ABSTRACT
Although events on the Priory estate took a new turn around 1384 with the decline of violence and disorder, beginning in 1388 it is possible to compare the bishopric and Priory main estates side-by-side, really for the first time. Such a comparison reveals both similarities and differences. Faced with similar needs and similar problems, both bursars and bishops continued to exercise their authority. The administrative changes that they made in previous decades, combined with their restoration of order, had imbued them with new confidence and authority. How the two administrations would manage that confidence and authority would differ; the bishopric stewards would continue the generally hands off approach, though with increased pressure in some areas, while the bursars would continue to involve themselves in village affairs as before. Neither wished nor dared to precipitate any drastic changes in lord-tenant relations. The outcome on the estates would depend on how the peasantry reacted to the seigniorial policies. As for the peasants, they continued to have their own concerns. While the open violence subsided to normal levels, anger and frustration still simmered. The tenants continued to adjust to the changes wrought in the wake of the plague, and the adjustments were not always easy.
