Daily Life and Black Death in Medieval England

Study Notes

Daily Life in Medieval England

People in the countryside had a simple diet, consisting of dishes like pottage, eggs, maslin bread, honey, and beverages such as small beer, cider, or mead. Water, often obtained from rivers and streams, was considered unclean and not widely consumed.
The threat of starvation loomed, exemplified by the Great Famine.
Waste disposal was often done indiscriminately, with most homes having a midden or cesspit.
Homes, often constructed from wattle and daub, lacked chimneys, making them smoky and dirty. Wealthier individuals might live in wooden-framed houses.
Towns mirrored the countryside in terms of sanitation, with unpaved and dirty streets where animals roamed freely. Market days were particularly chaotic and dirtier due to the presence of tradespeople.
Towns did collect water from conduits, making it slightly cleaner than the countryside.

The Black Death

The Black Death reached England in 1348, wiping out an estimated 60% of the population.
Lack of understanding of the disease's cause led people to believe in miasma (bad air) and divine punishment.
Symptoms included large buboes and coughing.
Efforts to combat the disease often proved futile, including the use of chamomile lotions, applying toads on buboes, and bloodletting.
People turned to religious practices, such as burning candles, praying, and self-flagellation.
Italian cities implemented measures like employing more street cleaners and restricting movement, but these were not widely adopted in England.
Limited national action occurred, consisting primarily of King's orders to clean London and York.
Local governments had a significant role in sanitation efforts, with varying responses depending on the mayor and aldermen's commitment.
Some towns proactively tackled hygiene. Norwich shamed people for polluting waterways, Shrewsbury taxed residents to fund paving, and London invested in spring water delivery and employed rakers for street cleaning.

Monasteries and Cleanliness

Monasteries had superior sanitation systems compared to most settlements.
They had clean spring water piped into their facilities, passing through five settling tanks before being consumed.
Separate blocks for toilets, equipped with flushing mechanisms (necessariums and reredorters), ensured hygienic waste disposal.
These systems existed because monasteries had financial resources, were located in rural areas with ample land, and required clean water for their services.

### Daily Life

People in the countryside typically ate pottage, eggs, maslin bread, honey, and drank small beer, cider, or mead.
Water was considered unsafe, and people would collect it from rivers and streams.
Starvation was a possibility, as exemplified by the Great Famine.
Waste disposal was often done by dumping in middens or cesspits, and houses were frequently made of wattle and daub, lacking chimneys.
Wealthier individuals might live in wooden-framed homes, but even these structures were smoky and often dirty.
Towns were similar to the countryside but with unpaved and dirty streets where animals roamed freely.
Market days were notorious for their dirtiness, as tradespeople like butchers, tanners, and builders contributed to the grime.
Towns would collect water from conduits.

### The Black Death

The Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, first reached England in 1348.
It resulted in an estimated 60% mortality rate.
People lacked understanding of the cause and attributed it to miasma or divine punishment.
Symptoms included large buboes and coughing.
Efforts to protect from the disease included the use of chamomile lotions, applying toads to buboes, and bloodletting, but none were effective.
Most people turned to religion, lighting candles, praying, and self-flagellation, but their lack of understanding of the cause hindered their efforts.
In Italy, cities passed laws to increase street cleaning and restrict public movement, but these measures were absent in England, resulting in a higher death toll.
The King of England only ordered cleaning efforts in London and York.
It was left to local governments to manage the plague, with responses varying based on the motivation of mayors and aldermen.
Some towns took proactive measures: Norwich publicly shamed people for polluting waterways (1287), Shrewsbury taxed residents for paving (1276), and London funded the transportation of spring water and employed street cleaners (1293).
Monasteries boasted superior sanitation practices, with clean spring water piped in, passing through five settling tanks before use.
Their sanitation systems included separate blocks for toilets that flushed (necessariums and reredorters). Their wealth, rural location, and need for clean water for their services facilitated these advanced practices.

Description

Explore the daily life and challenges faced by people in medieval England, including their diet, living conditions, and sanitation practices. Discover the impact of the Black Death that struck in 1348, drastically changing society. This quiz delves into the historical context and key events that shaped this period.