Recently I came across the 1922 book “Life on a Mediaeval Barony: A Picture of a Typical Feudal Community in the Thirteenth Century” by William Stearns Davis, preserved by Project Gutenberg. It explores daily life in the 1200s through the lens of a fictional barony, with chapters about what mornings were like in the castle, the games people played, clothes they wore, their education, etc., etc.

I was almost completely distracted from the text, however, by the illustrated drop capitals, with their miniature knights and castles and towns. I saved all 23 of them and put them here. There was one repeat — the first drop cap in the book, an “I” with a knight standing next to it — but otherwise they were all unique.

A

‘A’ with people

‘A’ with seal

‘A’ with armed men

‘A’ with women

B

‘B’ with castle

C

‘C’ with castle on hill

E

‘E’ with castle

I

‘I’ with knight

‘I’ with distant town

N

‘N’ with castle

O

‘O’ with dignitary

S

‘S’ with armed party

‘S’ with mounted spearman

T

‘T’ with castle

‘T’ with town

‘T’ with musicians

‘T’ with mounted and walking men

‘T’ with house

‘T’ with man outside town gate

‘T’ with seated woman

W

‘W’ with castle

‘W’ with cavalry

‘W’ with castle