The Decline of Serfdom in Late Medieval England

Scholars from various disciplines have long debated why western Europe in general and England in particular led the transition from feudalism to capitalism. The decline of serfdom between c.1300 and c.1500 in England is central to this Transition Debate because it transformed the lives of ordinary people and opened up the markets in land and labour. Yet despite its historical importance there has been no major survey or reassessment of decline of serfdom for decades. This study provides an accessible and up-to-date survey of the decline of serfdom in England applying a new methodology for establishing both its chronology and causes to thousands of court rolls from 38 manors located across the south Midlands and East Anglia. It presents a ground-breaking reassessment challenging many of the traditional interpretations of the economy and society of late-medieval England and indeed of the very nature of serfdom itself.