Saxon & Medieval — Late Medieval; 15th century
William of Norwich
Part of a pilgrim badge from the shrine of the unofficial saint, St William of Norwich, at Norwich Cathedral in Norfolk. This badge depicts two bare legs standing in a vat (the rest of the figure is missing). There is an inscription on the vat which seems to say ‘S. William’.
The very unreliable legend of William of Norwich’s martyrdom was written by Thomas of Monmouth, a monk at the local priory, in his account, ‘The Life and Miracles of William of Norwich’. William was a twelve-year-old boy who was a tanner’s apprentice. The legend claimed he had been murdered by local Jews in 1140 and his body had been hidden in nearby woods. The body was discovered and eventually moved to a chapel in Norwich Cathedral where many pilgrims came seeking miracle cures.
- Category:
- Saxon & Medieval
- Object ID:
- 82.221/9
- Object name:
- William of Norwich
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Late Medieval; 15th century
- Material:
lead alloy
- Measurements/duration:
- H 19 mm, W 23 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.