Overview

In the late medieval period Chester was the most important place in north-western England, serving as administrative centre of the county palatine and as the regional capital. The city was not large but its status was further enhanced by its role as ecclesiastical capital and garrison town. Chesters location ensured close links with Wales and Ireland. This study of Chester is based on a wide range of sources, written and archaeological, and contains much that is new. It reveals a city with its own distinctive character but one which shared the experiences of towns throughout medieval England. Particular use is made of the court rolls, records that have the potential to illuminate social relationships at the neighbourhood level. The book therefore makes an important contribution to the study of medieval urban history. The focus is on the ordinary townspeople and they appear throughout: Alice the launder assaulted on the river bank by a millwards son on Whitsunday in 1306; the butcher John Daa, occupant of the property adjoining St Peters who was arrested in 1407 on suspicion of having purchased herring from the French allies of Glyn Dwr; the smith John Smith who paid for ale with two horseshoes in 1489. The picture that emerges is of a lively community that responded to social and economic change with enthusiasm and enterprise.

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9781905119233

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Reviews

This book makes an important contribution to the study of urban history and is the culmination of many years of dedicated research. Invaluable to anyone undertaking serious study of the period and to anyone interested in the history of the city of Chester.' Chester Community History and Heritage Newsletter Spring 2009 Life in a Late Medieval City: Chester, 1275-1520 should become the standard single volume of work on the subject...easy to assimilate but maintaining a very high quality of scholarship and textual style...excellent value in every sense and it can be thoroughly recommended.' -- Alan Crosby Northern History, XLVI:2 2009 ...engaging... This is a classic example of how to make exacting scholarship appear unobtrusive to the neophyte. This book could be used profitably by university students.' -- David Nicholas, Clemson University (Emeritus) Speculum January 2010 This work has succeeded in giving a clearer and more lively understanding of the city during this period than has ever been achieved before.' -- Simon Ward Landscape History 30.2 2009 For those interested in English medieval urban history, as well as the historical geography of north-western England, Laughtons book is highly recommended reading, being both detailed yet accessible.' -- Keith Lilley Journal of Medieval Archaeology, vol 53 2009 Dr. Jane Laughton has given us a book which should interest a wide readership. This is a book to be read, used and enjoyed.' -- John W. Gittins Landscape Research, vol 35, No. 3 2010 This is a thorough introductory survey of the city, demonstrating the extent of available research material which has yet to be explored to its maximum potential. Laughton has certainly succeeded in providing us with an enticing glimpse into the energy and vivacity of an important English medieval city.' -- James Davis English Historical Review, vol CXXV, No 517 Dec 2010

This book makes an important contribution to the study of urban history and is the culmination of many years of dedicated research. Invaluable to anyone undertaking serious study of the period and to anyone interested in the history of the city of Chester.' Chester Community History and Heritage Newsletter Spring 2009 Life in a Late Medieval City: Chester, 1275-1520 should become the standard single volume of work on the subject...easy to assimilate but maintaining a very high quality of scholarship and textual style...excellent value in every sense and it can be thoroughly recommended.' -- Alan Crosby Northern History XLVI:2, 2009 ...engaging... This is a classic example of how to make exacting scholarship appear unobtrusive to the neophyte. This book could be used profitably by university students.' -- David Nicholas, Clemson University (Emeritus) Speculum January 2010 This work has succeeded in giving a clearer and more lively understanding of the city during this period than has ever been achieved before.' -- Simon Ward Landscape History 30.2, 2009 For those interested in English medieval urban history, as well as the historical geography of north-western England, Laughtons book is highly recommended reading, being both detailed yet accessible.' -- Keith Lilley Journal of Medieval Archaeology, vol 53 2009 Dr. Jane Laughton has given us a book which should interest a wide readership. This is a book to be read, used and enjoyed.' -- John W. Gittins Landscape Research Vol 35, No. 3, 2010 This is a thorough introductory survey of the city, demonstrating the extent of available research material which has yet to be explored to its maximum potential. Laughton has certainly succeeded in providing us with an enticing glimpse into the energy and vivacity of an important English medieval city.' -- James Davis English Historical Review Vol CXXV, No 517, Dec 2010

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by Jane Laughton

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