Burghmote Books

This page will feature links to the documentary records we will be exploring for the purposes of the project. The summaries and data drawn from the records will expand as the project progresses. Eventually, each significant group of records will have their own subpages to host the information we will collect. We hope to host transcriptions and images of the records as well as maps and data visualisations based on the content of the records. We intend to study the built environment of early modern Maidstone (with a focus on those buildings still standing) but this will necessitate its own page.

The Burghmote Books were the official records of the governing body of Maidstone, known as the Burghmote. These books documented municipal decisions, governance structures, and economic regulations. They date from the 16^th to the 18^th century and were created by the Corporation of Maidstone to regulate trade, maintain order, and oversee local governance.

The books contain regulations for town governance, trade, and economic policies, including market supervision, as well as records of conflicts between the Corporation of Maidstone and the local gentry. These records provide insights into local governance and its interaction with national policies, such as the town’s struggles to maintain its autonomy against interventions by the monarchy. The books reflect Maidstone’s role in trade regulation, taxation, and civic infrastructure management.

They are essential for understanding the legal, political, social, and economic history of Maidstone.