Umweltbeobachtungen oder Ausreden? Das Wetter und seine Auswirkungen in den grundherrlichen Rechnungen des Bischofs von Winchester im 14. Jahrhundert
Year: 2016
Author: Schuh, Maximilian
Zeitschrift für Historische Forschung, Vol. 43 (2016), Iss. 3 : pp. 445–471
Abstract
At the beginning of the 14th century the large estates of the bishopric of Winchester in Southern England were directly managed by the bishop’s administration. The yearly demesne accounts of this direct management were written down in the Winchester Pipe Rolls. These accounts are unique documents of the late medieval agricultural economy in England. The paper critically examines references to weather in the Pipe Rolls during the time of the Great Famine (1313–1317). This famine was partly caused by weather induced harvest failures. The references that the local reeves made in the accounts explain reduced incomes and increased expenditures. They only appear in certain sections of the accounts and among various other explanations. They are clearly the result of the communication between the local officials and the central administration in Winchester. While their value for the scientific reconstruction of past weather events is rather questionable, they shine a light on the ways weather could be used as an argument in the 14th century. They are therefore important sources for assessing the relevance of environmental impacts on the English society. So far, British scholarship has focused on law and war as explanations for change during the 14th century and neglected natural impacts such as adverse weather conditions, famines, infectious diseases and the plague.
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Journal Article Details
Publisher Name: Global Science Press
Language: German
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3790/zhf.43.3.445
Zeitschrift für Historische Forschung, Vol. 43 (2016), Iss. 3 : pp. 445–471
Published online: 2016-09
AMS Subject Headings: Duncker & Humblot
Copyright: COPYRIGHT: © Global Science Press
Pages: 27
Author Details
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