Why did many thousands of men and women join a guild in medieval England? Gervase Rosser explores the conception and workings of these family-like societies through the experiences of their participants, setting them in a wider European context, and in relation to today's debate…
What was the role of merchant guilds in the medieval and early modern economy? Does their wide prevalence and long survival mean they were efficient institutions that benefited the whole economy? Or did they simply offer an effective way for the rich and powerful to increase the…
"What was the role of merchant guilds in the medieval and early modern economy? Does their wide prevalence and long survival mean they were efficient institutions that benefited the whole economy? Or did they simply offer an effective way for the rich and powerful to increase th…
Guilds ruled many crafts and trades from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, and have always attracted debate and controversy. They were sometimes viewed as efficient institutions that guaranteed quality and skills. But they also excluded competitors, manipulated marke…