Recession and recovery : the economic history of rural society in Durham, c.1400-1640
This thesis explores how rural society adapted to the fifteenth-century recession, and how this affected the ability of their sixteenth-century counterparts to respond to inflation. It does so through three primary sections: the first explores how the Bishops of Durham and the monks of Durham Cathedral Priory responded differently to the fifteenth-century recession and analyses the subsequently divergent development of their estates. By the seventeenth century, all of the Dean and Chapterâs lands were consolidated holdings on 21-year leases, whereas a confused mixture of copyhold and leasehold land had developed on the bishopsâ estate. The second section explores the balance of landed power in the Palatinate of Durham from the late-fourteenth to the mid-seventeenth century amongst the laity. This further explores whether the âcrisis of the aristocracyâ and the ârise of the gentryâ are misnomers more adequately phrased in terms of land usage as the ârise of agricultural producersâ and the âcrisis of rentier landlordsâ. The final section explores how the tenantry of the above estates survived this period, with the gradual stratification of landed society and the emergence of the yeomanry
Brown, Alexander Thomas
Recession and recovery : the economic history of rural society in Durham, c.1400-1640. This thesis explores how rural society adapted to the fifteenth-century recession, and how this affected the ability of their sixteenth-century counterparts to respond to inflation. It does so through three primary sections: the first explores how the Bishops of Durham and the monks of Durham Cathedral Priory responded differently to the fifteenth-century recession and analyses the subsequently divergent development of their estates. By the seventeenth century, all of the Dean and Chapterâs lands were consolidated holdings on 21-year leases, whereas a confused mixture of copyhold and leasehold land had developed on the bishopsâ estate. The second section explores the balance of landed power in the Palatinate of Durham from the late-fourteenth to the mid-seventeenth century amongst the laity. This further explores whether the âcrisis of the aristocracyâ and the ârise of the gentryâ are misnomers more adequately phrased in terms of land usage as the ârise of agricultural producersâ and the âcrisis of rentier landlordsâ. The final section explores how the tenantry of the above estates survived this period, with the gradual stratification of landed society and the emergence of the yeomanry
recession recovery economic_history rural_society durham explores rural_society adapt fifteenth_century recession affected ability sixteenth_century counterpart respond inflation primary section first_explore bishops durham durham cathedral priory respond differently fifteenth_century recession analyse subsequently divergent development estate dean land consolidated holding year lease whereas confuse mixture leasehold land develop bishops estate second_section explores balance land power palatinate durham late fourteenth amongst laity explores whether crisis aristocracy rise gentry adequately phrase term land usage rise agricultural producer crisis landlord final_section explores estates period gradual stratification land_society emergence