guild

The article analyzes the study of the economic aspects of medieval and early modern urban history by Ukrainian historians, primarily on the example of the study of urban guilds. The author draws attention to new approaches in the study of the issue and to the question of how the new understanding of culture and anthropological turn in historiography affect the study of the economy of towns. The article also indicates possible new perspectives for the study of the problem

The article is devoted to the struggle of the «old» and «new» patricians in London at the end of the 14^thcentury. At that time the guild masters, led by the traders of textile goods, opposed the oligarchic merchant regime ofvictualing guilds. In 1381‑1383 the democratic opposition gained the upper hand, and their leader –a draper John Northampton ‑ became mayor of the capital. He organized socio-economic and political reforms in the interests of wide layers of the population.