Umweltbeobachtungen oder Ausreden? Das Wetter und seine Auswirkungen in den grundherrlichen Rechnungen des Bischofs von Winchester im 14. Jahrhundert

Abstract

Summary 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 t...