Walter of Henley facts for kids

Walter of Henley (also known as Walter de Henley) was an English writer from the 1200s. He wrote about farming in French. His most famous book is called Le Dite de Hosebondrie, or Husbandry. It was written around 1280 and teaches about managing a large farm estate called a manor.

Who Was Walter of Henley?

We don't know much about Walter of Henley's life. We know he worked as a bailiff, which was like a manager for a lord's estate.

One old copy of his book Husbandry, kept at the University of Cambridge, tells us more. It says Walter was first a knight, a brave soldier, and then became a friar-preacher. He was part of a group called the Dominicans.

Why Was His Book Important?

Walter's book Husbandry was one of four important books about farming written in the 1200s. A historian named Eileen Power said these books were "undoubtedly the most original contribution of the Middle Ages to scientific agriculture." This means they were very new and helpful for farming back then.

She also said their value comes from being "strictly empirical." This means the ideas came straight from real-life experience on farms, not just from old books.

Why Were These Books Written?

These farming books appeared because there was a new interest in learning. Friars, like the Franciscans, helped this happen. People also started to study nature and biology more.

At this time, large manor farms were very common. This created a need for books that taught people how to manage them well. Many religious groups, who owned huge amounts of land, had copies of Walter's book.

What Was Walter's Writing Style Like?

Walter of Henley wrote in a simple, down-to-earth way. He used many old French and English sayings to make his points easy to remember.

His writing was enjoyable to read. A professor named Bertha Haven Putnam even said that her American college students loved reading Walter of Henley's book more than any other medieval work.

Who Translated His Work?

An old copy of Walter of Henley's book from the 1400s says it was translated into English by Robert Grosseteste. He was a Bishop of Lincoln.

Many people thought this was a mistake. Robert Grosseteste wrote his own farming book called Rules. However, historian Eileen Power believes it's possible Walter's book was linked to the bishop. This is because the bishop was very interested in farming.

How Widely Used Was Husbandry?

Dr. William Cunningham has found twenty copies of Walter of Henley's Husbandry that still exist today. This shows how popular and useful the book was.

It was used a lot until the 1500s. Then, a writer named Sir Anthony Fitzherbert published his own book, The Boke of Husbandry. Interestingly, Fitzherbert's book used parts of Walter's work without saying where they came from!