In this course we shall start by studying the new (2019) map of Medieval London c.1300, together with the glowing account of the city written towards the end of the 12th century by a clerk, William Fitz Stephen, as the introduction to his biography of Thomas Becket. Fitz Stephen’s text is printed on the back of the map of London. There are gaps in Fitz Stephen’s account which we will explore, and then consider the changes that the city has experienced in the 800 years since Fitz Stephen wrote his account.
In the remaining four sessions we will consider various aspects of the medieval city, attempting, when we can, to assess some of the source material that has been printed. The relations of the City (speaking through its elected mayor and sheriffs) with the Crown were crucial to the City’s well-being but they were by no means always harmonious. We shall explore some of the reasons for this friction and consider how and why the issues were resolved. London was important to the Crown because it was a source of ready cash and in the third session we shall explore how Londoners made their money and the ways in which the different craftsmen and merchants organised themselves into effective groups to protect their interests.
In the last two sessions we shall look at aspects of city government which we now consider to be essential to urban living: the control of building and other matters, such as street cleaning, which are crucial to the health of the urban population; and the provision of minimal welfare support for those unable to care for themselves, such as orphans, the sick and the old. It was during the later medieval period that systems for dealing with these issues were being worked out and implemented. The Tudor monarchs, in spite of the dynastic and religious upheavals of the 16th century, were able to rule England from a secure and comparatively stable capital because the Londoners had learnt how to govern their city.
Learning outcomes
- An understanding of the sources available to study medieval history, and their limitations and possibilities;
- An awareness of the problems faced by those who lived in medieval cities, and the ways in which they overcame them;
- An ability to interpret the unfamiliar terms used to describe the activities of medieval men and women in their secular and religious lives
