The Trade of Agricultural Horses in Late Medieval England

Claridge, Jordan (2015) The Trade of Agricultural Horses in Late Medieval England. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This thesis explores how the medieval English economy was supplied with horse power during the period of 1250-1349. The diffusion of horse power is recognised to have been a major factor in the development of the medieval English economy, increasing labour productivity in farming and the efficiency of overland transport, but the infrastructures through which these animals were produced and distributed is poorly understood. This thesis is the first study that addresses this significant gap in our understanding of medieval English history and it endeavours to answer two questions: how was the country supplied with working horses, and what implications did the trade in these animals have for the economy and society at the time? The first section uses statistical analyses of over three hundred manorial accounts from c.1300 to explore the role of medieval English demesnes (the home farms of lords, as opposed to the lands of their peasant tenants) in the horse trade. The second section uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in exploring tax records and manorial court rolls to assess the role of the peasantry in the horse trade. The third section employs a price database constructed from the manorial account sample and is used to establish price levels for agricultural horses and illustrate the structure and nature of the market for the animals.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of History
Depositing User:	Nicola Veasy
Date Deposited:	27 Apr 2016 13:02
Last Modified:	27 Apr 2016 13:02
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/58423
DOI:

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