The prior of Durham Priory was, for much of the medieval period, a very powerful religous figure who guided the monastery with the piety and seriousness required by the Benedictine Rule. However, this doesn’t mean that, on occasion, he wasn’t open to some levity: we have records of Durham priors employing professional fools (jesters, ‘fatui’, […]
A play festival to accompany the fifteenth triennial colloquium of the Société Internationale pour l’étude du Théâtre Médiéval – jointly sponsored by the North East research team of Records of Early English Drama – will be held in Durham, England on 7-12 July, 2016. If you’re interested in contributing a production to the festival, please […]
This month’s flower comes from the catalogue of Locelli in the Durham Cathedral Muniments (Loc. VI.20), and seems to record the death of a 13th-century tightrope walker, performing on the towers of Durham Cathedral! The record concerns the King Henry III’s objections to the election of of a new bishop. It seems the the […]
‘William our bishope, hath oppugnant been … Confirme our graunt good King‘. This month’s Flower follows on from April’s, both of which concern James I royal visit to Durham in 1617. It too comes from the Order Book of the City of Durham (Durham County Archives ref. Du 1/4/4). In April’s Flower we noted that […]
This months’ Flower comes from the Order Book of the City of Durham (Durham County Archives ref. Du 1/4/4). James I visited Durham in 1617 on his way to Scotland and was welcomed into the city with all due pomp and ceremony. However, behind the scenes there had been a conflict raging in the city […]
The REED-NE Project Office is now open: Room 267 Elvet Riverside II, New Elvet, Durham University (Durham), DH1 3JT; tel. +44 (0)1913344333. If you’re a Durham resident, student or scholar who’s interested in the work of the project, or if you’re going to be visiting Durham in the near future and would like more information […]