The Commercialisation of English Society 1000-1500

The Commercialisation of English Society offers an interpretation of social and economic change in England over five centuries.

R. H. Britnell (Author)

9780521141451, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 July 2009

300 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.44 kg

The Commercialisation of English Society offers an interpretation of social and economic change in England over five centuries. By 1500 English livelihoods depended more upon money and commercial transactions than ever before; the institutional framework of markets had been transformed and urban development was more pronounced. These changes were not, however, caused by any unilinear development of population, output or money supply. This pioneering study examines both institutional and economic transformation and the social changes that resulted and stresses the limited importance of formal trading institutions for the development of local trade. Commercial transition is throughout analysed from a broader perspective that looks at the changing power relations within medieval society (which might loosely be described as feudal) and considers how these relations were affected by such commercial development.

List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Introduction
Part I. 1000–1180: 1. Markets and rules
2. Trade and specialisation
3. Lordship
Part II. 1180–1330: 4. Markets and rules
5. Trade and specialisation
6. Lordship
Part III. 1330–1500: 7. Markets and rules
8. Trade and specialisation
9. Lordship
Conclusions
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], British & Irish history [HBJD1]