The Church and Northern English Society in the Fourteenth Century

Essays offering insights into the ecclesiastical, political, cultural and social history in the north of England during the fourteenth century through an exploration of the administrative archives of archbishops. The period between 1304 and 1405 was one of tension and conflict in the north of England, culminating in a northern rebellion against the king, for which the then archbishop of York was executed for treason. The essays collected here explore the extensive administrative archives of the archbishops during this period. This is one of the largest but least exploited collections of medieval church records to survive in Europe, and is now dispersed across a number of institutions including The National Archives (London) and the Borthwick Institute for Archives (York). They examine the form and functions of the archbishops' registers and other archives, and use them to shed light on the ecclesiastical, political, cultural and social history of this turbulent period. The core focus is on the north of England and its relationship with royal government. Particular subjects addressed include the sources of tension and opportunity rooted in the prosecution of war with Scotland, the creation of networks of clerical administrators in royal government, and the impact of those networks on local society and royal affairs. Other topics include the wide-ranging spiritual and temporal responsibilities of the archbishops, their housing and landscapes, and the role of women within the church.