The Effects of Changes in Tudor Society on the Development of Igtham Mote

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The Effects of Changes in Tudor Society on the Development of Igtham Mote

When Ightham Mote was first built in the 14th Century it was a typical

medieval manor. It consisted of a great hall, crypt, chapel, solars

and kitchens. It had a large moat as its main form of defence,

although this was probably more a status symbol. It has, however

changed in many ways over the years. I am going to concentrate on the

changes during Tudor times and whether these changes link to society

at that time.

Near the beginning of the Tudor period (1485 to 1603) the Haut family

bought Ightham Mote. They made vast improvements and many changes to

the then average country house, this was very typical as people were

always wanting to show off how much money they had and improve their

public status. The Hauts sold the house in 1521 to a courtier of Henry

VII and VIII, Sir Richard Clement. This is thought to be because the

Hauts spent a lot of money improving the house and couldn't afford to

maintain it any more. Clement however, benefited from two rich wives

and a good job and therefore was a member of the increasingly wealthy

and influential gentry class. He was able to complete many changes to

the house. From 1545 to 1591 Ightham Mote was owned by the Allen

family. The wife of Sir Christopher Allen was a known Catholic and the

house was searched for relics in 1585. The Allens did not make many

changes to the house. The end of the Tudor period saw the beginning of

the long period of ownership by the Selby family.

The heart of the building is the great hall. It would have originally

been used for everything, including eating for the whole household,

and sleeping for the servants. In the Tudor period, however, it was

used less and less for everyday activities and was likely to be used

only for special occasions. Most of the alterations made to the great

hall were to make the house more comfortable and fashionable and were

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