The Black Death

In 1348, England enjoyed remarkable economic and political stability. Just over 10% of the country’s citizens inhabited urban locations—the largest cities were London, Norwich, and York. The rest lived in small villages of under a few hundred residents. When the plague reached England through the southern ports, northern England remained unaffected until 1349.

Based on information from ecclesiastical and civil records, the plague ravaged the southern half of the country to such an extent that the Catholic Church itself failed to operate normally. Hundreds of parishes were left without clergy or the means to administer sacraments or religious rites. On the whole, the priesthood suffered greater casualties than the average due to their increased contact with the sick and dying, as well as the fact that they were (on average) older than the median age of the population.

One of the side effects of the plague was apathy in the wake of mass death. Those who survived would often become morally indifferent to their communities, which led to resentment and suspicion of other members of society. The “psychological shock” (101) experienced by the typical medieval person cannot be overestimated. Doctors proved useless, the Church seemed powerless, the rich abandoned their communities, and leaders abandoned their posts.