The Origins of the English Gentry

Description

The gentry played a central role in medieval England, yet this is the first sustained attempt to explore the origins of the gentry and to account for its contours and peculiarities between the mid-thirteenth and the mid-fourteenth century. The book deals with the deep roots of the gentry, but argues against views which see the gentry as formed or created earlier. It investigates the relationship between lesser landowners and the Angevin state, the transformation of knighthood, and the role of knights in the rebellion of mid thirteenth-century England. The role of lesser landowners in the society and politics of Edwardian England is then put under close scrutiny. It also emphasises changes in social terminology and the rise of social gradation, the emergence of the county as an important focus of identity, the gentry's control over the populace, and their openness to the upward mobility of professionals.

Peter Coss is Professor of Medieval History, School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University.

'This book is in the very best tradition of British medieval scholarship. Its conclusions are based on scrupulous empirical reasoning, but they are also framed with a wide historiographical context ... this is a great book.' History 'Professor Cross has written a splendid analysis of the changing aristocracy of the two hundred years after 1150 that will be required reading for the next century or so. What he has also attempted is even more bold and original, nothing more nor less than to explain the evolution of the English gentry.' Reviews in History 'Coss the innovator, hypothesiser, and controversialist is underpinned by Coss the meticulous researcher, analyst, and open-minded searcher for truth in what is in many ways an exemplary and undoubtedly far-reaching scholarly monograph ... his highly academic book deserves to be re-read and re-read ...' Reviews in History 'There is much to admire in this book, both in the general picture and in the details. In particular, Coss raises important questions ... this is an extremely important book which will be essential reading for specialists in the history of the English gentry, but which all scholars of the political history of medieval England should also consult.' The Economic History Review '... splendid analysis of the changing aristocracy of the hundred years after 1250 (his area of supreme expertise) that will be required reading for the next century or so.' BBC History Books of the Year 2004 'This is a scholarly, thought-provoking, and wide-ranging book, which includes engaging discussions of the use of heraldry and the role of parliament. Although it focuses upon the Midlands, it will be of value to all historians of medieval society.' Southern History Society