During the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, an early form of country house began to develop. It was a stage between the medieval castle and the much later form of country house of retreat. Girouard defines the power house as a house owned by members of the ruling elite which purposefully signifies the power that, especially in the fifteenth century, came from power over tenants who they could retain. Guy’s argument is similar to Girouard’s by indicating that the word Lordship was used in law to define the ownership of land and this allowed a continuation of feudal privileges for such superior lords, but the king would still remain at the top of this hierarchical chain. Emery indicates that this superior social status within the local,
