Offering a revisionist theory that shifts the focus from labour services required by the lord to capital required by the customary tenant, Raftis reveals that "peasant economic development" and "manorial economy" are not mutually exclusive terms. Using account rolls, charters, court rolls, and lay subsidy rolls he demonstrates that lords subordinated their power to tax and to extract labour services to a policy of capital maintenance. This breakthrough allows him to develop a more rational explanation for the growth of markets and wealth in a countryside not exclusively dependent on the economy of lords. Peasant Economic Development within the English Manorial System is a ground-breaking analysis that redefines the social and economic history of rural medieval England and changes the direction of medieval scholarship.

J. Raftis' profile page

"Raftis brings us much closer to the medieval peasant by giving evidence of his/her standing and economic decision making. He makes a major contribution to our understanding of the emergence of the farmer or yeoman. His perspective is quite unique and very important and will inspire further studies on this group." David Gary Shaw, Department of History, Wesleyan University. "Peasant Economic Development within the English Manorial System represents a major advance in thinking on the rural medieval world." [translation] Denise Angers, Département d'histoire, Université de Montréal.

"Raftis brings us much closer to the medieval peasant by giving evidence of his/her standing and economic decision making. He makes a major contribution to our understanding of the emergence of the farmer or yeoman. His perspective is quite unique and very important and will inspire further studies on this group." David Gary Shaw, Department of History, Wesleyan University.
"Peasant Economic Development within the English Manorial System represents a major advance in thinking on the rural medieval world." [translation] Denise Angers, Département d'histoire, Université de Montréal.