Rodney Hilton, 85; Known for His Books on Medieval Peasant Revolts

Rodney Hilton, 85, a British historian who wrote influential works on the rise of capitalism and medieval peasant revolts, died June 7 at his home in Birmingham, England. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Among Hilton’s best-known works are “Bond Men Made Free,” a survey of peasant unrest over several centuries, and “The English Peasantry in the Later Middle Ages.”

He also edited and contributed to “The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism.” It was written by a group of Marxist historians in which Hilton was a leading figure. Their discussion led to the influential journal of social history called Past and Present, now in its 50th year.

Hilton was born in Manchester, England, and joined the Communist Party as a student at Oxford. He quit the party in 1956, but continued to analyze medieval history from a Marxist perspective. He taught medieval social history at the University of Birmingham from 1963 to 1982.

He was known for encouraging students, many of whom went on to produce work that bore his influence and who would later be called members of the “Birmingham school.”