The Politics of Social Conflict: The Peak Country, 1520-1770 (Cambridge Studies in Early Modern British History)

This book provides a new approach to the history of social conflict, popular politics and plebeian culture in the early modern period. Based on a close study of the Peak Country of Derbyshire c. 1520-1770, it has implications for understandings of class identity, popular culture, riot, custom and social relations. A detailed reconstruction of economic and social change within the region is followed by an in-depth examination of the changing cultural meanings of custom, gender, locality, skill, literacy, orality and magic. The local history of social conflict sheds new light upon the nature of political engagement and the origins of early capitalism. Important insights are offered into early modern social and gender identities, civil war allegiances, the appeal of radical ideas and the making of the English working class. Above all, the book challenges the claim that early modern England was a hierarchical, 'pre-class' society. Second Prize in the Whitfield Prize 1999 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 CONTENTS 9 FIGURES 12 TABLES 12 MAPS 13 PREFACE 15 ABBREVIATIONS 18 Introduction ‘Terms we did not understand’: landscape, place and perceptions 19 1 Social relations and popular culture in early modern England 28 CLASS AND SOCIAL HISTORY 28 RETHINKING CLASS IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND 36 LOCAL CULTURES AND POPULAR CULTURES 44 Part I THE STRUCTURES OF INEQUALITY 57 2 Economy and society in the Peak Country, c. 1520–1570 59 TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY 59 LAND, WEALTH AND COMMUNITY 63 LANDSCAPE AND POPULATION 71 3 Industrialization and social change, c. 1570–1660 75 POPULATION CHANGE AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION 75 ENCLOSURE AND COMMON RIGHT 84 THE MINING INDUSTRY AND ITS WORKFORCE 90 4 The Peak Country as an industrial region, c. 1660–1770 107 THE ECONOMICS OF REGIONAL IDENTITY 107 THE PRIORITIES OF CAPITAL 116 POVERTY AND LABOUR 120 5 Social conflict and early capitalism 131 THE PEAK COUNTRY AND THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 131 CUSTOM AND ECONOMIC CHANGE 134 Part II THE CONDITIONS OF COMMUNITY 143 6 ‘The memory of the people’: custom, law and popular culture 145 CUSTOM, LAW AND POPULAR CULTURE IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND 145 ‘TIME OUT OF MEMORIE OF MAN’: MINING CUSTOM IN THE EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY 155 ‘A KIND OF LEVELLING CUSTOM’: THE OPPONENTS OF FREE MINING 161 THE USES OF LITERACY: SPEECH, WRITING AND CUSTOM 168 7 The politics of custom 181 LAW, ORDER AND THE SENSE OF THE PAST 181 GENDER, PLACE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL IDENTITY 187 8 Community, identity and culture 197 GENDER, WORK AND IDENTITY 197 COMMUNITY AND LOCAL CULTURE 206 THE SUPERNATURAL AND THE UNDERWORLD 213 Part III THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL CONFLICT 219 9 ‘Pyllage uppon the poore mynorz’: sources of social conflict, 1500–1600 221 LATE MEDIEVAL QUIESCENCE 221 THE ‘TROUBLESOME PEOPLE’ OF THE TUDOR HIGH PEAK 227 10 ‘All is hurly burly here’: local histories of social conflict, 1600–1640 236 THE CONFRONTATION OVER FREE MINING IN THE WAPENTAKE OF WIRKSWORTH 237 THE POLITICS OF A PARISH AND THE KING'S ATTORNEY-GENERAL 241 THE ‘ILLEGAL COMBINATIONS’ OF THE HIGH PEAK 249 RIOT, LITIGATION AND FREE MINING RIGHTS IN THE HIGH PEAK 256 11 The Peak in context: riot and popular politics in early Stuart England 267 REDEFINING POPULAR POLITICS 267 GENDER AND THE SOCIAL BASIS OF PLEBEIAN POLITICS 272 TRADITIONS OF RESISTANCE 279 12 ‘Prerogative hath many proctors’: The English Revolution and the plebeian politics of the Peak, 1640–1660 285 WAR AND ALLEGIANCE 285 THE LEVELLERS, THE MINERS AND THE EIGHTH EARL OF RUTLAND 295 THE TRANSFORMATION AND DEFEAT OF THE MINERS' POLITICAL PROJECT 304 13 The experience of defeat? The defence of custom, 1660–1770 313 CHANGING INTERESTS, CHANGING ALLIANCES 314 RESISTANCE, PROTEST AND SURVIVAL 321 14 The making of the English working class in the Derbyshire Peak Country 334 BIBLIOGRAPHY 344 MANUSCRIPT SOURCES 344 BRITISH LIBRARY, LONDON 344 CHATSWORTH HOUSE, BAKEWELL 344 DERBY CENTRAL LIBRARY, DERBY 344 DERBYSHIRE RECORD OFFICE, MATLOCK 344 HOUSE OF LORDS RECORD OFFICE, LONDON 345 JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY, MANCHESTER 345 LAMBETH PALACE LIBRARY, LONDON 345 LICHFIELD JOINT RECORD OFFICE, LICHFIELD 345 MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY, MANCHESTER 345 MIDDLE TEMPLE LIBRARY, LONDON 345 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ARCHIVES OFFICE, NOTTINGHAM 345 NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, NOTTINGHAM 345 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON 346 SHEFFIELD ARCHIVES, SHEFFIELD 347 CONTEMPORARY PRINTED BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS 347 NEWSBOOKS 348 EDITIONS OF MANUSCRIPTS AND CONTEMPORARY PRINTED WORKS, AND CALENDARS 348 BOOKS AND ARTICLES 349 UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS 362 INDEX 364 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 CONTENTS......Page 9 TABLES......Page 12 MAPS......Page 13 PREFACE......Page 15 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 18 Introduction ‘Terms we did not understand’: landscape, place and perceptions......Page 19 CLASS AND SOCIAL HISTORY......Page 28 RETHINKING CLASS IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND......Page 36 LOCAL CULTURES AND POPULAR CULTURES......Page 44 Part I THE STRUCTURES OF INEQUALITY......Page 57 TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRY......Page 59 LAND, WEALTH AND COMMUNITY......Page 63 LANDSCAPE AND POPULATION......Page 71 POPULATION CHANGE AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION......Page 75 ENCLOSURE AND COMMON RIGHT......Page 84 THE MINING INDUSTRY AND ITS WORKFORCE......Page 90 THE ECONOMICS OF REGIONAL IDENTITY......Page 107 THE PRIORITIES OF CAPITAL......Page 116 POVERTY AND LABOUR......Page 120 THE PEAK COUNTRY AND THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION......Page 131 CUSTOM AND ECONOMIC CHANGE......Page 134 Part II THE CONDITIONS OF COMMUNITY......Page 143 CUSTOM, LAW AND POPULAR CULTURE IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND......Page 145 ‘TIME OUT OF MEMORIE OF MAN’: MINING CUSTOM IN THE EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY......Page 155 ‘A KIND OF LEVELLING CUSTOM’: THE OPPONENTS OF FREE MINING......Page 161 THE USES OF LITERACY: SPEECH, WRITING AND CUSTOM......Page 168 LAW, ORDER AND THE SENSE OF THE PAST......Page 181 GENDER, PLACE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL IDENTITY......Page 187 GENDER, WORK AND IDENTITY......Page 197 COMMUNITY AND LOCAL CULTURE......Page 206 THE SUPERNATURAL AND THE UNDERWORLD......Page 213 Part III THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL CONFLICT......Page 219 LATE MEDIEVAL QUIESCENCE......Page 221 THE ‘TROUBLESOME PEOPLE’ OF THE TUDOR HIGH PEAK......Page 227 10 ‘All is hurly burly here’: local histories of social conflict, 1600–1640......Page 236 THE CONFRONTATION OVER FREE MINING IN THE WAPENTAKE OF WIRKSWORTH......Page 237 THE POLITICS OF A PARISH AND THE KING'S ATTORNEY-GENERAL......Page 241 THE ‘ILLEGAL COMBINATIONS’ OF THE HIGH PEAK......Page 249 RIOT, LITIGATION AND FREE MINING RIGHTS IN THE HIGH PEAK......Page 256 REDEFINING POPULAR POLITICS......Page 267 GENDER AND THE SOCIAL BASIS OF PLEBEIAN POLITICS......Page 272 TRADITIONS OF RESISTANCE......Page 279 WAR AND ALLEGIANCE......Page 285 THE LEVELLERS, THE MINERS AND THE EIGHTH EARL OF RUTLAND......Page 295 THE TRANSFORMATION AND DEFEAT OF THE MINERS' POLITICAL PROJECT......Page 304 13 The experience of defeat? The defence of custom, 1660–1770......Page 313 CHANGING INTERESTS, CHANGING ALLIANCES......Page 314 RESISTANCE, PROTEST AND SURVIVAL......Page 321 14 The making of the English working class in the Derbyshire Peak Country......Page 334 DERBYSHIRE RECORD OFFICE, MATLOCK......Page 344 NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, NOTTINGHAM......Page 345 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON......Page 346 CONTEMPORARY PRINTED BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS......Page 347 EDITIONS OF MANUSCRIPTS AND CONTEMPORARY PRINTED WORKS, AND CALENDARS......Page 348 BOOKS AND ARTICLES......Page 349 UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS......Page 362 INDEX......Page 364 This Book Provides A New Approach To The History Of Social Conflict, Popular Politics And Plebeian Culture In The Early Modern Period. Based On A Close Study Of The Peak Country On Derbyshire C. 1520-1770, It Has Implications For Understandings Of Class Identity, Popular Culture, Riot, Custom And Social Relations.--book Jacket. Above All, The Book Challenges The Claim That Early Modern England Was A Hierarchical, 'pre-class' Society.--jacket. Introduction: 'terms We Did Not Understand': Landscape, Place And Perceptions. 1. Social Relations And Popular Culture In Early Modern England -- Pt. I. The Structures Of Inequality. 2. Economy And Society In The Peak Country, C. 1520-1570. 3. Industrialization And Social Change, C. 1570-1660. 4. The Peak Country As An Industrial Region, C. 1660-1770. 5. Social Conflict And Early Capitalism -- Pt. Ii. The Conditions Of Community. 6. 'the Memory Of The People': Custom, Law And Popular Culture. 7. The Politics Of Custom. 8. Community, Identity And Culture -- Pt. Iii. The Politics Of Social Conflict. 9. 'pyllage Uppon The Poore Mynorz': Sources Of Social Conflict, 1500-1600. Andy Wood. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. This book provides an alternative approach to the history of social conflict, popular politics and plebeian culture in the early modern period. Based on a close study of the Peak Country of Derbyshire c.1520–1770, it has implications for understandings of class identity, popular culture, riot, custom and social relations. A detailed reconstruction of economic and social change within the region is followed by an in-depth examination of the changing cultural meanings of custom, gender, locality, skill, literacy, orality and magic. The local history of social conflict sheds light upon the nature of political engagement and the origins of early capitalism. Important insights are offered into early modern social and gender identities, civil war allegiances, the appeal of radical ideas and the making of the English working class. Above all, the book challenges the claim that early modern England was a hierarchical,'pre-class'society.