HISTORY PPR 2
GCSE
HISTORY (8145)
Paper 2 Shaping the Nation
Resource pack for the 2023 historic environment specified site
The Merchant’s House, Southampton,
Medieval England, the reign of Edward I,
1272–1307
The purpose of this pack is to provide you with guidance and resources to
support your teaching about The Merchant’s House, Southampton, the 2023
specified site for the historic environment part of Medieval England, the reign of
Edward I 1272 -1307. It is intended as a guide only and you may wish to use
other sources of information about The Merchant’s House, Southampton. The
resources are provided to help you develop your students’ knowledge and
understanding of the specified site. They will not be tested in the examination,
as the question targets AO1 (knowledge and understanding) and AO2 (explaining
second order concepts).
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E1
8145/2B/B
, 2
General guidance
The study of the historic environment will focus on a particular site in its historical
context and should examine the relationship between a specific site and the key
events, features or developments of the period. As a result, when teaching a specified
site for the historic environment element, it is useful to think about ways of linking the
site to the specified content in Parts 1, 2 and/or 3 of the specification.
There is no requirement to visit the specified site as this element of the course is
designed to be classroom based.
Students will be expected to answer a question that draws on second order concepts of
change, continuity, causation and/or consequence, and to explore them in the context of
the specified site and wider events and developments of the period studied. Students
should be able to identify key features of the specified site and understand their
connection to the wider historical context of the specific historical period. Sites will also
illuminate how people lived at the time, how they were governed and their beliefs and
values.
The following aspects of the site should be considered:
location, function, and the structure
people connected with the site e.g. the designer, originator and occupants
the design and how the design reflects the culture, values, fashions of the people at the
time
how important events/developments from the depth study are connected to the site.
Students will be expected to understand the ways in which key features and other
aspects of the site are representative of the period studied. In order to do this, students
will also need to be aware of how the key features and other aspects of the site have
changed from earlier periods. Students will also be expected to understand how key
features and other aspects may have changed or stayed the same during the period.
IB/M/
Jun23/8145/2B/B
, 3
Background information for The Merchant’s House, Southampton
Although there had been a settlement at Southampton since Anglo Saxon times, its
importance as a port really began after the Norman Conquest when it was ideally placed
to communicate and trade with the King’s lands in Western France. As a result, it
continued to develop over the next two centuries with its original timber motte and
bailey castle (Resources C & D) being gradually rebuilt in stone along with a further
strengthening of the town’s defences. During this time, medieval kings owned several
properties in the town and had royal accommodation built inside the city walls.
(Resource I). The castle looked over the quays on its western side and was used as a
warehouse for the wine which the King imported which was unloaded there and
managed by the Keeper of the King’s Wine.
Who built the Merchant’s House?
In about 1290 John Fortin, a wealthy Southampton wine merchant (Resource I), had a
house built for himself and his family at 58 French Street, to the south of the King’s
castle. With its gable end facing onto the busy street so that it would bring the merchant
plenty of trade, it was designed to be a shop, store, and home. John’s daughter, Lucya,
went on to marry into another wealthy Southampton merchant family, the Barbfletes,
and records show that their grandson still owned the Merchant’s House nearly one
hundred years later.
This building in Southampton is one of the earliest surviving medieval merchant houses in England.
IB/M/
Jun23/8145/2B/B
