The Mills of Mediaeval England Book

In the Middle Ages only the force of wind and water was available as an alternative to the muscles of men and animals. The mill was the most powerful machine that existed and was so enthusiastically adopted that by 1250 there was one in almost every village in England. Providing rich profits for their owners, they were often a centre of conflict and controversy between peasant and landlord. This book examines the important role mills played in the medieval economy and society. Why did the number of mills steadily increase until the mid-14th century only to decline steeply? How and why did they spread across England, coming to dominate certain areas and not others? Were millers the grasping thieves depicted by writers such as Chaucer? Were all mills under the control of the lord of the manor or did independent peasant mills exist? These and many other questions are addressed in this study of milling in medieval England.Read More