English Legal History
4/6/2009
Outline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ORDER AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE—1300–1600

 

1.

English population 1066–1635:

Domesday Book (1086): 275,000 tenants  = ? 2 million

Population in 1300: ?? 6–7 million

Poll Tax Returns (1377): 1,386,196 rate payers =? 2.5 to 3 million

Population in 1410 = ? 2.25 million

Population in 1541 = c. 2.774 million

Popluation in 1600 = c. 4 million

Population in 1635 = c. 5 million

2.

Social structure c.1300–c.1500 (numerical estimates apply to the early years of the 14th century)

Rural Lay

Clergy

Urban

£ p/a

# families

Earls

Archbishops

 

400–1100

140

Barons

Bishops

 

200–500

 

Abbots

 

 

Knights

Priors

Merchants

20–200

2000

‘Lesser gentry’

Rectors

 

 

 

Franklins

Lesser Clergy

Craftsmen

2–10

 

Villein Tenants

 

 

 

Cottars

 

Journeymen

1–3

 

Laborers

 

Laborers

1–2

 

 

 

Apprentices

 

Servants

 

Servants

 

 

Marginals

 

Marginals

 

 



3.

Fluctuations in wage rates, 1300–1459 (scaled and put in terms of the price of wheat) (see Mats., p. VI–121):

Date

 

Artisans

 

Agricultural
labourers

1300–09

 

100

 

100

1310–19

 

109

 

121

1320–39

 

121

 

140

1340–59

 

136

 

148

1360–79

 

147

 

159

1380–99

 

190

 

235

1400–19

 

192

 

210

1420–39

 

182

 

200

1440–59

 

241

 

236



4.

Chronology of Statutes—(see Mats., p. VI–120):

1305 — “Statute of Conspirators” (33 Edw. 1)

1348–9 — Black Death (also 1361–2, 1369, 1379 in north)

1349 — Ordinance of Labourers  (23 Edw. 3): Wage and price regulation

1351 — Statute of Labourers(25 Edw. 3, stat. 2) (Mats., p. VI–121 to 122): same

1363 — Statute, 37 Edw. III, cc. 8–15, concerning dress of various ranks of society (Mats., p. VI–123 to 124)

1377 — Statute against maintenance (1 Ric. 2, cc. 4, 7; SR, ii, 2, )

1381 — Peasants’ Revolt

1388 — Renewal of statute of Labourers (12 Ric. 2, cc. 3–10; SR, ii, 56–9)

1390 — Ordinance concerning livery and maintenance (13 Ric. 2, s.3, c.1) (Mats., p. VI–125)

1399 — Statute on the same (1 Henry 4, c. 7) (Mats., p. VI–125)

1413 — “Statute of Additions” (1 H. 5, c.5): requires the designation of the “estate, degree or trade” of everyone named as a defendant in a writ in a personal action or a record in a criminal action

1429 — Statute excepts liveries for soldiers in the king’s war (8 H. 6, c. 4)

1461 — ‘Articles’ except liveries at king’s commandment (1 E. 4)

1469 — Statute excepts lawful service (8 Edw 4. c.2) (Mats., p. VI–126 to 128)

1483 — Sumptuary law (22 Edw 4, c.1) (Mats., p. VI–128)

1504 — Statute of liveries (19 Hen 7, c. 14) (Mats., p. VI–129)

1536 — Beggars Act (27 Hen 8, c. 25) (Mats., p. VI–129 to 130)

1563 — Statute of artificers (5 Eliz 1, c. 4) (Mats., p. VI–130 to 132)

1598 — Poor Relief Act (39 Eliz 1, c 3) (Mats., p. VI–130 to 133)

1601 — Statute of Charitable Uses (42 Eliz 1, c. 4) (Mats., p. VI–133 to 135)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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