This is a fascinating account of daily life in Westminster Abbey, one of medieval England's most important monastic communities. It is also a broad scholarly exploration of some major themes in the social history of the Middle Ages by one of its most distinguished historians. Barbara Harvey exploits the exceptionally rich archives of the Benedictine foundation of Westminster to the full, offering numerous vivid insights into the lives of the Westminster monks, their pensioners, and their patrons. She examines their charitable practices, their food and drink, illness and death, the abbey servants and the institution of corrodies--a key aspect of the abbey's finances. Harvey sets her findings in the context both of other religious institutions and of the secular world. Full of color and interest, Living and Dying in England is a highly readable and authoritative contribution to medieval history. "An in-depth examination of life in Westminster Abbey during the later Middle Ages from the perspective of social history."-- Historian "In a richly researched, sensitive, and fair-minded monograph, Harvey has given us an account of daily life at Westminster Abbey... Living and Dying is a major contribution to medieval studies and will be much used by scholars in many fields of inquiry."-- Speculum "This book will prove a mine of information about many aspects of the structure of daily monastic life...Scholars and students will ignore this soundly researched and engagingly written book at their peril. A gem."-- The Catholic Historical Review This is an authoritative account of daily life in Westminster Abbey, one of medieval England's greatest monasteries. It is also a wide-ranging exploration of some major themes in the social history of the Middle Ages and early sixteenth century by a distinguished historian of that period. Barbara Harvey exploits the exceptionally rich archives of the Benedictine foundation at Westminster to the full, offering many vivid insights into the lives of the monks of Westminster, their dependents, and their benefactors. She examines the charitable practices of the monks, their food and drink, their illnesses and their deaths, the number and conditions of employment of their servants, and their controversial practice of granting corrodies (pensions made up in large measure of benefits in kind). All these topics Miss Harvey considers in the context both of religious institutions in general and of the secular world. Full of colour and interest, Living and Dying in England 1100-1540 is an original and highly readable contribution to medieval history and that of the early sixteenth century. Barbara Harvey was formerly a Fellow and Tutor at Somerville College, Oxford, where she taught Medieval History, and is now an Emeritus Fellow of the College.