Poor Relief in an English Medieval Town (the Case of Monastic Town of Reading)

Abstract

In the article, the example of Reading, a town situated in south-east England, is used to investigate the issue of poor relief in an English medieval town. A distinguishing characteristic of this particular town was that it remained under the monastic rule (local abbey) during the Middle Ages. This fact allows us to discuss the combination and coexistence of monastic and urban charities, in particular, their policy and actions for poor relief. That pairing was quite typical for medieval towns in general, but in these circumstances, it is reasonable to expect a certain inclination. Institutionally, systematic care of poor people took form of a hospital or an almshouse. Originally the monastic house was in the lead, but with the decline of their foundations, in the 15th century the initiative was seized by the townspeople. It was private initiatives of some individuals, but eventually the urban corporation had to, however sometimes informally, take over their care. Short-term support in form of distribution of food, money, and other essentials was undertaken on a regular basis by the monastery, especially as there was a designated official for this purpose — an almoner. The townspeople mostly left something in their bequests, other informal help is impossible to measure. The comparison of the case of Reading with other monastic towns of the same region shows that it was rather atypical for a small seigneurial town in this regard.