Mark
Bailey, trans.
The English Manor c.1200 - c.1500.
Manchester
University
Press, 2002.
Manchester
Medieval Sources series.
xiv,258pp.
Publisher's
recommended price
Hardback
ISBN 0719052289, £49.99
Paperback ISBN 0719052297, £14.99
The
English Manor
c.1200-c.1500 provides a comprehensive introduction and essential
guide
to one of the most important institutions in medieval England and to
its
substantial archive.
Almost
all historical
studies of the economy and society of medieval england are based upon
extensive
research into manorial records, but they offer limited discussion about
the documents themselves. Similarly, tens of thousands of these records
are readily accessible in local record offices and libraries across
England,
but their structure and terminology can appear daunting to the
inexperienced
student or local historian. This is the first book to offer both a
detailed
explanation of the form, structure and evolution of the manor and its
records,
and translations of, and commentaries upon, each category of document
to
illustrate their main features.
The
book begins
with a discussion of the nature and variety of the manor, and its
origins
and development. Then each category of manorial documents - surveys,
extents,
rentals, custumals, inventories, accounts and court rolls - is
considered
in turn, beginning with a broad discussion of its layout, form, usage,
administrative context, evolution over time, and its potential in
historical
research. Examples of each category of record are then provided in
translation,
followed by shorter extracts selected to illustrate interesting,
commonly
occurring, or complex features.
The
book is a
valuable source of reference for undergraduates wishing to understand
the
sources which underpin most of the research on the medieval economy and
society, and for lecturers and teachers offering source-based courses
on
the subject. It is also an essential guide and companion to
postgraduate
and local historians engaged in research on medieval manorial records.
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