Town and Countryside in West Berkshire, c.1400-1600

<p>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</p>The project was an investigation into the nature of social and economic change during the transition from the late medieval to early modern periods. This was achieved through a detailed study of urban and rural areas of western Berkshire between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The project aimed to identify criteria with which to measure the experience of change in the late medieval economy and society. The criteria were divided into four categories: taxable wealth, population, landholding and trade. The data were collected at two levels: a regional study employing fiscal records; and studies of the town of Newbury and the rural parishes of Buckland, Kintbury, Shaw and West Hanney that utilised a variety of documentary sources.<B>Main Topics</B>:<br> There are two types of data in this study: fiscal data for west Berkshire drawn from national taxation records, and manorial data accumulated for geographical case studies.<br> <br> The fiscal data for west Berkshire were collected to measure change in the relative distribution of wealth between the different regions within west Berkshire and within their populations. Change in the size of the population was calculated by the differences in the numbers of men assessed in 1381 and 1522.<br> <br> The manorial data were collected to create biographies of people and land, and to identify the activities of the manorial court. Other additional sources, especially probate wills and inventories, were included so that networks of contacts with other people and their economic and social context could be identified.<br> <br> West Hanney<br> <br> The lands of West Hanney parish were divided between three manors and the rectory. The data are derived from the manorial records of Priors Court manor held by New College Oxford (New College Archive), Seymours Court manor held by the Eyston family of East Hendred for most of the period of study (Berkshire Record Office), and probate wills and inventories for West Hanney parish (Berkshire Record Office).<br> <br> The detailed data entries are divided into thematic tables that include: the name of the person and their personal details, cases of presentment in the manor court, cases relating to the lands of the manors, bequests made in the wills, and summary description of the inventory contents.<br> <br> Shaw<br> <br> The manor of Shaw was held by Winchester College between 1404 and 1543 when it was exchanged with the king who held it until 1552, and finally it was sold to Thomas Dolman, a Newbury clothier in 1554. The data are similar to those gathered for West Hanney in provenance.<br> <br> Newbury<br> <br> Data for the town of Newbury includes: information drawn from testamentary sources; brokage payments; and parish registers. <br> <br> Buckland<br> <br> The data for Buckland were collected to provide information on persons, land, the activities of the manor court, and the economy as revealed from probate inventories. The lands of Buckland were divided between the manors of Duke's, St Johns, and the rectory, and in addition there were the hamlets of Barcote, Carswell and Newton. The data are derived from the documents of the manor of Duke's held at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and the probate material for the whole parish held at the Berkshire Record Office and the Public Record Office.<br> <br> Kintbury<br> <br> The lands of Kintbury were divided north and south of the river Kennet. The nuns of Amesbury held those lands north of the river, some land near the church, and its advowson. The lands to the south of the river were more subdivided as the nuns of Nuneaton held the main manor of Kintbury Eaton or Holt, but there were additional, smaller, manors that included Templeton, Titcombe, Inglewood, Anvilles. The data are derived from the documents of the manor of Kintbury Eaton or Holt, the probate records for the whole parish before 1600, and fiscal data for the parish for 1522 and 1524