Accounting at Durham Cathedral Priory; Management and Control of a Major Ecclesiastical Corporation 1083–1539

Durham Castle and Cathedral reveals sophisticated financial management practices within the Durham Cathedral Priory from 1083 to 1539. The study demonstrates that the priory employed advanced accounting methods, including detailed record-keeping and systematic control mechanisms, to manage its extensive resources and operations as one of Europe's largest ecclesiastical corporations. These practices ensured fiscal transparency and efficiency, even during periods of significant economic and political change. The research draws on surviving financial documents, providing a rare glimpse into the administrative sophistication of medieval institutions.

Spence, M. (2016). Accounting at Durham Cathedral Priory; Management and Control of a Major Ecclesiastical Corporation 1083–1539. Northern History, 53(2), 270–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/0078172x.2016.1197483