In recent years, work on the medieval English peasant has tended to stress the degree of interaction between the village and the world beyond its bounds. This book not only provides an overview of this research, but also develops this approach. Phillipp R. Schofield describes the traditional world of the peasant - with attention given to such issues as relations between lord and tenant, and the nature of the peasant family - and places the peasantry of the late middle ages within the wider political, legal, ecclesiastical and commercial world of the medieval community.
'This is an excellent and welcome textbook for everyone with an interest or specialism in the field of medieval peasants generally, but for undergraduate students in particular, who will find this very useful indeed (and I will certainly recommend it to them).' - Dr Miriam Müller, University of Birmingham