Town and Crown: Self-Representation and Signification in Fourteenth Century England

Dodd, Gwilym

Abstract

By the start of the fourteenth century the petition was established as one of the most important modes of communication between towns and cities on the one hand, and the English crown on the other. Petitions underscored the need of urban communities to obtain the intervention of royal government in their affairs. This discussion focusses on the language of these supplications, focussing specifically on the choice of vocabulary used to describe the collective identity of those in whose name the petition was presented. The investigation raises important questions about urban identity and power structures, and the principles underpinning civic governance. It also highlights the importance of linguistic analysis in understanding the interaction between rulers and ruled in late medieval England.

Citation

Dodd, G. (2023). Town and Crown: Self-Representation and Signification in Fourteenth Century England. Nottingham Medieval Studies, 67, 85-117

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 7, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 7, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-12
• Deposit Date: Dec 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 8, 2024
• Journal: Nottingham Medieval Studies
• Print ISSN: 0078-2122
• Electronic ISSN: 2507-0444
• Publisher: Brepols Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 67
• Pages: 85-117
• Keywords: Towns, cities, burgesses, citizens, commons, community, petitions, crown
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/28136731
• Publisher URL: https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/10.1484/J.NMS.5.136394?mobileUi=0