Schofield, R. S., 'The Geographical Distribution of Wealth in England, 1334-1649', The Economic History Review 18 (1965), 483-510

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Quick Summary

Tax records reveal changes in the geographical distribution of wealth in England between 1334 and 1504, with London and the south-east experiencing greater economic growth than elsewhere

  • There was a very consideration redistribution of wealth during the later middle ages
  • Imperfections in taxation data do not detract from the coherent patterns that emerge
  • Wealth may have shifted away from wheat production toward wool and cloth production
Key Conclusion

Schofield uses taxation data to explore changes in the geographical distribution of wealth in England between 1334 and 1504. Schofield questions the findings of E. J. Buckatzsch who concluded in 1950 that there was a ‘stable geographical distribution of wealth during the later middle ages’ characterized by ‘practically no redistribution of wealth’. However, Schofield concludes that there was, in fact, ‘a very considerable redistribution of wealth during the later Middle Ages’ (p. 483). In 1334 the twelve richest counties lay in a belt from Gloucestershire in the south-west to Norfolk in the north-east, whereas in 1515 they formed two well-defined areas, joined together by Berkshire.

Content Overview

Schofield argues that the degree of distortion which might be expected from the surviving taxation records ‘is insufficient to account for the magnitude of the variations in the geographical distribution of wealth suggested by the tax assessments’ (p. 486). Despite the ‘imperfections of the basic tax data’, the changing patterns of the distribution of wealth are ‘sufficiently bold and coherent’ to suggest that they represent ‘genuine differences between counties and regions in the level of wealth assessed’ (p. 509). Notably, London increased in wealth much faster than the rest of the country so that by 1515 the city was almost 15 times wealthier than it had been in 1334.

Further Findings

To illustrate the difference between the distribution of ‘lay wealth’ (excluding the wealth of the church), Schofield draws attention to the location of the twelve richest counties (map on p. 506). In 1334, these were located in a belt from Gloucestershire to Norfolk, and seem to have been associated with the production of wheat. By contrast, in 1515, the richest twelve counties formed two well defined areas. In the west was a group comprising Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wilstshire, while in the east there was a block of counties grouped around London, comprising Kent, Surrey, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk. This grouping of wealth appears to have shifted away from wheat production, and towards other commodities such as wool and cloth.

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