The early fifteenth century witnessed the first attempt made by ordinary lay people - merchants, scriveners, craftsmen - to write their own history, in the so-called "London chronicles," which have had a profound effect upon the growth and development of London. The earliest of the extant chronicles represents the first generation of historical writing to be undertaken in English since the Anglo-Saxon chronicle, and reflects an important shift in the movement from a primarily oral to a literate culture. However, despite their significance for evidence of this change, and as a secular and...
The early fifteenth century witnessed the first attempt made by ordinary lay people - merchants, scriveners, craftsmen - to write their own history, i...
