The institutions of the Middle Ages are generally seen as tradition bound: Monks and Markets challenges that assumption. Durham's outstanding archive has allowed the uncovering of an unprecedented level of detail about the purchasing strategies of one of England's foremost monasteries, and it is revealed that the monks were reflective, responsive, and innovative when required. If this is true of a large Benedictine monastery, it is likely to be true also for other medieval household economies for which comparable evidence does not exist. This study gives a unique insight into the nature of med ... More

The institutions of the Middle Ages are generally seen as tradition bound: Monks and Markets challenges that assumption. Durham's outstanding archive has allowed the uncovering of an unprecedented level of detail about the purchasing strategies of one of England's foremost monasteries, and it is revealed that the monks were reflective, responsive, and innovative when required. If this is true of a large Benedictine monastery, it is likely to be true also for other medieval household economies for which comparable evidence does not exist. This study gives a unique insight into the nature of medieval consumer behaviour, which throughout history, and particularly from before the early modern period, remains a relatively neglected subject. Key elements of the monastic economy are explored, including the diet of the monks, the monastic administrative and accounting systems, the factors influencing their purchasing decisions, their use of the market and their exploitation of tenurial relationships, and their wide and diverse cohort of suppliers. The book also provides detailed analyses of the priory's purchasing and consumption of a wide range of goods, from staples such as grain to luxury imported goods such as wine and spices, and considers related issues including price movements, transport, and arrangements for payment and credit. The book provides a rare insight into the regional economy of north-east England from the point of view of a major consumer.