CHAPTER 2
The Social and Economic Background of
Office-holders
Notes (1)
1 Gross, op.cit., I, 74.
2 For discussion of the influence of Christian philosophy see S. Thrupp, "Social control in the medieval town," Journal of Economic History, supplement no.1 (1941), 39-52; R. Roover, "The concept of the just price: theory and economic policy," Journal of Economic History, XVIII (1958), 418-34; J. Baldwin, "The medieval merchant before the bar of canon law," Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, XLIV (1959), 287-99.
3 This is of course a generalisation which cannot reflect the subtleties of economic fluctuation. See R. Dobson, "Urban decline in late medieval England," Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 5th series, XXVII (1977), 1-22, for a recent evaluation.
4 Appendix II, table 1.
5 J. Patten, "Urban occupations in pre-industrial England," Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, new series, II (1977), 296-313; with modifications suggested to me by David Wykes. For an example of the traditional analysis, see Glover, op.cit., 27-28, 210.
6 E. Power, The Wool Trade in English Medieval History, (Oxford, 1941), 3.
7 In my analysis chandlers have been considered artisans unless there is direct evidence of mercantile activity. Corn-chandlers, who are rather called "cornmen" in the sources, have been taken as merchants.
8 Manucaptors and essoining agents may also have had a touch of professionalism.
9 Dogget rolls 17-38 Hen.VI m.7r, 4-5, 5-6 Ed.IV passim; IC/AA2/2 f.261; C.Cl.R. 1461-68, 357; W. Haward, "Gilbert Debenham: a medieval rascal in real life," History, XIII (1929), 305-06.
10 E122/50/11; E179/242/40; G.C.R. 8-9 Ed.I m.4r; P.P.R. 32-33 Ed.I m.5r. See S. Alsford, "Thomas le Rente: a medieval town ruler," Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History, XXXV (1982), 105-115.
11 Stowe Mss. 834 f.64, 841 f.35; Morant, op.cit., 47; Col.C.R., I, passim.
12 KL/C39/37; E122/93/31; E122/94/12-14.
13 KL/C7/2 f.100; KL/C7/3 f.270b; KL/C7/4 ff.51b, 200; E122/96/35, 40, 41; E122/97/8.
14 KL/C5/2 m.8r; Red Red. f.177b; J.I.1/612/2 m.6r; Cal.Inq.Misc. 1307-49, 250, 366-67.
15 KL/C37/3 m.1r; KL/Roll of wages; Red Reg. ff.87b-89; C.Cl.R. 1339-41, 167; C.F.R. 1337-47, 155-56.
16 Or whose activities indicate them to be so. Unfortunately the title 'merchant' was rather freely applied and on occasion may be deceptive or even undeserved; the evidence is not sufficient to permit further breakdown of the merchant category according to scale of trading activity.
17 It is important to bear in mind that these proportions do not mirror those of the urban populations as a whole. Glover's (op.cit., 210) analysis of Lynn entrants to the franchise 1420-51 indicates just over 20% mercantile, whilst almost 50% unknown.
18 Although Britnell, op.cit., 477, has demonstrated that in Colchester there was some change of character in the office-holding class after 1349.
19 W. Hudson, "Norwich and Yarmouth in 1332: their comparative prosperities," Norfolk Archaeology, XVI (1907), 178-80; N. Gras, The Early English Customs System, (Cambridge, 1918), 115.
20 Cal.Inq.Misc. 1348-77, 5; Ballard and Tait, op.cit., 119. As we shall see, the townsmen's claim was not entirely true.
21 See Saul, op.cit., 213, and passim for discussions of the role of shipping in Yarmouth's history (summarised in his paper in Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, LII (1979), 105-15).
22 C.P.R. 1313-30, passim; C.Cl.R. 1307-22, passim; C.F.R. 1356-83, passim; Rot.Parl., II, 327-28; H. Smit, Bronnen tot de Geschiedenis van den handel met Engeland, Schotland en Ierland, 1150-1485, ('S-Gravenhage, 1928), I, 125; N. Kerling, Commercial Relations of Holland and Zeeland with England from the Late 13th Century to the Close of the Middle Ages, (Leiden, 1954), 12-13, 92-93.
23 C.P.R. 1327-61, passim; C.Cl.R. 1337-39, 148, 1343-49, passim, 1349-54, 99; C.F.R. 1337-47, passim, 1356-68, 287; KL/C5/2 m.7r. An account of the careers of these men could occupy a chapter in itself. Note that, although an important member, Melcheburn was only titular head of the company, William de la Pole secretly being the controlling force; G. Sayles, "The 'English Company' of 1343," Speculum, VI (1931), passim; T. Lloyd, The English Wool Trade in the Middle Ages, (Cambridge, 1977), 198.
24 G. Morey, East Anglian Society in the Fifteenth Century, (London, PhD thesis, 1951), 286.
25 C.P.R. 1408-13, 442, 1422-29, 510.
26 Linen and canvas being the only significant imported cloths.
27 Meech and Allen, op.cit., 59, 373-74.
28 Records of Norwich, II, 289-90.
29 Add.Ms. 37791 f.58; KL/C4/10; C.P.R. 1301-07, 280; Records of Norwich, I, 61, 66.
30 Red Parch. Bk., 33; Wilkinson, op.cit., 33.
31 Thrupp, "Social control in the medieval town," 41; Colby, op.cit., 652; Green, op.cit., II, 250-52; Saul, op.cit., 9, 10, 26; Martin, Borough and Merchant Community of Ipswich, 148; Platt, op.cit., 119.
32 Meyer, op.cit., XVIII, 420-21; Hammer, op.cit., 12-14.
33 Thomas Halle draper, Thomas Carter draper, Thomas Ponde chandler.
34 See Reynolds, op.cit., 74-80, 137-39, for criticism of this assumption.
35 We shall delve further into these subjects in chapter 4.
36 E179/180/6 m.30d; I/C1/2/4; I/C2/25/2; E40/3633, 3819; S. Hervey, ed., Suffolk in 1327. Being a Subsidy Return, (Woodbridge, 1906), 9, 17, 18, 158; J. Davies, "An assembly of wool merchants in 1322," E.H.R., XXXI (1916), 605.
37 C.Cl.R. 1374-77, 137.
38 E179/180/11 m.16r.
39 Holdings in the common fields within or immediately surrounding the walled boroughs and suburbs have not been included in these calculations.
40 Feet of Fines, Essex, III, 148, 178, 183; Britnell, op.cit., 499.
41 Britnell, op.cit., 120, 352, 440-41, 470; Feet of Fines, Essex, III, 39, 108; C.P.R. 1361-64, 291; Col.C.R., II, passim; Red Parch. Bk., 46, 212.
42 Britnell, op.cit., 441-43; Feet of Fines, Essex, III, 54, 63; C.P.R. 1348-50, 79.
43 Red Parch. Bk., 85, 106-09; Col.C.R./37 m.31d, /41 m.2d, /45 mm.2r, 39r, /49 m.5r, /56 m.19d; Cal.Anc.Deeds, III, 472; Feet of Fines, Essex, III, 236, 245.
44 See chapter 5.
45 P.P.R. 21-23 Hen. VI passim; IC/AA2/1 f.152; I/C9/10/1 m.3r; Dogget Roll 5-6 Ed.IV mm.2r, 4r; N.C.C. Jekkys f.2; Wedgwood, History of Parliament: Biographies, 11, 269; C.Cl.R. 1435-41, 47, 107; C.F.R. 1430-37, 331.
46 Britnell, op.cit., 437ff., 494-96, 500-01.
47 Saul, op.cit., 217-20, 228-30.
48 Valuations in inquisitions ad quod damnum are too often estimates, incomplete or erroneous.
49 H. Pirenne, Medieval Cities: Their Origins and the Revival of Trade, (Princeton, 1952), ch.5; R. Lopez, "An aristocracy of money in the early Middle Ages," Speculum, XXVIII (1953), 1-43; A. Hibbert, "The origins of the medieval town patriciate," Past and Present, III (1953), no.3, 15-27. See also Reynolds, op.cit., ch.4, and S. Reynolds, "The rulers of London in the twelfth century," History, LVII (1972), 346-47; Tait, op.cit., ch.5.
50 On this see Martin, "English borough in the thirteenth century," and M. Clanchy, From Memory to Written Record: England 1066-1307, (London, 1979).
51 None of the Norwich mint officials elected in 1243, probably by a local electoral committee of 24 as in 1248, are among the city bailiffs of that period. H. Hall, ed., The Red Book of the Exchequer, (London, 1896), III, 1076; C.Cl.R. 1247-51, 107; W. Hudson, "A revised list of the bailiffs of the city of Norwich," Norfolk Archaeology, XI (1892), 241-46.
52 J. Round, "The domesday of Colchester," The Antiquary, V, espec. p.248, VI, espec. p.5; G. Rickword, "Taxations of Colchester, A.D. 1296 and 1301," Trans. E.A.S., IX (1903-05), 146.
53 Tait, op.cit., 73-74; Britnell, op.cit., 403-04, 408-12.
54 Reynolds, English Medieval Towns, ix.
55 The Colchester taxations, preserved by Morant, are transcribed in Rot.Parl., I, 228-38, 245-65; that of Ipswich survives as E179/242/40, 42, and has been printed by E. Powell, "The taxation of Ipswich for the Welsh war in 1282," Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, XII (1906), 137-57.
56 Britnell, op.cit., 446-47; E179/107/12 mm.4r, 4d, 14r; C.P.R. 1313-17, 607; Feet of Fines, Essex, II, 173, 219, 237.
57 Feet of Fines, Essex, II, 105; Red Parch. Bk. 47, 213; Campbell ix, 4; Britnell, op.cit., 452-53.
58 Col.C.R., I, 11-12, 31, 32, 47, IV, 182; Col.C.R./31 m.8d, /41 m.2d; Colch.Ms. 57 ff.179-80; Britnell, op.cit., 448-51.
59 Stowe Mss. 834 f.64, 841 f.35; Morant, op.cit., 47; Col.C.R., I, 9; E179/107/12 m.7r; C.P.R. 1334-38, 382; C143/243/12; C143/245/9.
60 Col.C.R., I, 55, 161.
61 Colch.Ms. 57 ff.26, 239; Col.C.R., I, passim; C.P.R. 1321-24, 389; Cal. Plea Rolls, Exchequer of Jews, II, 235; Britnell, op.cit., 447, 460.
62 C143/245/9; Col.C.R., I, 11-12.
63 Stowe Ms. 841 f.35. The last two Christian names are sufficiently uncommon to warrant this hypothesis.
64 G.C.R. 8-9 Ed.I m.4r; P.P.R. 15-16 Ed.I(b) m.8r, 32-33 Ed.I m.5r; E179/242/40; E122/50/11; C143/147/16; CP25(1)/59/2; CP25(1)/60/27.
65 S. Thrupp, The Merchant Class of Medieval London, 1300-1500, (Michigan, 1948), 121; E179/242/42.
66 E179/242/42; E40/3312; W. Hunt, ed., Two Rentals of the Priory of the Holy Trinity in Ipswich, (Ipswich, 1847), 6, 7; G.C.R. 54-56 Hen.III m.6r, 11-12 Ed.I m.6r.
67 E40/3294, 3417, 3548, 3730, 3848; White Domesday f.70b; Black Domesday ff.77, 86b.
68 E40/3393, 3848, 3852, 3853; Curia Regis Rolls 1187-1201, 314; C.P.R. 1216-25, 480, 485.
69 E40/3283, 3730, 3732, 3776; E179/242/42; C.Cl.R. 1227-31, 239, 407; C.F.R. 1199-1216, 336, 360; C.P.R. 1225-32, 17.
70 E179/242/42; E40/3919; Curia Regis Rolls 1230-32, 525; Hunt, op.cit., 5; P.P.R. 31-32 Ed.I m.12d; G.C.R. 19-20 Ed.III m.2r.
71 On this see McKinley, op.cit., ch.1.
72 Col.C.R. I, x-xi; S. Moore, ed., Cartularium Monasterii sancti Johannis Baptiste de Colecestria, (London, 1897), II, 505, 671; C.P.R. 1251-53, 453, 463, 1281-92, 445; C.Ch.R. 1257-1300, 55; Abbreviatio Placitorum, 131; Britnell, op.cit., 454-55.
73 Abbreviatio Placitorum, 180; C.P.R. 1225-32, 373; C.Cl.R. 1237-42, 467.
74 Matronymics, though less common than patronymics, are not unknown, e.g. Joseph Elianore, John Aveline, Alexander Margarete. Women had no part in office-holding, but widows sometimes continued to operate their husbands' businesses: Sibyl Flathe, widow of merchant and bailiff Robert Wyth of Yarmouth, is a good example; C.P.R. 1301-07, 98, 319, 1307-13, 302; C.C.W. 1244-1306, 168.
75 C.Cl.R. 1204-24, 235, 1224-27, 86, 94, 1268-72, 119-20, 188, 1288-96, 490; C.Ch.R. 1257-1300, 101, 123; C.P.R. 1216-25, 394, 1258-66, 373, 1266-72, 277, 473, 1281-92, 326, 485; C.I.P.M., I, 361; Curia Regis Rolls 1207-09, 168, 1225-26, 347; Feet of Fines, Norfolk, 1201-15, 37; Cal. Anc. Deeds, I, 511; C. Manning, "Wickhampton church," Norfolk Archaeology, VII (1872), 1-8.
76 C.P.R. 1201-16, 171, 1225-32, 372; Feudal Aids, V, 33, 53; Feet of Fines, Suffolk, 105; E179/180/1; E179/242/42; E40/3668; G.C.R. 39-40 Hen.III m.4r, 54-56 Hen.III m.1r, 16-18 Ed.I m.2r; Hunt, op.cit., 5; Black Domesday ff.77, 78.
77 C.P.R. 1216-25, 373; Arundel Castle Mss. MD 425, 426; H.M.C. 11th Report, appendix, part III, p.235; Le Strange, op.cit., 232.
78 C.P.R. 1216-25, 373; Arundel Castle Mss. MD 425; Curia Regis Rolls 1187-1201, 81; Pipe Roll 12 Hen.II, 22; Howlett, op.cit., 45.
79 KL/C37/1 m.23d; H.M.C. 11th Report, appendix, part III, p.235; Howlett, op.cit., 44, 60; Arundel Castle Ms. MD 426; C.P.R. 1225-32, 293.
80 C.P.R. 1201-16, 61.
