London in the Later Middle Ages: Government and People 1200-1500

by Caroline M. Barron

This is the first full account of the evolution of the government of London from the tempestuous days of the Commune in the late twelfth century to the calmer waters of Tudor England. Caroline Barron shows how the elected rulers of London developed ways of dealing with both demanding monarchs and quarrelsome city inhabitants. The remarkable survival of the city's own records makes it possible to trace, in unexpected detail, the inner workings of civic politics and government over three hundred years.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, London, Medieval History

488 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Caroline Barron is Emerita Professor of the History of London at Royal Holloway, University of London. She specialises in the fields of Medieval London, women, gentry and aristocracy as well as the reign of Richard II.

Reviews

[C. B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and highly detailed work. A great text of the bare facts for anyone studying London in this period. But it also manages to be very charming in places too. Barron emphasises the resourcefulness of Londoners in creating trade infrastructure for future posterity and prosperity. She also supposes that many citizens of London had a strong ideology based on ideas of the common good; the charitable work of the livery companies and the systems in place for the care of orphans stand out in regards to this. These were the years when the government of the City was fine tuned, and this produced a period of relative stability in the 16th century. That is, stable when compared with some of the horrors occurring on the continent at that time.