Law Courts and Lawyers in the City of London 1300-1550

Between 1300 and 1550, London's courts were the most important English lay law courts outside Westminster. They served the most active and innovative of the local jurisdictions in which custom combined with the common law to produce different legal remedies from those contemporaneously available in the central courts.

More importantly for the long term, not only did London's practices affect other local courts, but they influenced the development of the national common law, and quite possibly the development of the legal profession itself.

This book provides a detailed account, accessible to non-legal historians, of the administration of the law by the medieval and early modern city of London. In analysing the workings of London's laws and law courts and the careers of those who worked in them, it shows how that administration, and those involved in it, helped to shape the modern English law.

• Sets developments of London law and custom into their social, economic and historical context
• Provides a comparative account of London law and custom with that of the central and other local courts which enables legal historians to identify differences and similarities and to see why they existed
• Examines the backgrounds of both laymen and legal specialists, who undertook legal functions in Londons courts and in the case of legal representatives makes comparisons with the backgrounds of other courts