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IMC 2007: Sessions

Session 1615: Civic Identity and Image in the Towns of Late Medieval England

Thursday 12 July 2007, 11.15-12.45

Sponsor:Clare College, University of Cambridge
Organiser:Helen Mary Carrel, Clare College, University of Cambridge
Moderator/Chair:Helen Fulton, Department of English, Swansea University
Paper 1615-aUrban Topography and Disputes with Rival Jurisdictions in Provincial English Towns, c. 1370-1500
(Language: English)
Helen Mary Carrel, Clare College, University of Cambridge
Index terms: Architecture - General, Economics - Urban, Law, Medievalism and Antiquarianism
Paper 1615-bCriminal Masterminds?: Forgers in 14th-Century London
(Language: English)
Catherine Casson, Department of History, University of York
Index terms: Administration, Economics - Trade, Economics - Urban, Law
Paper 1615-cPromoting Healthy Environments in Late Medieval Norwich
(Language: English)
Isla Fay, School of History, University of East Anglia
Index terms: Archaeology - General, Archives and Sources, Art History - General, Medicine
Abstract

For late medieval town governments, appearances were important. In order to maintain their hold on power, it was essential that local leaders projected an image of their rule as one which was pious, respectable, and concerned for the common good. As there were many prospective rivals to civic authority – from local nobles, religious institutions, and even the Crown – it was particularly important that the town was seen to be well-governed. This session explores how civic authorities sought to create and bolster their political ascendancy by their treatment of criminals, their focus on providing a clean and healthy environment for their citizens to live in and by their zealous desire to preserve their local rights in jurisdictional disputes.