Economic History of Medieval Scotland, 70-1770 AD

After joining the then department of Economic History at the University of Edinburgh in 1965 and completing my doctoral thesis in 1967, my then-colleague Chris Smout suggested that I should perhaps undertake research on the economic history of medieval Scotland. The idea was an attractive one and I began to investigate the available sources for such a study. This survey revealed excellent trade records and adequate, if not rich, urban records. To one familiar with English records, however, documents concerning agriculture were decidedly thin on the ground. The benchmarks of English demographic history-Domesday Book, the 1377 Poll Tax and the 1525 Subsidy- moreover, had no Scottish equivalents. I thus considered, at this time, that the task of writing an economic history of Scotland was an impossible one. This preliminary investigation did, however, raise in me a considerable interest in the subject and, over the next thirty years, caused me to undertake research whenever Scotland impinged on my current research interests (see below). However, even after reading all of the work that had come out in the interim, in the mid-nineties I still felt that the task of writing an economic history of Scotland was an impossible one. It was only as I began to undertake work on the general project concerning medieval economic history, referred to above, that a working hypothesis began to evolve for an Economic History of Medieval Scotland, during the years 70-1770 AD, thereby establishing the foundations for, and causing the initiation of this new research initiative.

Publications:

'Lothian and Beyond: the Economy of the "English Empire" of David I' in John Hatcher and Richard Britnell (eds.), Progress and Problems in Medieval England: Essays in Honour of Edward Miller (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1996), pp. 23-45

'Northern Wools and Netherlands Markets at the Close of the Middle Ages' in Grant G. Simpson (ed.), Scotland and the Low Countries 1124-1994 (East Linton: Tuckwell Press,The Mackie Monographs, 3. 1996), pp. 76-88.

Theses and Dissertations

Doctoral Theses
Completed and available through ILL

Working Papers: On the basis of research undertaken in 1996/7-1999/2000, a first working paper concerning the emergence of Northern British Dark Age society

"Rome beyond the Frontier: Numismatic Evidence of Commercial Activity in Roman and Dark Age Northern Britain, 70-640 A. D."

Text, Maps 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

has been prepared in relation to this "new" research initiative.

Whilst it is intended ultimately to publish the results of this research programme in a new Economic and Social History of Medieval and Early Modern Scotland in the interim whilst research is underway, monographic studies will be produced as either post-graduate theses/dissertations or as independent research studies. Details of such studies will be posted on this site and will be made generally available on CD-ROMs. To order such CD-ROMS please e-mail to me at ian.blanchard2@qnetadsl.com the following information

FULL NAME
FULL POSTAL ADDRESS

RESEARCH STUDY NO.

This will allow me to "burn" the appropriate CD-ROM, which will be dispatched on receipt of your Sterling, Euro or Dollar cheque made out to "Ian Blanchard". Sterling or Euro cheques should be sent to

Ian Blanchard
Newlees Farm
Nr Avonbridge
Stirlingshire FK1 2LD
Scotland, UK

and Dollar cheques to

Ian Blanchard
c/o Edwin de Windt
3446 Cambridge Road
Detroit, MI 48221
USA

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