In the Middle Ages, a person could claim sanctuary to delay or avoid punishment for a serious crime. But what were the rules? This week, Danièle interviews Dr. Shannon McSheffrey to find out how and why medieval people sought sanctuary, and whether or not a convicted heretic could expect the church to save his life.
Shannon McSheffrey is a Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal. Her books include Gender and Heresy: Women and Men in Lollard Communities, 1420-1530 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995); Love and Marriage in Late Medieval London (Medieval Institute Publications, 1995); Marriage, Sex, and Civic Culture in Late Medieval London (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006); and Seeking Sanctuary: Law, Mitigation, and Politics in English Courts, 1400-1550 (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Sanctuary Seeker of the Day: In 1525 – probably as a result of a fact-finding mission directed by the king's right-hand man Cardinal Wolsey – a "certificate" of the "persons within St Martin's sanctuary" was drawn up. This is a fascinating snapshot of 1520s #sanctuaryseekers. 1/ pic.twitter.com/3BFo3tGGYj
In the Middle Ages, a person could claim sanctuary to delay or avoid punishment for a serious crime. But what were the rules? This week, Danièle interviews Dr. Shannon McSheffrey to find out how and why medieval people sought sanctuary, and whether or not a convicted heretic could expect the church to save his life.
Shannon McSheffrey is a Professor of History at Concordia University in Montreal. Her books include Gender and Heresy: Women and Men in Lollard Communities, 1420-1530 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995); Love and Marriage in Late Medieval London (Medieval Institute Publications, 1995); Marriage, Sex, and Civic Culture in Late Medieval London (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006); and Seeking Sanctuary: Law, Mitigation, and Politics in English Courts, 1400-1550 (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Way back in 2009 we interviewed Shannon to talk about her work on medieval London. Done before we understood that audio was an important thing ;)
You can subscribe to The Medieval Podcast via iTunes or our RSS feed – click here to listen to more episodes
Top Image: British Library MS Royal 10 E IV f. 206v
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse