This book would not have been possible without the support of a number of people, who are too numerous to mention. I am, however, particularly indebted to several curators and conservators, who have been both generous with their time and allowed me unlimited access to a number of works, some of which were not on display. I should like to mention, especially, Véronique Bücken at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, Veronique Vandekerchove (†) at the M van Museum Leuven, and Christiane Haeseler at the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege in Wiesbaden. Others, who helped with specific works, are mentioned in my endnotes.
I would also like to offer my thanks to Lorne Campbell, who provided much needed direction at a crucial stage of my research. The following also gave key advice at different times, for which I am most grateful: Barbara Baert, Alixe Bovey, Joanna Cannon, Geert Claasens, John Lowden, Paula Nuttall, Jan van der Stock and Kim Woods. In addition, I am obliged to Richard Copsey O. Carm, Séverine Lepape and Elspeth de Weerth for their generosity in sharing their unpublished research with me. My most sincere gratitude must also go to Susie Nash, who has been particularly important at every stage of this project, from its conception in 2007. Without her expert knowledge and guidance, this book would never have been written.
Finally, I was given a great deal of assistance along the way by members of the clergy, archivists, librarians, friends and family. I would particularly like to thank Liz McDougall, Jeroen Bos and Fred Satow for their help with translation problems, and Sophie Foden-Pattinson for her help in organising my images. Camilla Geffen was also extremely helpful in reading and commenting on drafts of chapters. My greatest thanks, however, must go to my parents, Brenda and Tony Humpage, for their constant encouragement, and to my husband, Richard, who patiently read several drafts of this manuscript and who was always enthusiastic about yet another Tree of Jesse hunt. It is to him, and my long-suffering daughters, Emily and Georgina, that this book is dedicated.