IMC 2024: Sessions

If there was anything that contributed to the crisis of the fourteenth century it was the Black Death. Yet relatively little is known about the experience of plague in northern England, despite the pioneering work of Alexander Hamilton Thompson (Professor of History at the University of Leeds) who published his seminal article in 1914. This paper will focus on previously unpublished sources, including the archbishops’ registers for 1342-1373, to reappraise the evidence for the impact of, and reaction to, plague in the northern province in the third quarter of the 14th century.

The regulation of trade through ordinances, licensing and tolls was central to medieval commercial life. The revolt of Owain Glyn Dŵr which began in 1400 led to the crown issuing wide-ranging anti Welsh laws including the prohibition on carrying victuals into Wales. As Chester’s citizens had long had very close commercial and personal links with Wales and the Welsh, enforcing compliance was challenging. This paper will examine the changes made to the regulatory regime in Chester to deal with the conflict and assess their impact.

Geddington, a royal manor in Rockingham forest in Northamptonshire, has almost complete manorial court rolls from 1377 to 1424. The court was held at three weekly intervals with a biannual view of frankpledge dealing with minor offences ranging from obstructing the highway to poaching, theft and violence. The court thus provided a forum for conflicts between and amongst minor gentry and differing sections of the peasant community. This paper analyses such conflicts, and their resolution, in Geddington and contrast them with those in other parts of the country, particularly County Durham and the midlands.