In 1348, the Black Death, or the Bubonic Plague, was carried to Italy from the east. It struck down the people of Florence, passed on to France and, in August, reached Weymouth. Early next year the pestilence broke on London and East Anglia, and then crept northwards.

Three Archbishops of Canterbury, 800 Norwich Priests and half the monks of Westminster died in a year. It bore hardest on the poor, with corn uncut and cattle wandering, but it spared none from a King’s daughter to an anchorite monk.

It is estimated that the plague carried off one third of the population of England.

We know now that the disease was caused by the bite of an infected rat flea but, then, a flea bite was an everyday occurrence, as it still was in the city slums of 1940, and nobody in those unhygienic times associated a flea bite with sudden death.

During these times, the wars continued, with the Anglo-French King and Aristocracy trying to hold or regain their provinces in France. Three great battles are of note, Crecy 1346, Poitiers 1356, and later Agincourt 1415. The main reason for these English victories was that the French King relied on the chivalry of armoured Knights, whereas the English Kings, Edward III, his son, The Black Prince and later Henry V, held their cavalry back until the French Chivalry had been massacred by the Welsh and English archers, which was considered bad taste by the French. You would have thought that they would have learned their lesson after Crecy!

However, times were changing and the eventual ejection of the English from France had, probably, less to do with Joan of Arc, who was burned as a witch in 1431, casting spells and leading French armies, but more to do with the introduction of firearms. All the great castles were built to withstand bow and arrow and knightly charge warfare. They were not much use against cannon shot and mortar fire, which could lob shells into the castle grounds and buildings. It is quite strange that, even in the eighteenth century, English Kings were still claiming, on their coinage, to be Kings of France.

One consequence of the Black Death was that labour to work in the fields became scarce in England, and those villeins that were left become more aware of their own value. There was unrest as the lords and landowners tried to reimpose old conditions on the workers.

In 1380, England was at war with four countries, France, Flanders, Spain and Scotland, and had lost both alliances and trade. The cost of all this was straining the middle classes, merchants, etc., who urged the government to impose a Poll Tax. At first, a peasant was only charged four pence, but, in 1381, the tax was put on each village an average sum of one shilling, to be paid by every soul over the age of 15. Payment was evaded on a large scale, so the government replaced local collectors with Sergeants at Arms, professional armed soldiers, who began a house to house census. Riots followed at once, Jurors and Clerks were killed in Essex and riots began in Kent, led by Wat Tyler.

The riots spread to East Anglia and Norfolk saw widespread unrest, one leader of the rebels being John Litser. There ensued killing and looting with incidents involving threats, extortion and despoliation in the parishes of Bale and Hindringham. Rebels were known to come from Hindringham, Thornage and SHARRINGTON. Bishop Despenser of Norwich rallied the gentry and ended the rebel’s resistance near North Walsham, John Ditser was summarily executed. Bishop Despenser was noted for his ruthlessness and determination. Churchmen did not just preach the Gospel in those days.

Reference: An Historical Atlas of Norfolk. Published by the Norfolk Museums Service. 2^nd edition.