ENGLAND 1340 AD TO 1400 AD

The Angevines and Normans who took control of England for several hundred years brought a military feudal society to England. Based on serfdom, they tried to enslave many of the English. Symbols such as the Seax knife were suppressed. The English language was oppressed for nearly four hundred year. English Eorls and aristocracy lost their lands. But, from this grew a technical military elite. Norman cavalry and Saxon infantry combined to form a potent mix. First France then Europe would learn this the hard way. English soldiers show extreme resilience.

One man along with others such as Wycliffe is credited as helping save the English language - Chaucer. His ‘middle’ English as defined in his work The Canterbury Tales overthrew the Norman French language. No longer would the English have to whisper their language to their children.

As Chaucer himself said:

‘But lerid and lewid (learned and ignorant) old and young
All can understanden English tongue.’

Open Field, Village and Manor in Chaucer’s time.

The most important change during the lifetime of Chaucer was the breakup of the feudal manor. The feudal system was defined by the characteristic of open unenclosed field systems with The farmers were bound to the soil and had to mill their grain in the lord’s mill. They also had to work on the lord’s fields under the direction of bailiffs. Society was based around the feudal manor, its lord, his agents, and peasant serfs. Unlike the empty fields of today, then an open field would have been full of 80-100 serfs. They could not marry off their children without the permission of the lord. This all began to change with the advent of wages and farm leases replaced this at a speedy and painful pace. Sheep farming began to dominate and led to many changes. Wool was transported all over Europe supplying Flemish and Italian looms (Eileen Power, Mediaeval English Wool Trade 1941.)

1348 AD. The Black Death.

This was accelerated by the Black Death (1348 AD to 1349 AD.) Labour became short in supply across England and Europe and population growth slowed down during the reign of Edward II. Filed ‘services’ were often replaced by money rents. The Black Death actually led to a ‘closer’ gene pool in England and a more homogenous people. A factor that still stays relevant.

The 1381 Rising – Wat Tyler and the The Peasants Revolt.

The labour market divided itself between landless labourer and the Yeoman framer. Parliamentry Justices and Laws kept wages down amongst landless labourers and this led to the Rising of 1391 AD. The English ‘working man’ was born. Itinerant preachers such as John Ball and tales of Robin Hood fuelled the Rising and other forest based outlaws. Some of Wycliffe’s Lollard Preachers were also involved.

Wat Tyler led the revolt in London and the Archbishop of Canterbury (who also the Chancellor……) was beheaded on Tower Hill. Richard II led the counter and met the rebels at Mile End and Wat Tyler was slain at Smithfields and the rebellion failed. But serfdom died with him in England. The ideology of ‘freedom’ was born in the English too. The Rising is a reminder of how poorly policed England was. The King had his Life Guards and Line Regiments. But he could rely on little else. This gave freedom to commoners, but led to much lawlessness. The King’s write did run, but corruptly and unevenly.

The English - Scots Border.

‘far in the North, I cannot tellen where’ – Chaucer on Scotland.

Great English Castles such as Alnwick – Warwick – Dunstanburgh – Belsay bare witness to the troubles along the Scottish border. Square designed  ‘Peel towers’ helped defend lesser families. Others had to make do living in wooden shantytowns. The Border War lasted until 1603 when the Crowns were unified under James I.

How did the rich and poor live in media evil England ?

The Rich. Whilst the Black Prince was devastating France and Marcher lords and troops were suppressing the Welsh, war was becoming more unusual in England. Manor Houses sprang up which still had a moat and draw bridge and shot holes for archers – but were really for more peaceful purposes. No chimneys. Haddon Hall in Derbyshire is a perfect example.

Chaucer said of his wealthy Franklin:

‘It snowed in his house of meat and drinke
Of alle dainties that men coulde thinke.’

The Poor.  The farms and cottages were usually of logs or planks. The floors bare earth. The roof was thatched. There are no real examples of this now. Bread and ale was important as was poultry, cheese, meat and vegetables. Bacon was common as pigs were vaste in number. Rabbits called ‘coneys’ were a plague and were snared by all. But, poaching was a crime punished severely. Law often banned hunting dogs and nets.

How did people dress in Chaucer’s time ?

Dress was an evolution from the Anglo-Saxon. Men began to dress with the coat and trousers of a modern person. But not dull. One may be Red the other Blue. In Richard II court people dressed in tight ‘hosen’ and coats blazing in colour and finery. Start to think of a modern Beefeater uniform and you start to get a picture.

1340 AD. Town and Church in mediaeval England.

The word bourgeoisie comes from the Anglo-Saxon word burgh or fortified village. Burghs turned into towns and they were a mixed blessing, often being more insanitary and beset by plague. But ,Chaucer was a Londoner and he said of a beautiful townswoman: -

‘Full brighter was the shining of her hewe
That in the Tower the nobel yforged newe.’’ – The Miller’s Tale.

Towns regarded each other as quasi states. They would refer merchants from other towns that set up market stalls as foreigners. London’s Mayor was a powerful man in his own town.

Like serfs owing military allegiance to their lord, burghers would play their part in the city militia. There were no rights without duties. Yet towns were full of trade groupings, guilds and other factions all waging economic legal and even riotous pressure on each other. Tough Thames boatmen were known to come ashore and beat all in their way if something upset them. Hundreds of them!

Houses were still of wood and timber, but red tiles were replacing thatch due to fire risk. Stone houses like John if Gaunts Savoy mansion near Westminster were on the increase.

In 1290 AD Edward I had expelled the Jews from England. An act of anti-Semitism that was reversed by Oliver Cromwell. Without the gifted money expertise of the Jewry the English learned to handle money and borrowed from Florentine bankers to fuel their wars. It also led to the rise of the ‘great city men.’ In effect the City of London began to form. The age of Chaucer was the great breeding ground of English capitalism.  Cromwell – as tough as he was – was no anti-Semite, he unerstood the need for their understanding of the workings of money.

Edward III began to clear the English channel of pirates and others and defeated the French at Sluys in 1340 AD. This enabled trade in conjunction with the Hundred Years War which helped open the English wool trade with Europe.

The wool and cloth trades in mediaeval England.

Wool was the chief export of the English. But, soon weaving itself was enhanced by the advent of the Weavers’ Gilds in many towns. In Henry III’s time Stamford cloth was known in Europe. Export was via ‘staples’ or venues where export had to be gathered. And was commonly taken on the Dover-Calais route via very wealthy merchants. And cloth gave rise to the first real capitalism. This in turn eventually set off the English Industrial Revolution.

As well as the rich, the workers began to find their feet with Yeoman Gilds where people could take control of wages and even industry sectors. Servitude was disappearing and new middles classes and working gilds were forming to take charge of trade and farming. English Society, after years of the feudal Norman yoke, was on the move.

The clergy in media evil England.

The English state itself was changing. It has relied heavily on clergy to do its administration. This kept the Pope very knowledgeable on state affairs. But now men like Knyver and Richard Scrope came to the fore and were more that capable of running high state office. Thus began the gradual slip of the church’s hold on England. Bright people and bright money cannot be kept down by ecclesiastical fervour.

Trouble really began with Wycliffe’s denial of transubstantiation in the sacrifice of the Mass in 1380 AD. The church acted its part in a monotonous procession of theatre all done in Latin. The peasant didn’t understand Latin and the Bible was not written in English. The church’s summoners were corrupt and often evil. The monks were dull and comfortable like the wealthy Bishops. Here we see the acorn of English Puritanism and its rise against sin, its fear of hell, and its attacks on the clergy. It would wait until Henry VIII. But the rise of English Protestantism fuelled by capitalism was inevitable.

1381 AD. The Universities and the rise if the Colleges.

Where would a rich family send its eldest? To a dull monotonous monastery no longer revelled in scholastic glory. In Latin and Anglo-Saxon manuscript writing. Instead it was better to send your eyes apple to a University. There they may have more chance of learning the art of making money. Staffed by ‘seculars’ who regarded themselves as academics first and clergy second. They were always on guard against Papal interference. But not all was well between ‘town and gown’. Town’s people and clerks and students. Each wanting to dominate resources. In 1335 the townsmen massacred students and clerks in Oxford University and in 1381 they burnt the charters and records of Cambridge University. Universities began to form Colleges to keep discipline in Universities. Before Wycliffe dies William of Wykeham formed New College at Oxford.