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(In-kind) wages and labour relations in the Middle Ages: it’s not (all) about the money

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  • Claridge, Jordan
  • Delabastita, Vincent
  • Gibbs, Spike

Abstract

This paper explores the prevalence of in-kind wages in medieval labour markets and the underlying reasons for their use. Using a new dataset of agricultural labourers in medieval England, we demonstrate that, until the late fourteenth century, wages were recorded anonymously and most remuneration was done through in-kind payment. From the 1370s, however, labour remuneration shifted increasingly to cash and workers began to be named individually in the accounts which recorded their wages. We argue that these changes reveal a fundamental shift in labour relations in late medieval England, providing new empirical insights into the ‘golden age of labour’ that followed the Black Death.

Suggested Citation

  • Claridge, Jordan & Delabastita, Vincent & Gibbs, Spike, 2024. "(In-kind) wages and labour relations in the Middle Ages: it’s not (all) about the money," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 125597, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:125597
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    (in-kind) wages; medieval economy; labour markets; labour relations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • N33 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N53 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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