Post-Conquest England

by

Joel Rosenthal

Introduction

The customary periodization of English history refers to the period before the Norman Conquest as the Anglo-Saxon or Old English period, and then “medieval history” is seen to begin in 1066, though this conventional English distinction is not usually followed in the United States. Furthermore, late 20th-century and early 21st-century scholarship has worked to erode the milestone boundaries of both 1066, at the beginning, and 1485, at the end, in terms of these dates being seen as the years that define or bracket medieval history. Regarding 1066, the extent to which the new Norman monarchy was based upon and built itself as an extension of late Anglo-Saxon society and statecraft has received considerable attention, while at the far end scholars have argued that we can narrow (if not close) the gap between the late-medieval world of the Lancastrian and Yorkist dynasties in the 15th century and that of the early Tudors after 1485.

Reference Works

In addition to bibliographies there are numerous reference books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, and collections of entries that cover various aspects of medieval England. In addition to entries with information on such obvious topics as kings and battles, many of these new reference volumes devote considerable attention to social and cultural history, material culture and archaeology, and women and family structure. Many of them are written with the student user in mind, and at their date of publication, they usually make an effort to incorporate “new” views and information. Works such as Cheney 1955 and Mullins 1958 present data that are hard to find, while the encyclopedias listed (including Strayer 1982) have articles by leading authorities and usually indicate the state of the question (or research) at the time of publication. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a vast project; its collections of biographies will be supplemented but not replaced in the foreseeable future.

• Cheney, Christopher R. A Handbook of Dates for Students of British History. London: Royal Historical Society, 1955.

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  This handbook has been revised and updated by Michael Jones in the same format, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000). The handbook is an invaluable guide to such information as regnal years, saints’ days observed in the British Isles, and the date of Easter through the millennium.

• Crabtree, Pam J., ed. Medieval Archaeology: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, 2001.

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  This is a fairly new field, and a reference volume that covers findings, digs, and methods is useful.

• Mullins, E. L. C. Texts and Calendars: An Analytical Guide to Serial Publications. London: Royal Historical Society, 1958.

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  A listing of the publications of the many local history societies as well as those of the Record Office. Mullins brought out a second volume listing the publications of 1957–1982 (London: Royal Historical Society, 1983). These volumes offer easy access to materials that are often hard to locate in library catalogues.

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

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  Now the major and absolutely indispensable biographical reference book, running to sixty volumes. In addition to biographical entries for hundreds of medieval men and women, there are generic articles on such relevant topics as the Paston Family or women as medical practitioners. This new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) replaces the old Dictionary of National Biography with new articles and greatly expanded coverage.

• Roskell, J. S., Linda Clark, and Carole Rawcliffe, eds. History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1386–1421. 4 vols. Stroud, UK: Alan Sutton, 1992.

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  Now the authoritative reference work, with the rest of the 15th century to be covered (with Linda Clark as editor) to replace the 1938 volumes supervised by J. C. Wedgwood.

• Strayer, Joseph R., ed. Dictionary of the Middle Ages. 13 vols. New York: Scribner, 1982.

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  Joseph R. Strayer was editor in chief, with many entries on England and the British Isles, some quite long and with useful if short bibliographies. There is now a supplementary volume, edited by William Chester Jordan, filling in some gaps in the coverage of the 1982 effort.

• Szarmach, Paul E., Mary Teresa Tavormina, and Joel T. Rosenthal, eds. Medieval England: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, 1998.

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  The focus is on many aspects of the topic, with literature, art, and music being covered in addition to “history.” Anglo-Saxon England, as well as post-Conquest England, is included.

• Vauchez, Andre, Richard Barrie Dobson, and Michael Lapidge, eds. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. 2 vols. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.

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  Not especially strong on England but many articles by Continental contributors for a different perspective.