Essays exploring the potential of the Inquisitions post mortem to shed important new light on the medieval world.The Inquisitions post mortem (IPMs) are a truly wonderful source for many different aspects of late medieval countryside and rural life. They have recently been made digitally accessible and interrogatable by the Mappingthe Medieval Countryside project, and the first fruits of these developments are presented here. The chapters examine IPMs in connection with the landscape and topography of England, in particular markets and fairs and mills;and consider the utility of proofs of age for everyday life on such topics as the Church, retaining, and the wine trade. MICHAEL HICKS is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Winchester.Contributors: Katie A. Clarke, William S. Deller, Paul Dryburgh, Christopher Dyer, Janette Garrett, Michael Hicks, Matthew Holford, Gordon McKelvie, Stephen Mileson, Simon Payling, Matthew Tompkins, Jennifer Ward.

Introduction - Michael HicksRecords of an Imperial Administration? IPMs in Scotland and Calais - Gordon McKelvie, Reviews EditorInquisitions Post Mortem in Medieval Ireland - Paul DryburghThe Court of the Honour of Clare, 1308-1360: Feudal Incidents and Inquisitions - Jennifer C WardLandscape, Farming and Society in an English Region: the Inquisitions Post Mortem for the West Midlands, 1250-1509 - Christopher DyerBeyond the Dots: Mapping Meaning in the Later Medieval Landscape - Stephen MilesonFairs and Markets in the Inquisitions Post Mortem - Matthew HolfordThe Structure of the Milling Industry 1427-37 - Matthew TompkinsProofs of Age 1246 to 1430: their Nature, Veracity and Use as Sources - William DellerWhat went on in the Medieval Parish Church 1377-1447, with particular reference to Churching - Katie ClarkeRetainers, Monks and Wine: Three Insights into Everyday Life - Michael HicksThe Administration and Efficiency of the Inquisitions Post Mortem Process. A Case Study of Northumberland - Janette GarrettLate Medieval Land Disputes and the Manipulation of the Inquisitions Post Mortem - Simon J. Payling