The Rural Population of Essex in the Later Middle Ages

Abstract

A series of data for the English county of Essex is used to provide an index of aggregate population trends between the late thirteenth and late sixteenth centuries. This evidence was produced by the medieval frankpledge system requiring adolescent and adult males to be enrolled into collective surety groups called tithings and consists of annual totals of tithing membership from thirteen Essex communities. The validity of these datasets can be confirmed by comparison with parochial taxation and manorial sources. (EXCERPT)