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Reputation and responsibility in medieval English towns: civic concerns with the regulation of trade

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2012

CATHERINE CASSON
CATHERINE CASSON*
Affiliation:
School of History and Cultures, Arts Building, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK, and Winton Institute for Monetary History, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH, UK
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Abstract:

This article examines how the civic authorities of six English towns responded to competition from new markets, regional fairs, informal trade and each other during the period 1250–1400. It argues that the civic authorities adopted an aggressive strategy based on developing a good reputation for their town, in order to show that the town was well governed and that its merchants and artisans maintained high standards of quality. This article focuses upon how a credible reputation was developed through the creation and enforcement of market regulation, and examines its appeal to citizens, foreign merchants and the crown and nobility.

Type
Research Article
Information
Urban History , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , August 2012 , pp. 387 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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62 Cases involving sinecures were only included if they met one or more of the above criteria.

63 Leniency did not include cases where the defendant was not guilty or where they were excused from a punishment because they did not brew or because their goods were found to be accurate in weight or quality during an inspection.

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