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Medieval British Towns

  • Textbook
  • © 1999
  • Latest edition

Overview

Authors:
  1. Heather Swanson

    1. the Open University, UK

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  • The first book to compare the foundation and development of towns throughout the British Isles in the Medieval period
    Smaller, market towns are included in the survey
    Studies the role of the church, politics and society in the foundation and development of towns

Part of the book series: Social History in Perspective (SHP)

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vi
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  2. Introduction

    • Heather Swanson
    Pages 1-5

  3. Urbanisation

    • Heather Swanson
    Pages 6-21

  4. The Urban Economy

    • Heather Swanson
    Pages 22-66

  5. Urban Government

    • Heather Swanson
    Pages 67-106

  6. Urban Society

    • Heather Swanson
    Pages 107-139

  7. Conclusion

    • Heather Swanson
    Pages 140-142

  8. Back Matter

    Pages 143-161
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Keywords

About this book

Medieval British Towns sets out to explain the reasons for the explosion of town foundation throughout the British Isles from the twelfth century onwards and charts the subsequent development of towns through to the early sixteenth century. The raison d'etre of towns throughout the British Isles was as market places and centres of trade in an increasingly commercialised society. The comparative approach adopted here illuminates the diverging experiences of towns in the four different countries of the British Isles, but sets them within the overall context of a shared value system, where social cohesion was provided by the church. It offers a guide to students and general readers first venturing into the study of medieval urban history and provides comparative material for more experienced students of both history and the related disciplines of archaeology and historical geography.

Authors and Affiliations

  • the Open University, UK

    Heather Swanson

About the author

HEATHER SWANSON is an Associate Lecturer with the Open University and a Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Research in the Humanities at the University of Birmingham. She is the author of Medieval Artisans: an Urban Class in Late Medieval England and has also published articles on craft guilds and on medieval urban builders.

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