The merchants of York, Beverley and Hull in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

This thesis examines three main aspects of the merchant class of York,
Beverley, and Hull: their economic activities, political dominance and
social and religious concerns. It argues that in each town, merchants
played a significant role, and as their commercial fortunes were
affected by endogenous factors, so was their position within each town.
Chapter 1 gives a brief historical outline of each town's development,
up to and including the period under study. Chapter 2 offers an
overview of the fluctuating patterns of international trade, and of the
changing fortunes of each town's investment in overseas trade. Within
that context, chapter 4 focuses on individual merchant's business
'biographies', using them as a basis for a general discussion of the
range and quality of the involvement of each town's merchant class in
overseas trade. The second part of the chapter explores the evidence of
capital accumulation by individuals, assessing the role of real estate,
cash and credit in their enterprises. This analysis reveals the wide
range in levels of commercial success to be found within the merchant
class.
Chapter 5 looks at the degree to which merchants dominated the
government of each town, highlighting the notable differences between
them. It concludes that the merchant oligarchs of each were tenacious
in defending their position, until their commercial failure inexorably
lead to their political demise.
Chapter 6 offers insights into the ways in which merchants underpinned their commercial and political association through social networks. Inter-marriage, the poor survival rate of male heirs, household
structure and family provision, all reflect a high degree of interdependence. The second section of the chapter concentrates on merchant
benevolence and piety, concluding that their priorities were similar to
those of other townsfolk and their religious beliefs as conservative.