Credit and Trade in Later Medieval England, 1353-1532 (eBook)

This book challenges the notion that economic crises are modern phenomena through its exploration of the tumultuous 'credit-crunch' of the later Middle Ages. It illustrates clearly how influences such as the Black Death, inter-European warfare, climate change and a bullion famine occasioned severe and prolonged economic decline across fifteenth century England. Early chapters discuss trends in lending and borrowing, and the use of credit to fund domestic trade through detailed analysis of the Statute Staple and rich primary sources. The author then adopts a broad-based geographic lens to examine provincial credit before focusing on London's development as the commercial powerhouse in late medieval business.

Academics and students of modern economic change and historic financial revolutions alike will see that the years from 1353 to 1532 encompassed immense upheaval and change, reminiscent of modern recessions. The author carefully guides the reader to see that these shifts are the precursors of economic change in the early modern period, laying the foundations for the financial world as we know it today.

Richard Goddard is Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is author of Lordship and Medieval Urbanization: Coventry, 1043-1355 (Woodbridge, 2004) and co-editor of Survival and Discord in Medieval Society (Turnhout, 2010). He has written extensively on the economic and social history of later medieval England.

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This book challenges the notion that economic crises aremodern phenomena through its exploration of the tumultuous credit-crunch ofthe later Middle Ages. It illustrates clearly how influences such as the BlackDeath, inter-European warfare, climate change and a bullion famine occasionedsevere and prolonged economic decline across fifteenth century England. Earlychapters discuss trends in lending and borrowing, and the use of credit to funddomestic trade through detailed analysis of the Statute Staple and rich primarysources. The author then adopts a broad-based geographic lens to examineprovincial credit before focusing on London s development as the commercial powerhousein late medieval business. Academics and students of modern economic change and historicfinancial revolutions alike will see that the years from 1353 to1532 encompassed immense upheaval and change, reminiscent of modern recessions. The author carefully guides the reader to see that these shifts aretheprecursors of economic change in the early modern period, laying thefoundations for the financial world as we know it today.