This unique look at the town of Westminster is a study of the nature of the urban community in the late Middle Ages. As a small town, characterized by a complex economy and society but lacking legal incorporation, Westminster typified the large yet neglected class of medieval urban centers. Rosser here examines the forces that existed to contain tensions and ensure continuity in the community. The regular expressions of shared interests and common identity--in local government, parochial life, and the activities of guilds--are shown to be essential to the survival of the town. A valuable contribution to the study of the social and economic history of the late Middle Ages, this work will be of interest to students of late medieval economic and social history as well as to urban historians.