Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Lesson at a glance

Suitable for: Key stage 2

Time period: Medieval 974-1485

Curriculum topics: Medieval Life

Suggested inquiry questions: What can an object reveal about its owner and life in Medieval England?

Potential activities: Follow the activity in the videos. Explore the imagery in other documents. Create your own seal. Visit Westminster Abbey.

What can an object reveal about its owner and life in Medieval England?

Welcome to Episode 12 of Time Travel TV! This time we’ll be exploring a very special object to find out how it was used in medieval England and what it can tell us about the person who owned it.


Tasks

Part One

Look at the mystery document very carefully and think about what you can see. You might like to discuss your ideas with your helper, or print out the document to circle details as you spot them.

  • What images/writing can you spot on this document?
  • What do you notice about its colour?
  • What do you think it is made from?

Part Two

You’ve worked like a true history detective, gathering lots of evidence from our document.

This object was made for Roger de Quincy, who was the Earl of Winchester, an important figure in Medieval England.

He deliberately chose to include all of these details on it, but why?

  • What could these images and symbols stand for?
  • What can they tell us about Roger de Quincy?

Part Three

This object can tell us quite a lot about Roger de Quincy as a person, and what was important to him, but what exactly is it?

How would it have been used in the 13th Century?

Take a look at our follow-up activities to find out more about this document, and practise your skills by exploring another seal from our collection.

Additional documents to investigate

DL 27/203 & SC 13/F151

 

Further activities

Craft Challenge

Design your own seal! Think about what you enjoy, and symbols which show off your personality. Don’t forget to include a ‘legend’ (writing around the edge of the seal) which describes you. You could design it on paper or model it out of clay.

 

Idea for a visit

Take a trip to Westminster Abbey and look out for a memorial plaque showing Roger de Quincy’s shield on the South Choir aisle. Roger de Quincy donated money to the rebuilding of the Abbey in the Gothic style during the reign of Henry III.

Westminster Abbey is also where Elizabeth, Countess of Holland, married again in 1302, when she returned to England following the death of her first husband.

You can take a virtual tour of Westminster Abbey here: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/learning/virtual-tours



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Lesson at a glance

Suitable for: Key stage 2

Time period: Medieval 974-1485

Curriculum topics: Medieval Life

Suggested inquiry questions: What can an object reveal about its owner and life in Medieval England?

Potential activities: Follow the activity in the videos. Explore the imagery in other documents. Create your own seal. Visit Westminster Abbey.

Related resources

Magna Carta, 1215 and beyond

A medieval revolution?

The Great Seal

What can it tell us?