The Age of Elizabeth: England Under the Later Tudors 1547-1603 (Social and Economic History of England)

This Famous Book Was The First Up-to-date Survey Of Its Field For A Generation; Even Today, When Work On Early Modern Social History Proliferates, It Remains The Only General Economic History Of The Age. This Second Edition, Substantially Revised And Expanded, Is Clear In Outline, Rich In Detail, Stressing Continuity As Well As Change, Balancing The Glamour Of Privilege With The Misery And Privation Of The Poor, And Dealing With The Dark Side Of Tudor Life -- Vagabondage, Starvation, Superstition And Cruelty -- As Well As Its Heroic Achievements. 'the Greatest Isle' -- Population -- Society And Social Change -- Wealth And Poverty -- The Great Inflation -- Agriculture And Rural Change -- London And The Towns -- Crafts And Industries -- Traffics And Discoveries -- Government, Law And Order -- Church And Belief -- Culture And Society. D.m. Palliser. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 The Age of Elizabeth......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 6 List of Figures......Page 9 List of Tables......Page 10 List of Abbreviations......Page 12 Introductory Note......Page 14 Preface to the First Edition......Page 17 Preface to the Second Edition......Page 21 Acknowledgements......Page 23 Dedication......Page 27 1. 'The greatest Isle'......Page 28 Land, people and government......Page 29 Politics and the nation......Page 42 2. Population......Page 62 The growth of population......Page 66 Family size and structure......Page 71 Births, marriages and deaths......Page 74 Famines and epidemics......Page 81 Migrants and immigrants......Page 90 Conclusion......Page 94 3. Society and Social Change......Page 97 Households and kinship......Page 98 Social structure......Page 106 Rank and status......Page 118 Social mobility......Page 124 4. Wealth and Poverty......Page 138 The distribution of wealth......Page 143 Taxation and royal revenue......Page 152 Living standards......Page 155 Poverty......Page 166 Poor laws and poor relief......Page 172 5. The Great Inflation......Page 179 Currency and debasement......Page 183 Inflation and its causes......Page 190 The effects of inflation......Page 200 6. Agriculture and Rural Change......Page 214 Farming regions and land use......Page 216 Lords, tenants and cottagers......Page 226 Enclosure......Page 233 The decline of the smallholder?......Page 242 Harvests and grain yields......Page 246 Agricultural progress......Page 251 7. London and the Towns......Page 262 The capital......Page 270 Provincial towns......Page 280 Urban growth and decline......Page 290 Towns and the nation......Page 300 8. Crafts and Industries......Page 303 Crafts, gilds and freemen......Page 305 The cloth industry......Page 314 Mining and metals......Page 321 Innovations and development......Page 326 9. Traffics and Discoveries......Page 336 Internal trade......Page 340 Overseas trade......Page 350 A balance-sheet......Page 366 10. Government, Law and Order......Page 375 Law and authority......Page 376 The courts......Page 382 Crime and punishment......Page 387 Civil law and statutes......Page 395 The aims of government......Page 400 11. Church and Belief......Page 407 The structure of the Church......Page 409 Christian belief and practice......Page 417 Religion and magic......Page 422 The consequences of belief......Page 428 12. Culture and Society......Page 438 Education and literacy......Page 445 Arts and sciences......Page 455 Literature......Page 464 13. Conclusion......Page 469 Appendix I: Harvests, Prices and Wages......Page 480 Appendix II: The Authorship of the Discourse......Page 484 Appendix III: The Dates of Harrison's and Smith's Descriptions......Page 486 Appendix IV: Sources for Urban Occupations......Page 488 Bibliography......Page 491 Index......Page 518 Part of a series relating economic to social history, this volume focuses on Tudor England and considers demographic aspects, society and social change, government, law and order and culture and society. The text has been revised, the bibliography rewritten and the notes and references enlarged.