Estate Management, Investment and the Gentleman Landlord in Later Medieval England1

This article is based on a booklet of accounts for the small estate of Newton, Cheshire. Compiled 1498-1506 by Newton's gentry landlord, they provide rare information on the management and investment strategies of a minor gentleman for his demesne lands. It is to the gentry that historians have generally turned for evidence of enterprise and investment on medieval estates; but few specific examples have been found. This article offers a detailed example supporting the view of the enterprising gentleman, and arguing that a wider diversity of investment was undertaken on a medieval north Midland's estate than is usually appreciated

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