Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326

by Kathryn Warner

A month-by-month account of what life was like for the everyday person just before the Black Plague wiped out most of Europe.   1326 was one of the most dramatic years in English history. The queen of England, Isabella of France, invaded the country with an army of mercenaries to destroy her husband's powerful and detested lover, Hugh Despenser the Younger, and brought down her husband, King Edward II, in the process.   It was also a year, however, when the majority of English people carried on living their normal, ordinary Eleyne Glaswreghte ran her own successful glass-making business in London; Jack Cressing the master carpenter repaired the beams in a tower of Kenilworth Castle; Alis Coleman sold her best ale at a penny and a half for a gallon in Byfleet; and Will Muleward made the king “laugh greatly” when he spent time with him at a wedding in Marlborough. England sweltered in one of the hottest, driest summers of the Middle Ages; a whale washed ashore at Walton-on-the-Naze; and the unfortunate John Toly died when he relieved himself out of the window of his London house at midnight, and lost his balance.  Living in Medieval The Turbulent Year of 1326 tells the true and fascinating stories of the men and women alive in England in this most eventful year, narrated chronologically with a chapter devoted to each month.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, British Literature, Medieval History, Historical, 14th Century

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2020

About the author

I grew up in the north of England, and hold two degrees in medieval history and literature from the University of Manchester. I have run a blog about King Edward II (reigned 1307 to 1327) since 2005, have had work published about him in the prestigious academic journal the English Historical Review (founded 1886) and in the academic essay collection Fourteenth-Century England, and have appeared talking about him in the BBC documentary Quest for Bannockburn. I also appeared in a documentary about Edward II shown on the German-French TV channel Arte in late 2019, and have given a paper about him at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds.

My first book, titled Edward II: The Unconventional King, was released in October 2014, and my biography of Edward II's queen Isabella of France (c. 1295-1358) was published in March 2016. My third book is an account of Edward's murder in 1327 or survival past that year, which came out in June 2017, and my fourth is a bio of Edward II's great-grandson Richard II, published October 2017. My fifth book, Blood Roses, came out in October 2018, and is an account of the royal houses of Lancaster and York from 1245 to 1399. My sixth was also published in October 2018 and is a biography of Edward II's malevolent favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger. My next two books came out in 2019: a travel guide to places in the UK associated with Edward II, called Following in the Footsteps of Edward II, and a biography of Edward III's queen Philippa of Hainault. A joint bio of Edward II's nieces Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth de Clare came out in February 2020, and a work of social history called Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326 was also published that year, A book about the Despenser family from 1261 to 1439 will come next, and a bio of Edward III's son/Henry IV's father John of Gaunt, second duke of Lancaster, is due out in 2021.

Projects I'm working on are: a joint bio of Edward II's five sisters; a joint bio of Edward III's granddaughters; a social history of London between 1300 and 1350; and a book about the medieval Beaumont family. And I'm sure there'll be plenty more after that!

Reviews

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting contrast of royal life vs commoners in medieval England.

You can find my full review here: http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were curious about the lives of the not so rich and famous, then you have found the right book! Kathryn Warner goes into great detail with the lives of ordinary citizens of Medieval England, with a little royal drama thrown in for reference.

While the reign of Edward II has been dominated by the She-Wolf, or Queen Isabella and her not so secret affair with Roger Mortimer, there were still the everyday people, just trying to survive during the royal tumbles. From fisherwomen, carpenters, and those who waited on the royal couple, this book will keep you engaged from the start.

I really enjoyed this one, as it was a nice look into what was going on while the royal couple was hashing out their differences (with the use of armies, of course), and the daily goings-on of those who were living, and dying, during the tumultuous year of 1326. While the war drug out much longer, this brief look into this year gives us an idea of what happened, who was getting married, and the different prices for goods, death investigations and more,

A great read for those interested in social (and some royal) history!

[Soozee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and meticulously researched and detailed account of England in the year 1326. Edward II is on the throne, but is estranged from his wife Isabella who is living in France with their son and his heir.

Edward has always had a very bad press - everyone knows about his unfortunate demise at Berkeley Castle and he made unfortunate choices in his friends, having favourites like Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser, to whom he gave land and titles. This understandably peeved the other barons, who also disliked Edward's affinity with the working classes. Today having a king who rolled up his sleeves and helped ditchers and workmen would be endearing, but I understand it was then considered to be below his station to do that type of work.

The book takes you through the calendar for the year. Some of the detail is a little extreme, especially some of the family relationships, particularly if you don't then meet any of the characters again. It is fascinating how detailed the records were, and to see a king paying quite lowly staff to go home to sort out domestic problems and paying them if they were off sick. In many ways he was way ahead of his time.

A great read, fascinating in its detail and shining a new light on a much-maligned king. After all, history was always written by the victors, so while Edward made mistakes, it is good to see someone paint him as a less two-dimensional figure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

1326 was a pivotal year in British History; a year in which a weak king and his “evil counselors” were ousted by a far more talented queen in favour of a son who would live to be one of England’s most successful monarchs. Whilst the great and good of the land were adapting to the times the rest of the nation carried on as normal; plying their trades, having extra-marital affairs, dying under bizarre circumstances and murdering their neighbours.

All human life is here courtesy of the wit and exemplary research of Kathryn Warner. Using an account book from Edward II’s court Warner has weaved a wonderfully rich tapestry from the warp and weft of medieval life. We hear the names of those who are often lost to time; the glovers, sadlers, archers, brewsters and damsels. This is a beautifully written book - very easy to follow all the way back to the fourteenth century.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

232 pages

4 stars

It is 1326 in England. The King is Edward II.

This book takes the year month-by-month to tell the stories of not only Edward, but several townspeople, courtiers and politicos.

The tales are very interesting and I found the book to be a delight to read. The everyday lives of these individuals were so different than ours, it was very hard not to be entranced by them. A few of the stories were funny (forgive me for thinking so). And it's all based on fact. These were real people and their stories were very real.

I enjoyed the book. It was well written and easy to follow.

I want to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword/Pen & Sword History for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.

[ConstantReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326" offers a unique glimpse into the past. Using the account book of Edward II's chamber as her main source, Kathryn Warner paints a vivid picture of England in 1326. Month by month, she tells the stories of ordinary people living their lives in England before Edward II's deposition. While most books about the fourteenth century concentrate on the lives of the royalty, Warner shines a light on the common people of England such as valets who served in the King's chamber, carpenters, fishermen etc.

The book offers delightful insights into the past and is a must read for everyone who loves to learn about the Middle Ages.

[Jessica Lafferty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book--it was well-researched but accessible and while it covered major events that happened involving royalty, its predominant focus was on information about every day people. I have had quite an interest in English history since I was young and consider myself to have a decent knowledge of the subject, but within the first chapter alone I had taken notes on several interesting things that I had never known--like the fact that Edward II hired a husband and wife to work in his household (unheard of to hire a woman in such a position!) and paid them the same wage! The book is full of these interesting tidbits, but ties them all together nicely to give the reader a true sense of understanding of daily life and occurrences in 1326 England; it never feels like reading a bunch of dry dates and facts.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for the preview of this wonderful book. I'll be adding the physical copy to my shelves as soon as it releases.

[Tracy Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone not interested or well read in English history, this book might be a 2-. Essentially the author has had access to private logs and ledgers of life in England, 1326. Then the various events of life and royalty are rather regurgitated back in a monthly, chronological format.

For those wondering, this would have been about the time of “Braveheart”. Now it was roughly the timeframe of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and King Edward I “Longshanks”. Other than that, forget Braveheart because there is very little historically correct in the movie from wearing kilts and face paint to taking revenge on a murdered wife…but that’s a story for another day.

The events flow one into the other without any structure or flow. Tons of names, cost of items and fines are throughout. Now, despite this, I am an Angliophile and am fairly well read in English history. I enjoyed the nuggets of history strewn throughout. Kind of like reading a small town gossip column and police blotter only in 1326. Not really much more than that. If your the specific audience who is interested in those things, this has lots of them. Otherwise, unless you’re doing a paper on England in 1326, this might not be your favorite book.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a mix of very interesting and a bit rambling. Most of it is based on records kept by the household of Edward II and so follows Edward and his retinue through the year- up to his battle with his queen and son and eventual abdication in December. The details surrounding how Edward and those around him lived, what work they did, and what things cost, were very interesting and I enjoyed when Warner put things into historical context and explained some of the tradition or backstory surrounding it. Other times there would just be a list of seemingly random things that happened during the month (the book is broken down month by month) that didn’t work as well for me. I would have been more interested in those parts of the book if Warner had used them to help describe the larger life of people at the time in general. Still, an interesting book for history lovers, with some of the minutiae of everyday English life that we find so fascinating today.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[W.J. Small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for Kathryn Warner’s “Living in Medieval England” but was overall disappointed. I previously read Warner’s book on Edward II and found it well written and compelling. This, however, read as a laundry list of ways in which Edward II spent his money throughout the year 1326.

Starting this book, I had hopes that it would delineate the way the average person lived in the 1326. For some reason I believed the book devoted one chapter per individual per month, so overall one would read about 12 different people corresponding to each month of the year. Instead it was a meticulously researched description of how Edward II distributed his money throughout the year. We do get a glimpse of the peasantry and nobility, but nothing in depth. I did learn a few things, but overall I was disappointed with this book. 3 stars.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the account of ordinary people during this period provides a vivid and very detailed look at medieval life during this year, Kathryn Warner is at her best when she writes about King Edward II. I found the parts about him the most interesting sections of the book. I would love to know more about women running businesses during this period - there are glimpses of this here.



I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Patrick Mullan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it hard getting through this book. Although it is extremely well written and researched, it read like a text book. Each page contained endless names and dates and how much currency was exchanged. It’s a great book but not my style.

[Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of interesting information, but a difficult read.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books]

I struggled with this one a lot, it just did not hold my attention. Therefore I couldn’t even finish and I have gave it no rating.

[Jennifer Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326 by Kathryn Warner.
History.

I love a bit of history, especially something that sheds light on a period I’m not familiar with. This book, which takes us through a year according to Edward HIs household accounts, definitely does that. 

There’s no denying it’s niche, even for me (I do like something a bit out of the ordinary) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s more of a reference book than historical narrative and it places the major events of the year, culminating in the violent deposition and ultimate regicide of Edward II, against the minutiae of court life.

The book paints a picture of a quarrelsome yet surprisingly egalitarian society (it seems the King routinely interacted with, and was often extremely generous to, his social inferiors) and is jam-packed with gems. The records show us everything from the weird and wonderful names of some of those who served the king (Anabilia Grapefige? Lycoricia Watterbuttes?) and the legal processes surrounding inheritance in a time when many details were simply not recorded, to the detailed and gory deaths that awaited those considered traitors.

It’s probably a book to dip in to rather than read from cover to cover, but it would be a fascinating resource for anyone interested in the period, and it was engagingly written. I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed doing so - which is all I would ask for from a book of this nature.

I received a copy of this book from Pen & Sword History in return for an honest review

[Joanna Arman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Living in Medieval England, Warner has produced a book that is both entertaining and informative at once. Using household accounts, an underappreciated and often ignored Medieval source, as her basis, the author has written a vivid account of life in early 14th century England, from across the social spectrum.. Some details are interesting, some are widely known, such as the political events of his reign, and others are suprising, such as the story of Anneis May, a seamtress, who recieved the same pay as her husband for her work. From the King, no less. Or that the average age of marriage for common people in many areas of the country was not that far removed from today.

Edward II's proclivities did not just involve his love of unusual activities (for a Medieval King) such as swimming, but seemed to go as far as him taking an active interest in the lives and activities of ordinary people. He would get down and dirty, digging ditches along with them.

The last and turbulent year of the reign of a controversial Medieval King comes alive through the lives, deaths, occupations and daily struggles of those around him. This book comes highly recommended from a historian herself, and is a great addition to the shelves of anyone interested in social history.

Thanks to Pen and Sword for approving my request for this title. This review is entirely my own opinion and was in no way influenced.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title and cover blurb are misleading. The book draws upon the recorded accounts of the king (Edward II) in 1326 and upon official records from that year - so the content is dominated by lists. The lists are somewhat organized by theme - e.g. purchases of fish, or contemporary names, or people charged with murder. (There are a lot of murders. I don't know how much of that is because England of the early fourteenth century was a violent place and how much of that is because legal records are skewed towards the illegal.) The content is further organized chronologically, with a chapter for each month of 1326.

The best of the book is the intermittent scattering of minutiae pertaining to daily life. For example, a person's date of birth was unlikely to be recorded, so if someone claimed to be of age to take on an inheritance, a jury was gathered to witness when the inheritor was born and how they knew. ("I broke my leg four days later...") The author is extremely knowledgeable, but the reader has to work for the best bits.

1326 was the last year of the reign of Edward II, and that gives the book a unity it otherwise lacks. Edward is friendly and generous - and apparently unaware that he is hated.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange read... more like a lot of research notes than a completed history. It is based on records from King Edward II's chamber notes, which the author translated into modern English. There seems to have been little editing after that, with only occasional explanations of some context. The book is broken down by month and in each month it describes what the King spent money on and a little bit about where he was and what he did. Sometimes the author would change subjects completely, but not start a new paragraph, so it was very hard to read. Sometimes the detail was excruciatingly boring, as if you were reading someone else's geneology tree. But it was fascinating to learn some detail about that time period, it would just have been much better if the author made it more of a book than a series of notes.

[Mh430 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with fascinating glimpses of Medieval life but presented in a very haphazard manner

The author chose to present this information organized not by subject but by the month of the year in which it occurred. Which means interesting topics like 14th Century naming customs or the surprisingly informal relationships between English royalty and their staffs are presented here but they're scattered about like a student's class notes that are dropped on the floor. Would you read a biography where the notable events of a person's life were grouped together by not by the order in which they occurred but rather the respective months they happened in. I don't regret reading this book and I have no doubt the author is an accomplished researcher but a thematic approach would have been better.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator was so bad I'm not entirely convinced she wasn't AI. She took really weird pauses, often after "the" and "a."

This book was not really what I was expecting. 1326 was a hell of a year, and I'd been excited for something that focused solely on it. This book however is more of an account, literally... as in an accounting ledger. Ms Warner got the receipts, and if that's what you want, then this is indispensable. I learned some cool facts, such as Edward II employed at least one woman in his household (traditionally only men) and also paid her equally. Also just how many working women there were in general in the middle ages. Fisherwomen, brewsters, merchants. Also Edward II was very generous with his household staff... he gave them sick pay! Can't wait to bring that one up at a dinner party...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a list of accounts than a total narrative. The year of 1336 was the year the not much beloved King Edward II was deposed and due to King Edward having a secretary who kept his accounts, that information has come down to us. It seems to be a major source of the author’s information (not the only one — this is a well researched book) but although we do find out what ordinary people were doing this particular year much of the story is in the form of narrative lists detailing who got paid what, with explanations of what their work would entail to receive such payment.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turbulent

This is a book that details a year in medieval times. I didn't realize what it was when I bought it. If you like just a detailed list of events with little background this is the book for you. If not, give this one a pass.

[Andrew Piorkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and thorough, the book is full of little anecdotes about the people living (and dying) during the time period.

At times it was a little hard to follow due to the number of people named and the varying timelines for each person in referring to their ancestors and/or descendants.

[Marks54 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich in detail about the lives of people connected and unconnected to the royal court of Edward II.

[Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raw history

Here we have raw data from which we have a picture of pre plague England.make of it what ye will.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goes through the year of what each month may have looked like for those at the time. A number of people introduced and different things like restrictions, spending and so on talked about.