Felons’ possessions and English living standards, 1370-1600

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Chris Briggs, Cambridge
• Monday 09 January 2023, 17:15-18:45
• Room 5, Faculty of History.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact lmws2.

All welcome

This paper seeks to contribute to the debate about changes in the material well-being of labourers, artisans and farmers in England’s countryside and small towns between c.1370 and c.1470 and compares this period to the sixteenth century. It introduces a hitherto largely unknown source that has the potential to shed light on household wealth: the lists and valuations of goods and chattels preserved in the records of the royal escheator and coroner. These lists were generated by the process of felony forfeiture, which saw the possessions of felons, fugitives and outlaws seized, valued, and sold for the benefit of the crown. The paper describes the felony forfeiture material; considers the methodological challenges involved in quantifying the evidence it contains; and presents and interprets new data on change over time in the number, value and range of goods owned by ordinary households. Overall, the felony forfeiture material suggests surprisingly little change in the ownership of household goods during the fifteenth century, despite this often being viewed in the literature as an era of significant shifts in consumption.

This talk is part of the Core Seminar in Economic and Social History series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• AUB_Cambridge Seminars
• Core Seminar in Economic and Social History
• Department of Geography
• Economic and Social History Seminars
• History and Philosophy of Science long list
• Room 5, Faculty of History
• history

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.