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Timely Courts and Immediate Responses: Waste Management as a Temporal Issue in Late Medieval England
The leet court served as a means for medieval English communities to police themselves. It did not deal with private suits or have jurisdiction over felonies. It was concerned with misbehaviour which disturbed the public. Local officials were appointed to keep note of issues and at the annual court session, offenders would be presented and fined. Amongst the business of the leet were several environmental offences such as incorrect dung disposal, poor gutter maintenance, and illegal latrine placement. The records of these courts provide valuable insight into communal responses to the problems affecting the medieval urban environment. However, because leet court sessions were usually held annually, they can present a static image of what was a dynamic and pressing issue. When gutters are blocked, flooding can occur just as how a poorly placed latrine can pollute drinking water. These events required an immediate response and could not be left unresolved until the next court session. The court rolls record final judgements and fines but give very little detail as to what might have happened at the time of the offence. This paper examines waste management as a temporal issue in two fenland towns: Peterborough and Ramsey, between c.1300-c.1500. It seeks to shed further light on what might have happened at the moment of these crimes occurring and explore how medieval communities managed the urban environment. Utilising the records of the leet court, this paper demonstrates the use of environmental management as a means to understand the lived reality of crime and policing in medieval England.
Date:
19 February 2026, 12:30
Venue:
Radcliffe Observatory
Venue Details:
Room 20.421, History Hub, Schwarzman Centre
Speaker:
Louis James Henry (University of Stavanger/KCL)
Organising department:
Faculty of History
Part of:
Environmental History Working Group
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Belinda Clark
