The Grass Roots of English History: Local Societies in England before the Industrial Revolution

Description

In medieval and early modern Britain, people would refer to their local district as their ‘country’, a term now largely forgotten but still used up until the First World War. Core groups of families that remained rooted in these ‘countries’, often bearing distinctive surnames still in use today, shaped local culture and passed on their traditions. In The Grass Roots of English History, David Hey examines the differing nature of the various local societies that were found throughout England in these periods. The book provides an update on the progress that has been made in recent years in our understanding of the history of ordinary people living in different types of local societies throughout England, and demonstrates the value of studying the varied landscapes of England, from towns to villages, farmsteads, fields and woods to highways and lanes, and historic buildings from cathedrals to cottages. With its broad coverage from the medieval period up to the Industrial Revolution, the book shows how England’s socio-economic landscape had changed over time, employing evidence provided by archaeology, architecture, botany, cultural studies, linguistics and historical demography. The Grass Roots of English History provides an up-to-date account of the present state of knowledge about ordinary people in local societies throughout England written by an authority in the field, and as such will be of great value to all scholars of local and family history. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Dedication Epigraph CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE CHAPTER ONE Introduction: The countries of England The local nature of English surnames The pull of London CHAPTER TWO The people of England Ancient origins The creation of England The Norman Conquest CHAPTER THREE England’s historic towns and cities The changing fortunes of medieval towns Early modern towns CHAPTER FOUR Organizing the countryside: Villages, hamlets and farmsteads The origins of villages Hamlets and farmsteads Forests, chases, deer parks and woods Deserted medieval villages Enclosure CHAPTER FIVE Earning a living in the countryside Farming the land Industries in the medieval countryside Farming in the early modern era The growth of rural industries CHAPTER SIX The greatest buildings in the land The purpose of castles The major cathedrals Monasteries and other religious institutions Palaces and great medieval houses CHAPTER SEVEN Parish churches and chapels The earliest parish churches The rebuilding of parish churches in Gothic styles The impact of the Reformation The Church of England CHAPTER EIGHT Timber-framed houses Cruck-framed buildings Box-framed buildings Peasant houses The great rebuilding Houses and the hearth tax CHAPTER NINE Population, family life and society Population growth, loss and recovery English families The ‘deserving poor’ and vagabonds The core families of local communities Plantations across the seas Speech and literacy NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX