English Gentry in the First Half of the 15th Century

Abstract

The article examines with the social characteristics of the gentry of the first half of the 15th century. The author systematizes the criteria of belonging to the gentry in historiography and applies them to the Armburgh family. The article shows that the Armburghs belonged to the lesser gentry according to the income level, the structure of their land holdings and methods of estate management. It was the land that was of the greatest value to them as a marker of social status and the main source of their income. The household of the Armburghs was focused on commodity production but they were connected with the town not only by their economic interests, but also by family relations. The author gives a number of arguments showing that the interests of the Armburghs were primarily concentrated in the counties in which their lands were located — Essex, Hertfordshire and Warwickshire. They were integrated into social life of their counties due to numerous family, matrimonial, neighborly and friendly relations that united the gentry. The gentry of the first half of the 15th century were involved in the power system of their counties, exercising their authority as landowners, and due to personal relations and service to their lords and the king. In the author’s opinion, the material of the Armburgh Papers enables to state that social characteristics of the 15th-century-gentry meet the criteria developed developed in historiography.