide insights into the construction history of the Cathedral in the 12th century.

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Custumale Roffense, c.1235

Custumale Roffense, c.1235

Dr Christopher Monk introduces the ‘Custumal of Rochester’, a thirteenth-century customs book from the Cathedral Priory of St Andrew full of vivid details not just of the lives of the monks but also offering valuable insight into the servants of the priory.

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The monastic cemetery, 1080-1540

The monastic cemetery, 1080-1540

The monks of Saint Andrew’s Priory were buried to the east of the Cathedral, beneath the site of the Old Deanery and Cathedral car park. Excavations during works over the past 30 years have revealed many skeletal remains from the area.

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