Medieval Westminster 1200-1540

Winner of the Whitfield Prize 1989

By studying the history of the town of Westminster, the central argument of the book concerns the nature of the urban community. It looks into what forces existed to contain tensions and ensure continuity, given social diversity.As a royal capital, Westminster was unique: a small town, characterized by a complex economy and society, but lacking legal incorporation. Gervase Rosser examines the nature of the urban community. Given social diversity and competing interests, what forces existed to contain tensions and ensure continuity? The regular expressions of shared interests and common identity - in local government, parochial life, and the activities of guilds - are perceived to be essential to the survival of the town. Gervase Rosser's argument has implications not only for the history of the small town, but for the history of urbanization throughout the medieval and early modern period.