Overview

York was one of the most important cities in medieval England. This original study traces the development of the city from the Norman Conquest to the Black Death. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries are a neglected period in the history of English towns, and this study argues that the period was absolutely fundamental to the development of urban society and that up to now we have misunderstood the reasons for the development of York and its significance within our history because of that neglect.Medieval York argues that the first Norman kings attempted to turn the city into a true northern capital of their new kingdom and had a much more significant impact on the development of the city than has previously been realised. Nevertheless the influence of York Minster, within whose shadow the town had originally developed, remained strong and was instrumental in the emergence of a strong and literate civic communal government in the later twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Many of the earlier Norman initiatives withered as the citizens developed their own institutions of government and social welfare. The primary sources used are records of property ownership and administration, especially charters, and combines these with archaeological evidence from the last thirty years. Much of the emphasis of the book is therefore on the topographical development of the city and the changing social and economic structures associated with property ownership and occupation.

Full Product Details

9780198201946

Table of Contents

Reviews

With meticulous scholarship, the author expands the understanding of one of the most important cities in medieval England ... Highly recommended. CHOICE As it was one of the great medieval cities of Europe, it is not surprising that York has engaged the attention and talents of many distinguished scholars. With this very welcome new volume, Sarah Rees Jones confirms her place as one of the most capable and perceptive of them all ... a detailed and rounded picture of a great Nnorthern city Patrick Ottaway, Society for Medieval Archaeology a superbly rich and forensic examination of the city, which demonstrates both the numerous transformations and continuities in York's topography, as well as how power was wielded within, and mapped onto, the city ... Above all, Rees-Jones's interpretative approach is nuanced and searching, and shows great skill in drawing compelling conclusions from a wealth of tangled evidence ... [it] will play an important ongoing role in elucidating the history of medieval York for future generations. Paul Oldfield, History

Anyone with an interest in York will have to read this book. Christopher Dyer, Medieval Settlement Research With meticulous scholarship, the author expands the understanding of one of the most important cities in medieval England ... Highly recommended. CHOICE As it was one of the great medieval cities of Europe, it is not surprising that York has engaged the attention and talents of many distinguished scholars. With this very welcome new volume, Sarah Rees Jones confirms her place as one of the most capable and perceptive of them all ... a detailed and rounded picture of a great Nnorthern city Patrick Ottaway, Society for Medieval Archaeology a superbly rich and forensic examination of the city, which demonstrates both the numerous transformations and continuities in York's topography, as well as how power was wielded within, and mapped onto, the city ... Above all, Rees-Jones's interpretative approach is nuanced and searching, and shows great skill in drawing compelling conclusions from a wealth of tangled evidence ... [it] will play an important ongoing role in elucidating the history of medieval York for future generations. Paul Oldfield, History This is a very rich book. It covers a tremendous amount of ground ... the argument is presented clearly, and the text is well written and eminently readable P.S. Barnwell, Northern History detailed and stimulating monograph Nigel Tringham, Yorkshire Archaeological Journal

Departing from traditional approaches to urban history that focus on legal and political development, Rees Jones uses title deeds and other records of property and psosession in medieval York 'to both reconstruct the topographical development of the town and to assess the networks of social relations fostered by developing concepts of property.' She presents a complex narrative touching on the influences of royal government, baronial families, and ecclesiastical hierarchy without losing sight of local pressures and ambitions both wordly and spiritual... Property forms the background of this study, but Rees Jones never neglects urban life in its economic, constitutional, and psychological dimensions. With meticulous scholarship, the author expands the understanding of one of the most important cities in medieval England. Highly recommended. --CHOICE

With meticulous scholarship, the author expands the understanding of one of the most important cities in medieval England ... Highly recommended. CHOICE

Author Information

Sarah Rees Jones is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of York where she is based in the interdisciplinary postgraduate Centre for Medieval Studies. For many years she has worked with archaeologists in York studying the material development of the city and she has also published broadly in the field of medieval urban social and cultural history.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available