Institutional factors influencing productivity in medieval England: a case study of tin, lead and silver mining

Casson, C. and Casson, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2907-6538 (2024) Institutional factors influencing productivity in medieval England: a case study of tin, lead and silver mining. The Manchester School, 92 (4). pp. 383-396. ISSN 1467-9957 doi: 10.1111/manc.12472

Abstract/Summary

This paper fills a gap in recent literature on productivity and regional development by examining the determinants of productivity in primary industries in English regions during the Middle Ages. It provides a comprehensive review of relevant literature on the tin, lead and silver mining industries in Medieval England. Modern studies of productivity typically focus on technology, labour skills, unionization and regional economic infrastructure as key determinants of productivity growth and focus on high-technology manufacturing industries This study of medieval mining, however, focuses on extractive industries in which advanced technologies played only a limited role. The paper shows that alternative factors contributed to the productivity of medieval mining including royal policy, the location of deposits and fluctuations in demand. Technology, investment in training and worker activism had, in contrast, little impact.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/114929
Identification Number/DOI	10.1111/manc.12472
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Politics, Economics and International Relations > Economics
Publisher	Wiley
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item