Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

The Winchester pipe rolls - the estate accounts of the bishops of Winchester - constitute one of the most remarkable documentary survivals from medieval England, and are without parallel anywhere in the world, supplying detailed evidence for agriculture, prices, wages, the land market and peasant society in an exceptionally well-preserved sequence from 1209 onwards. They have attracted the attention of historians of medieval economy and society for over acentury, first in deposit in the Public Record Office, more recently in Hampshire Record Office. The essays collected here celebrate their survival and demonstrate their quality, putting them into perspective as a documentary source, and assessing how far their evidence is representative of England as a whole. The volume also demonstrates some of the new ways in which they are being put to use to enhance knowledge of medieval England, with a numberof the articles concerned with recent research projects. The book is completed with a handlist of these records up to 1455, the year in which the bishopric administration started to keep its accounts in registers rather than rolls. Contributors: RICHARD H. BRITNELL, BRUCE M. S. CAMPBELL, JOHN LANGDON, JOHN MULLAN, MARK PAGE, K. J. STOCKS, CHRISTOPHER THORNTON, NICHOLAS C. VINCENT. The late RICHARD BRITNELL was Professor of History at the University of Durham.

The late medieval English milling industry epitomizes one of the most important technical achievements of early societies: the exploitation of wind, water and muscle power for augmenting human endeavours. Through a computerized analysis of the number and variety of mills in England from 1300 to 1540, as well as the technology, practices and personnel sustaining them, Langdon reveals the structural evolution of the milling industry, highlighting both its accomplishments and its limitations. Although it focuses on England during the later middle ages, the book's innovative methodologies and original findings will furnish useful comparative material for all scholars investigating pre-industrial societies. It also offers a challenging new perspective on the later middle ages as a time of change, in addition to providing enthusiasts of old technologies generally with a wealth of detail about one of the most recognizable and enduring features of medieval society.

Numerous aspects of the medieval economy are covered in this new collection of essays, from business fraud and changes in wages to the production of luxury goods. Long dominated by theories of causation involving class conflict and Malthusian crisis, the field of medieval economic history has been transformed in recent years by a better understanding of the process of commercialisation. Inrecognition of the important work in this area by Richard Britnell, this volume of essays brings together studies by historians from both sides of the Atlantic on fundamental aspects of the medieval commercial economy. From examinations of high wages, minimum wages and unemployment, through to innovative studies of consumption and supply, business fraud, economic regulation, small towns, the use of charters, and the role of shipmasters and peasants as entrepreneurs, this collection is essential reading for the student of the medieval economy. Contributors: John Hatcher, John Langdon, Derek Keene, John S. Lee, James Davis, Mark Bailey, Christine M. Newman, Peter L. Larson, Maryanne Kowaleski, Martha Carlin, James Masschaele, Christopher Dyer

The introduction of the horse brought many advantages to medieval English farming, particularly as an improvement to ploughing and hauling. But the replacement of oxen by horses was by no means inevitable, as the situation often depended upon a number of factors not immediately obvious to modern eyes. These factors, which included such environmental aspects as soil types and terrain, are evaluated to see how they affected the decision to use horses and oxen. The introduction of the horse is furthermore examined in relation to farm production, the improvement in marketing, and the development of regionalism; and various theories regarding technological innovation are assessed to see whether this or that innovation acted in a predictable way. Most importantly, the study affords a glimpse into the working of the minds of medieval farmers as they approached the problems of livelihood and survival.