A Rural Society after the Black Death is a study of rural social structure in the English county of Essex between 1350 and 1500. It seeks to understand how, in the population collapse after the Black Death (1348-1349), a particular economic environment affected ordinary people's lives in the areas of migration, marriage and employment, and also contributed to patterns of religious nonconformity, agrarian riots and unrest, and even rural housing. The period under scrutiny is often seen as a transitional era between 'medieval' and 'early-modern' England, but in the light of recent advances in English historical demography, this study suggests that there was more continuity than change in some critically important aspects of social structure in the region in question. Among the most important contributions of the book are its use of an unprecedentedly wide range of original manuscript records (estate and manorial records, taxation and criminal-court records, royal tenurial records, and the records of church courts, wills etc.) and its application of current quantitative and comparative demographic methods.

With special emphasis on the period following the Black Death, this new collection of essays explores agriculture and rural society during the late Middle Ages. Combining a broad perspective on agrarian problems--such as depopulation and social conflict--with illustrative material from detailed local and regional research, this compilation demonstrates how these general problems were solved within specific contexts. The contributors supply detailed studies relating to the use of the land, the movement of prices, the distribution of property, the organization of trade, and the cohesion of village society, among other issues. New research on regional development in medieval England and other European countries is also discussed.

English rural society underwent fundamental changes between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries with urbanization, commercialization and industrialization producing new challenges and opportunities for inhabitants of rural communities. However, our understanding of this period has been shaped by the compartmentalization of history into medieval and early-modern specialisms and by the debates surrounding the transition from feudalism to capitalism and landlord-tenant relations. Inspired by the classic works of Tawney and Postan, this collection of essays examines their relevance to historians today, distinguishing between their contrasting approaches to the pre-industrial economy and exploring the development of agriculture and rural industry; changes in land and property rights; and competition over resources in the English countryside.

From 1348 to 1350 Europe was devastated by an epidemic that left between a third and one half of the population dead. This source book traces, through contemporary writings, the calamitous impact of the Black Death in Europe, with a particular emphasis on its spread across England from 1348 to 1349. Rosemary Horrox surveys contemporary attempts to explain the plague, which was universally regarded as an expression of divine vengeance for the sins of humankind. Moralists all had their particular targets for criticism. However, this emphasis on divine chastisement did not preclude attempts to explain the plague in medical or scientific terms. Also, there was a widespread belief that human agencies had been involved, and such scapegoats as foreigners, the poor and Jews were all accused of poisoning wells. The final section of the book charts the social and psychological impact of the plague, and its effect on the late-medieval economy.

Praise for the first edition: "Aberth wears his very considerable and up-to-date scholarship lightly and his study of a series of complex and somber calamites is made remarkably vivid." -- Barrie Dobson, Honorary Professor of History, University of York The later Middle Ages was a period of unparalleled chaos and misery -in the form of war, famine, plague, and death. At times it must have seemed like the end of the world was truly at hand. And yet, as John Aberth reveals in this lively work, late medieval Europeans' cultural assumptions uniquely equipped them to face up postively to the huge problems that they faced. Relying on rich literary, historical and material sources, the book brings this period and its beliefs and attitudes vividly to life. Taking his themes from the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, John Aberth describes how the lives of ordinary people were transformed by a series of crises, including the Great Famine, the Black Death and the Hundred Years War. Yet he also shows how prayers, chronicles, poetry, and especially commemorative art reveal an optimistic people, whose belief in the apocalypse somehow gave them the ability to transcend the woes they faced on this earth. This second edition is brought fully up to date with recent scholarship, and the scope of the book is broadened to include many more examples from mainland Europe. The new edition features fully revised sections on famine, war, and plague, as well as a new epitaph. The book draws some bold new conclusions and raises important questions, which will be fascinating reading for all students and general readers with an interest in medieval history.

This collection of essays, whose title echoes that of her most well-known book, celebrates the career of Barbara A. Hanawalt, emerita George III Professor of British Studies at The Ohio State University. The volume's contents -- ranging from politics to family histories, from intimate portraits to extensive prosopographies -- are authored by both former students and career-long colleagues and friends, and reflect the wide range of topics on which Professor Hanawalt has written as well as her varied methodological approaches and disciplinary interests. The essays also mirror the variety of sources Professor Hanawalt has utilized in her work: public documents of the law courts and chancery; private deeds, charters, and wills; works of both religious and secular literature. The collection not only illustrates and reinforces the influence of Barbara Hanawalt's work on modern-day medieval studies, it is also a testament to her inspiring friendship and guidance during a career that has now spanned more than three decades.

This collection of essays, whose title echoes that of her most well-known book, celebrates the career of Barbara A. Hanawalt, emerita George III Professor of British Studies at The Ohio State University. The volume's contents -- ranging from politics to family histories, from intimate portraits to extensive prosopographies -- are authored by both former students and career-long colleagues and friends, and reflect the wide range of topics on which Professor Hanawalt has written as well as her varied methodological approaches and disciplinary interests. The essays also mirror the variety of sources Professor Hanawalt has utilized in her work: public documents of the law courts and chancery; private deeds, charters, and wills; works of both religious and secular literature. The collection not only illustrates and reinforces the influence of Barbara Hanawalt's work on modern-day medieval studies, it is also a testament to her inspiring friendship and guidance during a career that has now spanned more than three decades.

New to the "Problems in European Civilization" series, this is the only text to contain secondary sources on the Black Death. The essays—organized by cultural, municipal, and medical reaction to the disease—are preceded by helpful introductions to provide students with a context for each source. The text features the latest in scholarship and a flexible format that allows instructors to assign those essays and sections that best suit course needs.