The Archaeology of Squatters' Settlements in Rural England, 1550-1750.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This thesis will combine the study of material and landscape evidence with archival and cartographic sources to examine the lives, landscapes, and legacy of the rural poor in England between c.1550-c.1750. In the aftermath of the Reformation- and for the remainder of the early-modern period- rural poverty and homelessness were major issues. They were ever present fears for the majority of the population, whilst also being perceived by the ruling elite as a threat to social stability. However, the experience of rural poverty is yet to be fully examined by archaeologists. By focusing on four counties (Shropshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire) this project will move beyond previous research to produce the first in-depth archaeological study of rural poverty in England between c.1550-c.1750. ObjectivesTo identify where the poor were accommodated in the early-modern English landscape.To highlight the landscape evidence that exists for displaced people.To understand how commons and forests were used as a resource by the poor.To trace the development of squatter settlements and assess their legacy in the landscape today. Historians have charted the rise of the rural poor and landlessness over the early-modern period, noting the increasing concern about perceived threats to the social order, which has produced both 'top down' perspectives based on the reactions of the early state and 'bottom up' microhistories (e.g. Hindle 2004). However, the landscapes and materiality of the rural poor have thus far been neglected by archaeologists, despite advocating that historical archaeology can provide the 'voice of the voiceless'. Significantly, Johnson's (1996) seminal work on the transition to capitalism focuses exclusively on the 'middling sort' and fails to identify those who suffered and were displaced during the period of post-medieval transition. This project builds on my successful master's dissertation which examined squatters' settlements during the age of parliamentary enclosure in Wales. The study will use national data sets such as the HER, early enclosure plans, and estate and county maps to identify squatter settlements, common land and forest in the four focal counties: Shropshire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire. Archival records of the Court of Star Chamber, Quarter Sessions, Petty Sessions, Forest courts, and Chancery Decree Rolls will be used alongside local poor relief records to identify people, places, and chronologies of poverty, situating the sites within their historical context. An assessment of later maps (parliamentary enclosure, early OS and tithe maps) and aerial photography will inform targeted site visits to identify sites associated with squatters.This thesis will develop the first database of evidence for early-modern squatter settlements: a foundation for future work on England. In addition, it will lead to the development of a new methodology for recovering ephemeral historic settlements: an internationally significant step forward. The project will provide a new departure for the debate about rural poverty past and present, which is both politically and socially relevant, especially as land ownership and the agricultural economy are currently adjusting to new circumstances and political agendas. Finally, the thesis itself, and a number of conference contributions and academic peer-reviewed articles, will make a significant and original contribution to academic knowledge and British historical archaeology.