A Place in Town in Medieval and Early Modern Westminster: The Origins and History of the Palaces in the Strand.

WESTMINSTER (London, England); STRAND, The (London, England); ENGLAND

The establishment in Westminster of royal and national government was the prime force behind most changes in that locality, particularly in the medieval and early modern periods, and this was particularly true of the spread and type of buildings in Westminster. The so-called bishops' palaces which stood in the Strand in the Middle Ages have received much notice because of their distinctive grouping and antiquity. This article re-examines their origin and purpose and shows that their creation was linked with royal government and was the work of royal ministers, rather than as part of episcopal property. It also shows that the necessities of royal government continued to underpin their later history in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including their transfer to lay ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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