London in the Later Middle Ages Government and People 1200-1500 [Paperback]

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.

Part I. City and Crown: The Reality of Royal Power
1. The Demands of the Crown
2. The Needs of the City
Part II. City and Prosperity: The Creation of Wealth
3. The Economic Infrastructure
4. Manufacturing and Distribution
5. Overseas Trade
Part III. The Government of London
6. The City Courts
7. Annually Elected Officials: Mayors and Sheriffs
8. The Civic Bureaucracy
9. From Guilds to Companies
Part IV. The Practice of Civic Government
10. The Urban Environment
11. Welfare Provision
Epilogue
Appendix 1: Mayors and Sheriffs of London 1190-1558,Anne Lancashire
Appendix 2: Civic Office-Holders c.1300-c.1500
Bibliography
Index

That this study of medieval London will stand the test of time is not likely to be in much dispute. It is a magisterial narrative of the growth of the city: long, learned, judicious, and often with a sense of irony (and humor) that puts long-ago (and eternal) problems and differences into a user-friendly context. Both its immense database and its considered judgments and assessments reflect the author's career as one of the premier historians of London of our generation. --Joel T. Rosenthal,Medieval Prosopography