Leper Knights: The Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem in England, c.1150-1544 (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion) [Paperback]

David Marcombe (Author)

Book Description

Series: Studies in the History of Medieval Religion | Publication Date: April 2004

One of the most unusual contributions to the crusading era was the idea of the leper knight - a response to the scourge of leprosy and the shortage of fighting men which beset the Latin kingdom in the twelfth century. The Order of St Lazarus, which saw the idea become a reality, founded establishments across Western Europe to provide essential support for its hospitaller and military vocations. This book explores the important contribution of the English branch of the order, which by 1300 managed a considerable estate from its chief preceptory at Burton Lazars in Leicestershire. Time proved the English Lazarites to be both tough and tenacious, if not always preoccupied with the care of lepers: following the fall of Acre in 1291 they endured a period of bitter internal conflict, only to emerge reformed and reinvigorated in the fifteenth century. Though these late medieval knights were very different from their twelfth-century predecessors, some ideologies lingered on, though subtly readapted to the requirements of a new age, until the order was finally suppressed by Henry VIII in 1544. The modern refoundation of the order, a charitable institution, dates from 1962. The book uses both documentary and archaeological evidence to provide the first ever account of this little-understood crusading order. DAVID MARCOMBE is Director of the Centre for Local History, University of Nottingham.

Editorial Reviews

Review

He is to be congratulated on having so thoroughly reconstructed the history of the English province of the order... It makes an important contribution to our understanding of English rural society in the period 1140-1540... The work...is of high scholarly calibre and I recommend it unreservedly. EAST MIDLAND HISTORIAN (Bernard Hamilton) The book succeeds in presenting the Lazarites as an example of the continuing importance of "passive crusading". CRUSADESA long-awaited and detailed study. HISTORY A well-researched (and) valuable contribution. AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEWA pioneering study. NORTHERN HISTORY A very thorough investigation. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

About the Author

David Marcombe is Director of the Centre for Local History, University of Nottingham.

Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Boydell Press (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843830671
• ISBN-13: 978-1843830672
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,320,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Knights of Lazerus, September 1, 2011

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C. Repicky "Marshal of the Temple" (Fortress of Jacob's Ford) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Leper Knights: The Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem in England, c.1150-1544 (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion) (Paperback)

A good purchase for any fan or follower of the lesser known Military Orders of the Crusades. This one goes through the life span of the Lazurus Order in England. I found the prose to be a bit bland and wasn't as captivated as I get with other books.
It is still worth the purchase for a complete library on the Military Orders and their "offshoots".