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Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Selected Sources: Social History
Contents
General
For subjects sometimes considered under "social history" see:
Social Classes
- This section to be developed
- Slaves
- WEB Teaching Medieval Slavery [Internet Archive version here]
Primary sources from all over the world.
- The Slave Trade
- The Church and Slavery
- Gregory of Nyssa (335-395): Homilies in Ecclesiates, Homily 4: On the Evils of Slavery [At Roger Pearse] [Internet Archive version here]
- Council of Agde: Concerning Slaves of the
Church, 506
- Gregory of Tours: Enslaving Noble Families, 511
- Fifth Council of Orleans: Concerning Freedmen, 549
- Gregory of Tours: Harsh Treatment of Serfs and Slaves,
c. 575
- Gregory I the Great (r.590-604): On Manumission and
Redemption, c. 600
- St. Eligius: Redemption of Slaves, c. 630
- Fourth Council of Toledo: On the Keeping of Slaves,
633 [re Jews]
- Pope Gregory III: Prohibition on Selling Christians to
Pagans for Sacrificial Rites, 731
- Lullo, Archbishop of Mainz: On Traffic in Ecclesiastical
Serfs, c. 755
- Council of Worms: On the Murder of Slaves, 876
- Peter the Venerable vs. St. Bernard of Clairvaux: On
the Keeping of Serfs, c. 1120
- Innocent III (r.1198-1216): The Keeping of Slaves by
the Jews, 1204
- Peasants
- See Economic Life section for documents on
farming activities, the peasant's legal position, customary obligations, and peasant
revolts.
- The Judgment of Courtisols, 13 May 847, trans Charles West. [At Turbulent Priests] [Internet Archive version here]
Residents of this early medieval village near Chalons-sur-Marne claimed to be free, but lost their case when a considerable number of their neighbours testified against them in court.
- Peasant Servitude and Obligations: Rulings by Louis VI and Louis VII of France (12th Century), , trans. Richard Barton.
- Disputing and Dispute Resolution in Monastic Charters from the Vendômois, c. 1040-1118, trans. Richard Barton.
14 documents from the Cartulaire de la Trinité de Vendôme with reference to monastic life, rural life, dispute resolution, duels.
- Aristocracies
- For issues of real property, and inheritance, see the documents on "feudalism"
in the 10th Century Collapse? section.
- texts?
Medieval People
Reflected in Literature
Make sure to see the Literary Texts section of the Medieval
Sourcebook: Full Texts Page, for many complete medieval epics, romances, and other
literary texts.
Law: Theory and Practice
- See the specific Medieval Sourcebook: Medieval Legal History page
- WEB Robert Palmer: English Legal History Materials Page [Was At Univ. Houston, now Internet Archive]
Basically an online textbook on Medieval English law. The discussion chapters contain the
full texts or extended excerpts of the main documents.
- Robert Palmer: Origins of Common Law. [Was At Houston, now at Internet Archive]
This informative discussion contains, embedded, the following documents:
- The Treaty of Winchester: Between Stephen and Henry [II], (1153)
- The Writ of Right (from Glanvill, 12.3)
- The Assize of Northampton, cc. 4-5 (1176)
- The Assize of Novel Disseisin [the earliest example of the writ of NOVEL DISSEISIN we
have; it comes from Glanvill, 13.33 (circa 1188)]
- Robert Palmer: The Law in 1188: Glanvill. [Was At Houston, now at Internet Archive]
Contains substantial excerpts from the law book known as Glanvill
- Robert Palmer: Rules of Law.
[Was At Houston, now at Internet Archive]
Page down this page for text of rules of law such as Utrum and Darein presentment.
- John of Ibelin: Account of a Plea, 1198, The
earliest documented instance of an appeal to the Assise sur la ligece
- Concord made between Laurence the Clerk, Son of
William & Sir Simon, son of Richard of Stanstead and their kinsmen, c. 1150 x
1178.
- The Trial of Enguerrand IV de Coucy Before Louis IX,
1259.
- The Strange Story of Thomas of Elderfield, 13th Century.
- Agreement between Count William V of Aquitaine and Hugh
IV of Lusignan.
- The Questioning of Eleanor Rykener (also known as John), a Cross-Dressing
Prostitute, 1395.
This is the one a a minute number of texts from legal processes on same-sex and/or transgender issues in
late medieval England. The document contains a facsimile of the Roll membrane, a Latin
transcription, and a translation.
- Oldradus de Ponte: No. 35 (Questio), early 14th
century.
The issue here is the validity of a marriage contract made under duress. A woman was
kidnapped, held captive and raped over a period of twelve days. During that time, the
villain compelled the woman to pronounce the words of a marriage ceremony, after which he
endeavored to consummate the marriage.
- Oldradus de Ponte: No. 92 (Questio), early 14th
century.
The quetion here was the responsibility of a knight who had been entrusted with a castle while a
war was going on. That knight gave custody of the castle to someone else who then lost it
to the enemy. Was the original knight liable for the castle's loss? What is the
responsibility of someone who undertakes to keep something safe for someone else?
NOTES: copyrighted means the text is not available for free distribution. Links to files at other site are indicated by [At some indication of the site name or
location]. No indication means that the text file is local. WEB indicates a link to one of
small number of high quality web sites which provide either more texts or an especially
valuable overview.
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
the Fordham University Center
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© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 5 June 2023
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