The King’s Historiographer: John Capgrave, Austin Identity, and the Pursuit of Royal Patronage

Abstract

This essay argues that Capgrave’s self-presentation as an unaligned historian of the Lancastrian usurpation is an essential aspect of a strategy whereby he attempts to attract royal support for himself and for his order of Austin friars. It highlights Capgrave’s bid to raise his order’s profile as a means of increasing the likelihood of securing that support and it examines the ways in which he incorporates the friars’ history throughout his writing to that end. Special emphasis is placed on the development of Capgrave’s understanding of the role of the material book in his attempts to attract backers. The author’s sensitivity to the links between the reputation of his order and his work as an author and a publisher means that he may usefully be considered alongside more familiar fifteenth-century writers who likewise aim to shape public opinion for their own benefit and for the benefit of their associates.