The Knight’s Church: What Privileged Burial Meant

English Heritage describes Conquest Man’s burial as a “privileged burial in a Norman-owned church.” Understanding what that phrase means requires understanding the ecclesiastical and social structure of the period.

In the eleventh century, private churches were a common feature of the English landscape.

A lord who held a manor would typically have a church on his land, a building he had built or controlled, served by a priest whom he appointed, associated with his household and dependents.

These churches were not simply places of public worship.