Petitions are vital sources for our knowledge of life in the middle ages. A selection is presented here with English summaries, notes, and introduction. Through the petitions which they addressed to the crown the people of medieval England speak to us directly: the human interest stories they reveal are perhaps the nearest thing to local newspapers which the middle ages have leftus. Petitions were the subject's last resort when normal channels of law and government had failed, and offered kings the opportunity to exercise qualities of generosity, compassion, and sound judgment. However, despite their importance, they have not hitherto been recognized as a source for ecclesiastical history, a gap which this volume rectifies. A selection of over 200 cases shows the religious of medieval England taking full advantage of this mechanism, petitioning as landowners, neighbours, citizens, individuals, and religious orders. The subjects covered range from requests for tax rebates, and complaints about royal officials, to disputes with tenants, with townsmen, monastic rivals, and ecclesiastical superiors. National politics and international warfare are also represented, as are coastal erosion, and higher education. English summaries, explanatory notes and an extensive introduction enhance the reader's appreciation of this rich and remarkable resource. Dr Gwilym Dodd is Lecturer in History at the University of Nottingham, where Dr Alison K. McHardy also taught until her retirement.

About the Author
GWILYM DODD is Associate Professor of History at the University of Nottingham. ALISON K. MCHARDY was formerly Reader in Medieval English History at the University of Nottingham.

Reviews
This is an interesting set of documents deserving of greater attention, which this volume will no doubt engender. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *



Book Information
ISBN 9780907239727
Author Gwilym Dodd
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Canterbury & York Society
Publisher Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Weight(grams) 1g