Food Supply, Demand and Trade: Aspects of the economic relationship between town and countryside (Middle Ages - 19th century) (Comparative Rural History of the North Sea Area)

This book is a collection of articles studying various aspects of the relationship between town and countryside during the period from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. The focus is on how towns were supplied with basic foodstuffs, and especial attention is paid to the two most urbanized regions within the North Sea area: England and the Low Countries. Among the articles, several deal with the food-provisioning strategies of some of the major cities within that area - Antwerp, Ghent and London - and show among other things that large cities were unable to meet their requirements from local supplies and had consequently to access markets further afield. Important matters given substantial elucidation are transport costs and market integration. In historiography, a great deal of attention has been paid to the influence of towns on the countryside and agriculture, and particularly to the relationship between the rise of urban markets and the emergence of commercial agriculture, but there is still no clarity about how town-countryside relationships influenced economic growth. One of the merits of this book is that it opens up new avenues to an understanding of the complex relationship between urban markets and commercial agriculture. The approach differs from article to article, some scholars homing in on the individual strategies of farms, others working more in the macroeconomic tradition. In sum, the book is a valuable contribution to both rural and urban historiography, and can provide a fresh stimulus to the study of economic relationships between town and countryside. This book is a collection of articles studying various aspects of the relationship between town and countryside during the period from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. The focus is on how towns were supplied with basic foodstuffs, and especial attention is paid to England and the Low Countries. Among the articles, several deal with the food-provisioning strategies of some of the major cities within that area - Antwerp, Ghent and London - and show among other things that large cities were unable to meet their requirements from local supplies and had consequently to access markets further afield. Important matters given substantial elucidation are transport costs and market integration. In historiography, a great deal of attention has been paid to the influence of towns on the countryside and agriculture, and particularly to the relationship between the rise of urban markets and the emergence of commercial agriculture, but there is still no clarity about how town-countryside relationships influenced economic growth. One of the merits of this book is that it opens up new avenues to an understanding of the complex relationship between urban markets and commercial agriculture. The approach differs from article to article, some scholars homing in on the individual strategies of farms, others working more in the macroeconomic tradition. In sum, the book is a valuable contribution to both rural and urban historiography, and can provide a fresh stimulus to the study of economic relationships between town and countryside. Piet van Cruyningen is senior researcher at the Wageningen University. Erik Thoen is professor at the University of Ghent This Book Is A Collection Of Articles Studying Various Aspects Of The Relationship Between Town And Countryside During The Period From The Middle Ages To The Nineteenth Century. The Focus Is On How Towns Were Supplied With Basic Foodstuffs, And Especial Attention Is Paid To The Two Most Urbanized Regions Within The North Sea Area: England And The Low Countries. Among The Articles, Several Deal With The Food-provisioning Strategies Of Some Of The Major Cities Within That Area - Antwerp, Ghent And London - And Show Among Other Things That Large Cities Were Unable To Meet Their Requirements From Local Supplies And Had Consequently To Access Markets Further Afield. Important Matters Given Substantial Elucidation Are Transport Costs And Market Integration.--back Cover. Food Supply, Demand And Trade -- Metropolitan Food And Fuel Supply In Medieval England -- Crisis Management In London's Food Supply, 1250-1500 -- Feeding Sixteenth-century Antwerp -- Interregional Grain Trade In The Low Countries And Its Economic An Social Effects On Sixteenth-century Ghent -- The Rise And Decline Of The Amsterdam Grain Trade -- Maritime Transport And The Integration Of Low Countries Grain Markets In The Late Middle Ages -- Feeding Cities -- English Grain Trades And Farmers' Strategies In The Later Seventeenth And Earlier Eighteenth Centuries -- Farmers' Strategies And The West-zeeland-flanders Train Grade, 1648-1794 -- The Importance Of The Food Trade In Urban Credit Networks In Early Modern England -- Peasants And Markets. Edited By Piet Van Cruyningen And Erik Thoen. Includes Bibliographical References. CORN_14_FM.pdf 1 CORN_14_0 Van Cruyningen and Thoen Intro 11 CORN_14_1_Galloway 17 CORN_14_2_Keene def 29 CORN_14_3 Limberger corrected 41 CORN_14_4 Dambruyne corrected 59 CORN_14_5 Tielhof the Amsterdam grain trade 95 CORN_14_6 UngerPaperWord 111 CORN_14_7 Blonde corrected 133 CORN_14_8 Chartresnew 153 CORN_14_9 Van Cruyningen 171 CORN_14_10 Muldrewnew 183 CORN_14_11 Kopsidis met ill in 199