Labour Laws in Preindustrial Europe: The Coercion and Regulation of Wage Labour, c.1350-1850 (People, Markets, Goods: Economies and Societies in History, 21)

Explores the variety of legal and regulatory regimes that existed in Western Europe to control labour and how workers experienced those controls. Many economic historians have assumed that labour in Western Europe was'free'after the end of serfdom in the fifteenth century. These assumptions are increasingly being questioned and labour laws have been identified as creating significant restrictions on workers'freedom. This collection is the first book to look at labour laws across Western Europe from a longer-term perspective. It is interdisciplinary in nature bringing together studies in social, political, economic and legal history. Elements of labour legislation appeared before the Black Death, but were strengthened afterwards particularly in places and periods where labour became scarce. The collection focuses on the rural economy in the late medieval and early modern period. It provides a series of studies which introduce a range of approaches to labour regulation and the very idea of labour across Europe. Uniquely, the collection offers observations on the impact of labour laws on everyday social relations. Attempts to regulate work and labour varied widely: in places they amounted to wishful thinking on the part of the regional authorities, whereas elsewhere they could impose severe limitations on individual freedoms. Contributors: Davide Cristoferi, Theresa Johnsson, Thijs Lambrecht, Charmian Mansell, Francine Michaud, Hanne Østhus, Raffaella Sarti, Carolina Uppenberg and Jane Whittle. Explores the variety of legal and regulatory regimes thatexisted in Western Europe to control labour and how workersexperienced those controls. Many economic historians haveassumed that labour in Western Europe was 'free' after the end ofserfdom in the fifteenth century. These assumptions areincreasingly being questioned and labour laws have been identifiedas creating significant restrictions on workers' freedom. Thiscollection is the first book to look at labour laws across WesternEurope from a longer-term perspective. It is interdisciplinary innature bringing together studies in social, political, economic andlegal history. Elements of labour legislation appeared before theBlack Death, but were strengthened afterwards particularly inplaces and periods where labour became scarce. The collectionfocuses on the rural economy in the late medieval and early modernperiod. It provides a series of studies which introduce a range ofapproaches to labour regulation and the very idea of labour acrossEurope. Uniquely, the collection offers observations on the impactof labour laws on everyday social relations. Attempts to regulatework and labour varied widely: in places they amounted to wishfulthinking on the part of the regional authorities, whereas elsewherethey could impose severe limitations on individual freedoms.Contributors: Davide Cristoferi, Theresa Johnsson, Thijs Lambrecht,Charmian Mansell, Francine Michaud, Hanne Østhus, Raffaella Sarti,Carolina Uppenberg and Jane Whittle Explores the variety of legal and regulatory regimes that existed in Western Europe to control labour and how workers experienced those controls. Many economic historians have assumed that labour in Western Europe was 'free' after the end of serfdom in the fifteenth century. These assumptions are increasingly being questioned and labour laws have been identified as creating significant restrictions on workers' freedom. This collection is the first book to look at labour laws across Western Europe from a longer-term perspective. It is interdisciplinary in nature bringing together studies in social, political, economic and legal history. Elements of labour legislation appeared before the Black Death, but were strengthened afterwards particularly in places and periods where labour became scarce. The collection focuses on the rural economy in the late medieval and early modern period. It provides a series of studies which introduce a range of approaches to labour regulation and the very idea of labour across Europe. Uniquely, the collection offers observations on the impact of labour laws on everyday social relations. Attempts to regulate work and labour varied in places they amounted to wishful thinking on the part of the regional authorities, whereas elsewhere they could impose severe limitations on individual freedoms. Davide Cristoferi, Theresa Johnsson, Thijs Lambrecht, Charmian Mansell, Francine Michaud, Hanne sthus, Raffaella Sarti, Carolina Uppenberg and Jane Whittle. Front cover Contents Illustrations Contributors Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction Part I 1 Attitudes to Wage Labour in English Legislation, 1349-1601 2 Agricultural Workers and their Contractual Terms of Employment in Marseille, 1349-1400 3 Mezzadria and Labour Regulations after the Black Death in Florence and Siena Part II 4 Slaves, Servants and other Dependent People 5 Servant Law in Denmark-Norway, c.1600-1800 6 Labour Legislation and Rural Servants in the southern Low Countries, c.1600-1800 7 Dimensions of Free and Unfree Labour in the Swedish Servant Acts, 1664-1858 Part III 8 Popular Attitudes to Service as a Form of Social and Economic Control in England, 1564-1641 9 Exposed Lives: Compulsory Service and ‘Vagrancy’ Practices in Sweden in the 1830s 10 Labour Regulations in Law and Practice in Nineteenth-Century Iceland Index People, Markets, Goods