The Origins of the English Gentry

Download or read book The Origins of the English Gentry written by Peter Coss and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-07-03 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the gentry played a central role in medieval England, this study is the first sustained exploration of its origins and development between the mid-thirteenth and the mid-fourteenth century. Arguing against views which see the gentry as formed or created earlier, the text investigates as well the relationship between lesser landowners and the Angevin state; the transformation of knighthood; and the role of lesser landowners in society and politics.