Abstract

Environmental Observations or Excuses? Weather and Its Consequences in the Demesne Accounts of the Bishopric of Winchester in the 14th Century

At the beginning of the 14th century the large estates of the bishopric of Winchester in Southern England were directly managed by the bishop’s administration. The yearly demesne accounts of this direct management were written down in the Winchester Pipe Rolls. These accounts are unique documents of the late medieval agricultural economy in England. The paper critically examines references to weather in the Pipe Rolls during the time of the Great Famine (1313–1317). This famine was partly caused by weather induced harvest failures. The references that the local reeves made in the accounts explain reduced incomes and increased expenditures. They only appear in certain sections of the accounts and among various other explanations. They are clearly the result of the communication between the local officials and the central administration in Winchester. While their value for the scientific reconstruction of past weather events is rather questionable, they shine a light on the ways weather could be used as an argument in the 14th century. They are therefore important sources for assessing the relevance of environmental impacts on the English society. So far, British scholarship has focused on law and war as explanations for change during the 14th century and neglected natural impacts such as adverse weather conditions, famines, infectious diseases and the plague.