The Private Worlds of Men of Law, 1258-1558
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Description
This interdisciplinary study explores both the professional and personal lives of medieval and early Tudor lawyers, offering new insights into the evolution of the legal profession and the values of early modern society.
Employing a mix of group analysis and specific examples, Musson highlights lawyers' social aspirations and dynastic ambitions, their achievements and disappointments, and their attempts to merge into gentry culture. In particular, he reveals key aspects of their private lives: from personal details and individual characteristics, their religious beliefs and the nature of their marriages and alliances to where they lived, what they built and how they conducted themselves in society. By providing an historical reconstruction of the social milieu and ethos of the whole spectrum of 'men of law', from senior judges and specialist pleaders to locally-focused practitioners based in the provinces, this book emphasizes the social and cultural impact of the legal profession on medieval and early Tudor England.
Accessibility Information
Additional accessibility information
- PDF/UA-2, 1.4
- accessibility@bloomsbury.com
Hazards
The publication contains no hazards
Support for non-visual reading
Has alternative text descriptions for images
Navigation
- Page list to go to pages from the print source version
- Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
- All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order
Table of Contents
Abbreviations
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Attitudes and Identities
Professional Identities
'Popular' Identities
Personal Identities
Chapter 2 - Aspirations and Pretensions
Family Background
Professional Status
Fusion of Professional and Social Status
Additional Incomes
Chapter 3 - Family and Lineage
Education
Marriage
Family Considerations
Family Identity
Chapter 4 - Property and Investment
Residences
Relationships with Communities
Diversification
Debt and Financial Ruin
Chapter 5 - Piety and Beliefs
Expressions of Faith
Liturgy
Doctrine
Chapter 6 - Charity and Conscience
Medieval Philanthropy
The Role of Conscience
Philanthropic Intentions
Chapter 7 - Death and Memory
Life Expectancy
Last Will and Testament
Funeral Observances and Obits
Burial Location and Positioning
Personal Memorials
Conclusion
Bibliography
Product details
| Published | 24 Dec 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (PDF) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 9781350608177 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 40 colour & 40 bw illus |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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