Landlords and tenants in Britain, 1440-1660 : Tawney's Agrarian problem revisited / edited by Jane Whittle.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Whittle, Jane, editor.

Series:

People, markets, goods ; 2051-7467 v. 1.

People, markets, goods

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Tawney, R. H. (Richard Henry), 1880-1962. Agrarian problem in the sixteenth century.

Tawney, R. H.

Landlord and tenant--England--History--To 1500.

Landlord and tenant.

Landlord and tenant--England--History--16th century.

Landlord and tenant--England--History--17th century.

Capitalism--England--History.

Capitalism.

Agriculture--Economic aspects--England--History.

Agriculture.

Agriculture--Economic aspects.

History.

England.

Physical Description:

xv, 240 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK : The Boydell Press, 2013.

Summary:

This volume revisits a classic book by a famous historian: R.H. Tawney's Agrarian Problem in the Sixteenth Century (1912). Tawney's Agrarian Problem surveyed landlord-tenant relations in England between 1440 and 1660, the period of emergent capitalism and rapidly changing property relations that stands between the end of serfdom and the more firmly capitalist system of the eighteenth century. This transition period is widely recognised as crucial to Britain's long term economic development, laying the foundation for the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century. Remarkably, Tawney's book has remained the standard text on landlord-tenant relations for over a century. Here, Tawney's book is re-evaluated by leading experts in agrarian and legal history, taking its themes as a departure point to provide for a new interpretation of the agrarian economy in late Tudor and early modern Britain. The introduction looks at how Tawney's Agrarian Problem was written, its place in the historiography of agrarian England and the current state of research. Survey chapters examine the late medieval period, a comparison with Scotland, and Tawney's conception of capitalism, whilst the remaining chapters focus on four issues that were central to Tawney's arguments: enclosure disputes, the security of customary tenure; the conversion of customary tenure to leasehold; and other landlord strategies to raise revenues. The balance of power between landlords and tenants determined how the wealth of agrarian England was divided in this crucial period of economic development - this book reveals how this struggle was played out. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 The Agrarian Problem, 1440-1520 / Christopher Dyer Dyer, Christopher 19

2 Common Law and Manor Courts: Lords, Copyholders and Doing Justice in Early Tudor England / Harold Garrett-Goodyear Garrett-Goodyear, Harold 35

3 Negotiating Enclosure in Sixteenth-Century Yorkshire: The South Cave Dispute, 1530-1536 / Briony McDonagh McDonagh, Briony 52

4 The Politics of Enclosure in Elizabethan England: Contesting 'Neighbourship' in Chinley (Derbyshire) / Heather Falvey Falvey, Heather 67

5 The Loss of Athelstan's Gift: The Politics of Popular Memory in Malmesbury, 1607-1633 / Andy Wood Wood, Andy 85

6 In Search of the Scottish Agrarian Problem / Julian Goodare Goodare, Julian 100

7 The Transfer to Leasehold on Durham Cathedral Estate, 1541-1626 / Jean Morrin Morrin, Jean 117

8 The Financial Rewards of Winning the Battle for Secure Customary Tenure / Jennifer S. Holt Holt, Jennifer S. 133

9 Risks and Rewards in Wasteland Enclosure: Lowland Lancashire c.1500-1650 / William D. Shannon Shannon, William D. 150

10 Improving Landlords or Villains of the Piece? A Case Study of Early Seventeenth-Century Norfolk / Elizabeth Griffiths Griffiths, Elizabeth 166

11 The Agrarian Problem in Revolutionary England / Christopher Brooks Brooks, Christopher 183

12 Agrarian Capitalism and Merchant Capitalism: Tawney, Dobb, Brenner and Beyond / David Ormrod Ormrod, David 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 222-232) and index.

ISBN:

9781843838500

1843838508

OCLC:

841186481