Rural Economy and Country Life in the

In 1961 Georges Duby wrote what is still the best overview of European medieval rural history to date. Originally published in French and first translated into English in 1968,Rural Economy and Country Life in the Medieval Westbrings together local research on the countryside and its economic life and distills from it lessons that apply much more widely. With this edition, the University of Pennsylvania Press brings this modern classic back into print.

Georges Duby (1919-1996) was one of the foremost medievalists and a prolific author. His many books include The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined, The Chivalrous Society, History Continues, and The Age of Cathedrals: Art and Society, 980-1420.

Foreword

xi

(4)

Paul Freedman

Preface to the French Edition

xv

(4)

Preface to the English Edition

xix

BOOK I -- IX AND X CENTURIES

3

(58)

[Introduction]

3

(2)

Chapter I -- Land and Labour

5

(23)

1. Settlement of the Soil. Systems of Production and Organization of the Village Lands

5

(6)

2. How Many Men Were There?

11

(5)

3. The Tools

16

(6)

4. Agricultural Practices

22

(6)

Chapter II -- Wealth and Society. The Manorial Economy

28

(33)

1. The Framework of the Family

28

(5)

2. The Great Landed Estates

33

(4)

3. Farming the Demesne

37

(5)

4. The Destination of the Demesne Profits

42

(5)

5. Differences in manorial structure

47

(7)

6. The Great Estate and the Peasant Economy

54

(7)

BOOK II -- XI-XIII CENTURIES -- THE RHYTHM AND LIMITS OF EXPANSION

61

(108)

[Introduction]

61

(4)

Chapter I -- The Extension of the Arable

65

(23)

1. The Advance of the Arable

67

(5)

2. The Enlargement of the Ancient Village Territories

72

(3)

3. The New Villages

75

(6)

4. The Settlement of the Intervening Spaces

81

(7)

Chapter II -- Work in the Fields

88

(25)

1. Cycles of Cultivation

90

(9)

2. Yields

99

(4)

3. Working the Land

103

(10)

Chapter III -- Agricultural Expansion and the Structure of Society

113

(13)

1. The Condition of the Peasant

113

(3)

2. The Family Farm

116

(3)

3. Demographic Growth

119

(3)

4. Overpopulation

122

(4)

Chapter IV -- The Growth of Exchange and its Effects

126

(43)

1. Demand

126

(4)

2. The Mechanism of Trade: money and markets

130

(4)

3. The Corn Trade

134

(3)

4. Wine

137

(4)

5. Products of Forest and Pasture

141

(9)

6. Commercial Growth and Social Development

150

(6)

7. The Village Community and the Entrepreneurs

156

(13)

BOOK III -- XI-XIII CENTURIES -- THE MANOR AND THE RURAL ECONOMY

169

(120)

[Introduction]

169

(4)

Chapter I -- Wealth and Power in the XI and XII Centuries

173

(24)

1. The Landed Patrimony of the Great Religious Foundations

173

(9)

2. Lay Fortunes

182

(4)

3. Power over the Peasants

186

(11)

Chapter II -- Lords and Peasants in the XI and XII Centuries

197

(35)

1. Manorial landownership

197

(23)

(a) The Size of the Demesne

197

(4)

(b) Domestic Labour

201

(2)

(c) Labour Services

203

(9)

(d) The Structure of Manorial Rent

212

(8)

2. The Exploitation of Men

220

(12)

(a) The Familia

220

(4)

(b) The Ban

224

(8)

Chapter III -- The XIII Century (1180-1330): Evolution of Feudal Rent: Peasant Dues

232

(28)

1. The Mobilization of Seigneurial Wealth

233

(4)

2. The Decline of Rents

237

(2)

3. Rising profits: Fines on Transfers of Property

239

(3)

4. The Exploitation of the Power over Men: Tallage

242

(10)

5. Peasant Indebtedness and its Effects

252

(8)

Chapter IV -- The XIII Century (1180-1330): The Exploitation of the Demesne

260

(29)

1. England

260

(4)

2. The Continent

264

(15)

3. Conclusion -- Peasants and the Manor on the Eve of the XIV Century

279

(10)

BOOK IV -- CHANGE AND UPHEAVAL IN THE XIV CENTURY

289

(72)

[Introduction]

289

(4)

Chapter I -- New Features in the Rural Economy

293

(19)

1. The Catastrophes

294

(4)

2. The Depopulation of the Countryside

298

(3)

3. The Shrinking of the Cultivated Area

301

(1)

4. Evolution of Prices and Wages

302

(3)

5. An Interpretation

305

(7)

Chapter II -- The Decay of the Manorial Economy

312

(20)

1. The Decline of Direct Cultivation

317

(10)

2. Fixed Payments

327

(5)

Chapter III -- The Peasants

332

(29)

1. Popular Revolts

332

(4)

2. The Rich and the Poor

336

(5)

3. Agricultural Production

341

(4)

4. Peasants and Traders

345

(16)

Documents

361

(193)

I IX-X Centuries

361

(26)

A. THE CAPITULARY De Villis AND ITS ANNEXED DOCUMENTS

361

(5)

B. THE Polyptyques

366

(5)

C. SIGNS OF CHANGE

371

(3)

D. REGIONAL DIFFERENCES

374

(4)

E. THE ECONOMIC FUNCTIONS OF THE GREAT DEMESNE

378

(4)

F. THE FATE OF LAY WEALTH

382

(2)

G. THE PARISH CHURCH

384

(1)

H. A GLANCE AT THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

385

(2)

II XI-XIII Centuries. The Expansion

387

(41)

A. TECHNIQUE

387

(4)

1. Economic Treatises

387

(3)

2. Tools

390

(1)

B. THE EXTENSION OF THE CULTIVATED AREA

391

(18)

1. Stratigraphic Study of Peat Pollen

391

(1)

2. Clearing of the Waste Organized by the Lords

391

(7)

3. Peasant Initiative

398

(5)

4. Other Topographical Traces

403

(1)

5. Common Lands and Protected Lands

404

(5)

C. WIDENING OF EXCHANGE ACTIVITIES

409

(19)

1. Traffic in Goods

409

(8)

2. Credit Operations

417

(11)

III The Manor. XI-XII Centuries

428

(51)

A. LANDED WEALTH

428

(9)

1. The Domesday Book

428

(5)

2. Lay Property seen through Pious Gifts

433

(2)

3. Cistercian Demesnes

435

(2)

B. PEASANT TENURE IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY

437

(5)

C. PERSONAL DEPENDENCE AND ITS EXPLOITATION

442

(4)

D. PRIVILEGED MONOPOLIES (The Ban)

446

(11)

1. The King

446

(4)

2. Advocates and Castellans

450

(7)

E. RENTALS AND CUSTUMALS

457

(15)

1. England

457

(6)

2. Eastern France

463

(6)

3. Rhineland

469

(3)

F. THE MANORIAL STEWARDS

472

(7)

IV XIII Century. Lords and Peasants

479

(41)

A. DESCRIPTIONS OF MANORS

479

(16)

1. Ecclesiastical Manors

479

(10)

2. Lay Manors

489

(6)

B. THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DEMESNE

495

(8)

1. Direct Cultivation

495

(3)

2. Farm Leases

498

(5)

C. THE CONDITION OF THE PEASANTS

503

(17)

1. Tenancies

503

(4)

2. Justice

507

(5)

3. Franchises

512

(5)

4. Individual Wealth

517

(3)

V XIV-XV Centuries

520

(34)

A. DEPOPULATION AND ITS EFFECTS

520

(8)

B. MANORIAL FARMING

528

(16)

1. The Demesne

528

(5)

2. Farming Contracts

533

(11)

C. PEASANT BONDAGE

544

(2)

D. THE CONTRIBUTION OF URBAN CAPITAL AND THE MOVEMENT OF EXCHANGE

546

(8)

Glossary

554

(2)

Bibliography

556

(30)

Index

586

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Rural Economy and Country Life in the Medieval West

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials