"'Big data' is now readily available to economic historians, thanks to the digitisation of primary sources, collaborative research linking different data sets, and the publication of databases on the internet. Key economic indicators, such as the consumer price index, can be tracked over long...

Ecclesiastical responses to the fifteenth-century recession -- Path dependency on the eclesiastical estates in the sixteenth century -- The great lay landowners -- The fortunes of the gentry -- The influx of 'new' wealth -- The rise of the church leaseholder -- Diverging experiences: yeomen and...