Documents

The selections presented here are drawn from Tudor Economic Documents, a landmark three-volume collection edited by R.H. Tawney and Eileen Power. These records offer a vivid window into the economic and social life of Tudor England (1485–1603). They include royal proclamations, statutes, court proceedings, letters, charters, trade agreements, and complaints from merchants, farmers, and townspeople. Spanning topics such as agriculture, enclosure, guild regulation, overseas trade, vagrancy, taxation, credit, and monopolies, the documents reflect how England’s economic institutions, practices, and policies evolved during a period of profound change.