Essays offer a lively snapshot of important topics. The essays presented here draw on a number of different approaches and perspectives to address and illuminate key aspects and issues of the period. Longitudinal studies of king's confessors and corrodies of the crown provide insights into the intersection of political, religious and demographic currents over the longue duree, and are complemented by studies of documentary sources of various kinds - newsletters, chronicles, and municipal archives - to challenge current understandings of important events and processes such as the deposition of Edward II, the evolving identity of the parliamentary peers, and Richard II's vision for the house of Lancaster. Prosopographical and biographical studies of post-plague clerics, and of knights within comital affinities and within their own individual affinity groups, shed light on county communities and gentry society; they also demonstrate the impact of the Black Death on society at large, especially on the question of religious continuity and discontinuity at the parish level. Contributors: Paul Dryburgh, Pierre Gaite, Chris Given-Wilson, Michael Jones, Taylor Kniphfer, Samuel Lane, Jonathan Mackman, Alison McHardy, Matt Raven, David Robinson.

Edition of a major, previously unpublished, source for the history of England's medieval parliament. In the Middle Ages clergy of all ranks, from archbishops to parochial clergy, sent proctors to parliament, whether as representatives of constituency groups - diocesan clergy and cathedral chapters - or substitutes for those expected to attend in person. The National Archives series SC 10 contains 2,520 surviving letters of appointments by these parliamentarians, both groups and, more especially, individuals, cathedral deans, archdeacons, and many bishops;especially valuable are the letters sent by bishops whose registers have not survived, as in the case of Chichester and of the Welsh dioceses. Most numerous of all are the letters of parliamentary abbots. This second of twovolumes presents the first printed edition of the documents, opening up a level of political activity and interaction which has hitherto been unexplored. It covers the years from the accession of Richard II until the end of the series under Henry VIII; it also includes an analysis of the proctors, and the indices to both volumes. PHIL BRADFORD gained his PhD in medieval history from the University of York and is currently Vicar of St Michael's,Worcester; ALISON K. MCHARDY was formerly Reader in Medieval English History at the University of Nottingham. She has published extensively on the relations between crown and church in late-medieval England, and on the politics of Richard II's reign.

These writs, previously largely unstudied, prove a rich source of information on government, law and society, as well as the church. The many commands which the crown addressed to bishops represent a rich source of information about the history of government, law, and lay society, as well as about the church itself. The writs collected in this volume touch on many aspects of life in the later fourteenth century, including tax gathering, political upheaval, property disputes, Lollardy, and foreign warfare. The bishop is seen swearing in local officials, setting up commissions of enquiry,organising the attendance of the clergy in parliament, and consulting episcopal archives to answer queries from the lay courts. It also provides a vivid series of vignettes of family life among the gentry class from Yorkshire toHampshire. An extensive introduction places the writs in their historical and archival contexts, and offers suggestions for further lines of research. Dr A.K. McHARDY is the author of numerous articles about the relationsbetween crown and church in late medieval England, as well as an edition of the Clerical Poll-Taxes of the Diocese of Lincoln 1377-1381 (Lincoln Record Society, 1992)

Essays exploring how England was governed during a tumultuous period. The twin themes of power and authority in fourteenth-century England, a century of transition between the high and late medieval polities, run throughout this volume, reflecting Professor Given-Wilson's seminal work in the area. Covering the period between Edward I's final years and the tyranny of Richard II, the volume encompasses political, social, economic and administrative history through four major lens: central governance, aristocratic politics, warfare, and English power abroad. Topics covered include royal administrative efficiency; the machinations of government clerks; the relationship between the crown and market forces; the changing nature of noble titles and lordship;and ideas of court politics, favouritism and loyalty. Military policy is also examined, looking at army composition and definitions of "war" and "rebellion". The book concludes with a detailed study of treasonous English captainsaround Calais and a broader examination of Plantagenet ambitions on the European stage. REMY AMBUHL is Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Southampton; JAMES BOTHWELL is Lecturer in Later Medieval Historyat the University of Leicester; LAURA TOMPKINS is Research Manager at Historic Royal Palaces. Contributors: Andrew Ayton, Michael Bennett, Wendy R. Childs, Gwilym Dodd, David Green, J.S. Hamilton, Andy King, Alison McHardy, Mark Ormrod, Michael Prestwich, Bridget Wells-Furby

The fruits of new research on the politics, society and culture of England in the fourteenth century. Drawing on a diverse range of documentary, literary and material evidence, the essays collected here consider a wide range of important issues for the period. Political and institutional history is addressed in essays on Edward II's personal expenditure and the development and workings of parliament, including an analysis of those neglected "parliamentarians" of the period, the parliamentary proctors. Important new insights into the social history of the fourteenth century are provided by chapters on marriage and the accumulation of lay estates, the brokerage of royal wardship and the important and difficult subject of sexual violence towards under-age girls. Another chapter considers the enormously costly and complex task of feeding and supplying medieval armies across the "long" fourteenth century, while two final pieces offer important new insights into the material culture of the age, focusing in turn on St Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, and the phenomenon of royal reburial. Richly textured with personal and local detail, these new studies provide numerous insights into the lives of great and small in this fascinating period ofmedieval history. GWILYM DODD is Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of Nottingham. Contributors: Elizabeth Biggs, Anna M. Duch, Bridget Wells-Furby, Alan Kissane, Ilana Krug, Alison K.McHardy, Seymour Phillips, Laura Tompkins, Kathryn Warner.

The purpose of this work is to make available sources for the study of the church in London during the last quarter of the fourteenth century. It contains three distinct groups of material. The first consists of six documents concerned with the clerical taxes of the years 1379-81. The second is an assessment of ecclesiastical property in the city of London in 1392. The third consists of the acta of William Courtenay, bishop of London 1375-81, collected from the registers of contemporary bishops, the cartularies of religious houses in the diocese and certain classes of Public Records.

Petitions are vital sources for our knowledge of life in the middle ages. A selection is presented here with English summaries, notes, and introduction. Through the petitions which they addressed to the crown the people of medieval England speak to us directly: the human interest stories they reveal are perhaps the nearest thing to local newspapers which the middle ages have leftus. Petitions were the subject's last resort when normal channels of law and government had failed, and offered kings the opportunity to exercise qualities of generosity, compassion, and sound judgment. However, despite their importance, they have not hitherto been recognized as a source for ecclesiastical history, a gap which this volume rectifies. A selection of over 200 cases shows the religious of medieval England taking full advantage of this mechanism, petitioning as landowners, neighbours, citizens, individuals, and religious orders. The subjects covered range from requests for tax rebates, and complaints about royal officials, to disputes with tenants, with townsmen, monastic rivals, and ecclesiastical superiors. National politics and international warfare are also represented, as are coastal erosion, and higher education. English summaries, explanatory notes and an extensive introduction enhance the reader's appreciation of this rich and remarkable resource. Dr Gwilym Dodd is Lecturer in History at the University of Nottingham, where Dr Alison K. McHardy also taught until her retirement.

These writs, previously largely unstudied, prove a rich source of information on government, law and society, as well as the church.

The many commands which the crown addressed to bishops represent a rich source of information about the history of government, law, and lay society, as well as about the church itself. The material, previously neglected, offers rich rewards to scholars in a variety of disciplines, and the writs collected here touch on many aspects of life the later fourteenth century, including tax gathering, political upheaval, property disputes, Lollardy, and foreign warfare. The bishop is seen swearing in local officials, setting up commissions of enquiry, organising the attendance of the clergy in parliament and the saying of patriotic prayers, and consulting episcopal archives to answer queries from the lay courts. There is also a vivid series of vignettes of family life among the gentry class from Yorkshire to Hampshire. An extensive introduction places the writs in their historical and archival contexts, and suggests further lines of research.

Edition of a major, previously unpublished, source for the history of England's medieval parliament. In the middle ages clergy of all ranks, from archbishops to parochial clergy, sent proctors to parliament, whether as representatives of constituency groups - diocesan clergy and cathedral chapters - or substitutes for those expected to attend in person. The National Archives series SC 10 contains 2,520 surviving letters of appointments by these parliamentarians, both groups and, more especially, individuals, cathedral deans, archdeacons, and many bishops;especially valuable are the letters sent by bishops whose registers have not survived, as in the case of Chichester and of the Welsh dioceses. Most numerous of all are the letters of parliamentary abbots. This volume presents the first printed edition of the documents, opening up a level of political activity and interaction which has hitherto been unexplored. The introduction describes the history of proctorial practice and the fortunes of this source, with an analysis of its contents, while the appendices contain ancillary and misfiled documents, and brief biographies of many of the proctors. This first of a two-volume set covers the period from the beginning of the series under Henry III until the end of Edward III's reign. A second volume, covering the years from the accession of Richard II until the end of the series under Henry VIII, with also include analysis of the proctors and the indexto both volumes. Phil Bradford gained his PhD in medieval history from the University of York and is currently Vicar of St Michael's, Worcester; Alison K. McHardy was formerly Reader in Medieval English History at theUniversity of Nottingham. She has published extensively on the relations between crown and church in late-medieval England, and on the politics of Richard II's reign.

Fourteenth Century England has quickly established for itself a deserved reputation for its scope and scholarship and for admirably filling a gap in the publication of medieval studies. HISTORY This collection represents the fruits of new research, by both established and young scholars, on the politics, society and culture of England and its dependencies in the fourteenth century. Drawing on a diverse range of documentary, literary and material evidence, the studies offer a range of methods, from micro-history and prosopography to the study of institutions, texts and events. The early fourteenth century provides a particular focus of interest, with studies contributing new reflections on the personnel of parliament, the household of Edward II, the politics of Edward III's minority, and reactions to the great famine of 1315-22 and the Black Death of 1348-9. The wars withScotland and France give the opportunity for significant new assessments of international diplomacy, the role of the mariner in the logistics of war, English loyalties in Gascony and the pious practices of medieval knights. Richlytextured with personal and local detail, these new studies provide numerous insights into the lives of great and small in this tumultuous period of medieval history. W. Mark Ormrod is Professor of Medieval History atthe University of York. Contributors: Benoit Grevin, Alison K. McHardy, J.S. Hamilton, Guilhem Pepin, Eliza Hartrich, Phil Bradford, J.S. Bothwell, Craig Lambert, Andrew Ayton, Graham St John, Christopher Phillpotts

Poll-tax records indicate the surprisingly large number of clergy in late-medieval England and suggest the need for a reassessment of the church at that time. The clergy of England, like the laity, were subjected to a series of poll-taxes within a short space of time. This volume prints the surviving assessments made of the clergy of the diocese of Lincoln in the years 1377, 1379 and1381. Most of the material relates to the old county of Lincoln (now Lincolnshire and South Humberside) but there are also surveys of Leicestershire, Rutland, most of Bedfordshire, and parts of Huntingdonshire and Hertfordshire. These poll-tax asessments represent what was virtually a census of the clerical population whose members were listed parish by parish. The documents show us not only that the number of clergy was very great, but that most were without benefices, and that they tended to gather in areas of high prosperity. Publication of this material offers the opportunity to make a reassessment of the clergy and, hence, church of late medieval England. Dr A.K. McHARDY is lecturer in history at the University of Nottingham and has edited The Church in London 1375-1392 for the London Record Society.