On a winter night in 1743, a local magistrate was stabbed to death in the churchyard of Rye by an angry butcher. Why did this gruesome crime happen? What does it reveal about the political, economic, and cultural patterns that existed in this small English port town?

To answer these questions, this fascinating book takes us back to the mid-sixteenth century, when religious and social tensions began to fragment the quiet town of Rye and led to witch hunts, riots, and violent political confrontations. Paul Monod examines events over the course of the next two centuries, tracing the town's transition as it moved from narrowly focused Reformation norms to the more expansive ideas of the emerging commercial society. In the process, relations among the town's inhabitants were fundamentally altered. The history of Rye mirrored that of the whole nation, and it gives us an intriguing new perspective on England in the early modern period.

About the Author

Paul Kleber Monod is professor of history at Middlebury College and author of The Power of Kings: Monarchy and Religion in Europe, 1589-1715, published by Yale University Press.

Book Information
ISBN 9780300099850
Author Paul Kleber Monod
Format Hardback
Page Count 306
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
Weight(grams) 463g