Civic Officials in Late-Medieval York 1476-1525
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The Formation of Urban Elites: Civic Officials in Late-Medieval York 1476-1525 by Charlotte Carpenter A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Medieval Studies University of York Centre for Medieval Studies 18 September2000 U Contents List of Tables iv Acknowledgements V Abstract V Abbreviations vii Part One: Introduction 1 (A) Historiography 1 I) Elites and Oligarchy: Overview 2 II) Elites and Prosopography 6 ITT) Dichotomic Divisions 10 JV) Alternative Systems of Stratification 12 V) York 1475-1525 22 (B) Elite Theory 30 I) Class, Status and Authority 30 II) Boundaries, 'Circulation', Coherence, Consciousness and Power 34 ifi) The Purpose of Elite Studies 37 IV) Methodological Framework 38 (C) Prosopography 41 Part Two: Access 45 (A) Occupation and Wealth 47 I) Social Closure Theory 47 II) Occupation and Wealth: Introduction 49 ifi) A Note on Occupational Categorisation 53 IV) Occupation 57 IV) Wealth 72 (B) Character 84 I) Discretion and Wisdom 86 II) Context 91 III) 'Honesty', Morality and Decorum 96 (C) Conclusion 109 111 Part Three: Structure 113 (A) Social Integration 115 I) Introduction 115 II) Patrilineage, Marriage and Surrogate Heirs 111 III) Social Unity? 163 (B) Discord and Ritual Unity 170 I) Introduction 170 lET) Discord and Factionalism 171 III) Ritual Unity 178 (C) Conclusion 201 Part Four: Power and Authority 203 (A) Authority and Conflict 205 I) Introduction 205 II) The 'Commons' and the Elite 207 III) Authority and Conflict 221 (B) Structures of Power 248 I) Introduction 248 II) Increasing or Decreasing Oligarchy? 250 Ill) 'Diffuse Power': Guilds 254 IV) 'Diffuse Power': Parish 265 (C) Conclusion 274 Part Five: Conclusion 277 Appendices 292 Bibliography 366 iv List of Tables 2:1 Occupational Categories Adopted 55 2:2 Occupations of Men Holding the Civic Offices of Bridge Master, Chamberlain, Sheriff and Mayor During the Period 1476-1525 .58 2:3 Percentage of Men Who Held Civic Office 1476-1525 Who Practised Mercantile Occupations: Shown by Highest Office Attained 61 2:4 Breakdown of Assessed Wealth of Civic Officials from the Period 1476-1525 Who Were Alive and in York during the 1524 Lay Subsidy 74 2:5 Average Level of Assessed Wealth of Civic Officials from the Period 1476-1525 Who Were Alive and in York During the 1524 Lay Subsidy by Highest Civic Office Attained 75 2:6 Men Who Held Civic Office 1475 -1525 Who Were Assessed hi the 1524 Lay Subsidy on Goods Over the Value of £23: By Occupational Group 76 3:1 The Percentage of Men who held Civic Office 1476-1525 for whom Probate Evidence Survives: By Highest Civic Post Attained 118 3:2 Patrilineal Relationships Between Civic Officials for whom Testamentaiy Evidence Survives and Other Members of the Civic Elite of York 1476 to 1525 121 3:3 Proportion of All Men Who Held Civic Office 1476-1525 Who Were Sons of Civic Officials 123 3:4 Civic Fortunes of the Sons of Civic Officials 1476 to 1525 Who Were Mentioned in Their Father's Wills 126 3:5 Cited Patrilineal and Marriage Relationships Between Civic Officials for whom Testamentary Evidence Survives and Other Members of the Civic Elite of York 1476 to 1525: By Highest Civic Post Attained 137 3:6 Women Who Married More than One Man Who Held Civic Office During the Period 1476 142 3:7 Men Who Entered the Freedom of York 1482-87: By Method of Entry. 157 3:8 Men Who Entered the Freedom of York By Apprenticeship 1482-87 160 3:9 Civic Officials 1476 to 1525 Who Cited Other Officials from this Period in their Will 164 3:10 Percentage of Men Leaving Wills Who Reached Each Office, Who Were Related To, or Who Cited, Other Officials From the Period 1476 to 1525 in Their Wills 167 4:1 Percentage of the Civic Elite 1476 to 1525 who Belonged to the York Corpus Christ Guild or the York Mercers' Guild: By Highest Civic Post Attained 261 4:2 Civic Status of Civic Officials 1476 to 1525 Who Can be Shown to Have Held the Posts of Parish Constable or Ward Juror During the Period 149 1-96 270 4:3 Comparison Between All Civic Officials 1476 to 1525 and Those of This Group Who Also Held the Territorial Posts of Parish Constable and Ward Juror 272 V Acknowledgements My first debt of gratitude must go to my supervisors Sarah Rees Jones, Felicity Riddy, and my erstwhile supervisor Richard Marks, all of whom have stretched me in new academic directions since I joined the Centre for Medieval Studies. I would also like to thank the other students and staff of the CMS past and present who together have created a stimulating, friendly and sociable environment in which to study all things medieval. Particular thanks goes to Louise Harrison for all her administrative and general support over my past four and a half years at the CMS, Cordelia Beattie for her advice and information, particularly bibliographic suggestions, Louise Wheatley for all of the information that she has provided me with on the York Mercers' Guild and, finally, to Pamela Hartshorne for housing Joel and I during final months. Thanks must also go to the British Academy for funding this thesis and to my parents for providing additional financial support during my fourth year. I am also grateful to the assistance given to me by the staff of the three archives where this thesis was researched: the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, York Civic Archives and York Minster Archives. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Hambi, Dr Bailey and Professor Dobson all of whom played an important and fondly remembered role at different stages of my historical career. Most of all, though, I would like to thank Joel Burden who has offered continual advice, proofreading skills and encouragement besides putting up with my frustrations. I am sure that he must be even more pleased than I am that this thesis is now finished. vi Abstract Through focusing on the 'civic elite' of York 1476 to 1525, this thesis explores the structuring of late-medieval urban societies and constructions of elite status and identity. It examines York's mayors, sheriffs, chamberlains and bridge masters, the extent that they formed an 'elite' group within the city and the processes through which this was achieved. Part One contains an overview of the historiography of medieval urban elites. It also examines how historians have approached the social structure of medieval and early modern towns. Finally, it considers and advocates alternative methodologies to compliment the traditional approach, particularly prosopography and sociological approaches to elites. Part Two deals with access to the civic elite. Using prosopographical methodologies it challenges the dominant historiography which portrays late-medieval urban elites as mercantile oligarchies. It argues that historians have neglected the importance of factors besides occupation and wealth in the election of civic officials. It also looks at the significance of personal characteristics in this respect. Finally, an analysis of the civic records reveals discourses of honesty, discretion and wisdom which reflect notions of ideal civic rulers. Part Three examines the elite's structure. It explores the extent that the elite was a socially unified group and the means through which social and ideological unification was facilitated. It also examines the real and ideological perpetuation of the group. Family, patrilineage, marriage and social ties are all explored. In the widespread absence of patrilineal ties between members, marriage and apprenticeship seem to have played an important role in binding the group together, and in protecting its real and ideological perpetuation. Part Three also explores the role of ritual in this respect. It considers everyday or secular rituals of langauge and gesture which aimed to present the elite as a unified group. Finally, Part Four discusses the power and authority of the elite. It challenges the argument that York's unrest was the inevitable consequence of what has been viewed as a city polarised in terms of political power. Instead it argues that few of the outbreaks of violence can be ascribed to the commons of York lobbying for an increased role in government. It also considers the extent that power in York really was polarised, arguing that the authority of the elite derived from its relationship with the commons of the city. Further, it stresses the role that guild, parochial, territorial and minor civic posts played in diffusing power throughout the city. VII Abbreviations BIHR Borthwick Institute of Historical Research YCA York City Archives YCL York City Library 1 Part One: Introduction The subject of medieval English urban elites has generally been approached through the study of civic officials or merchants.' Terms such as mercantile elite, merchant class, urban elite and civic elite have often been used haphazardly and, in some cases, interchangeably. With few exceptions, historians have given little consideration to the implicit or explicit connotations of the terms 'class' or 'elite', or to the applicability of their implied qualities and attributes to the groups in question. This thesis examines the 'civic elite' of York for the period 1476 to 1525. Central to this thesis is the examination of the extent and ways in which the group of men who held civic office in this period constituted an elite. It examines in much closer detail than before the validity of assumptions embodied in the use of the term 'elite', assumptions such as the possession of coherence and power. In doing so it contributes to and challenges much of the existing historiography concerning civic officials, urban government and strategies of social stratification and consolidation in later-medieval towns.