Shropshire Routes to Roots

1. Introduction to the Black Death in Shropshire

Some questions and answers

What was the Black Death?
The Black Death is the name that has been given to two types of plague that were common in Europe during the middle of the 14th Century. The disease arrived in Dorset on a trade boat in the summer of 1348 and spread rapidly around Britain.

The disease took three forms:

• Bubonic plague. This strain of the disease caused a swelling of the glands. It started off making people feel cold and tired, and then gave them high fevers and severe headaches. It was believed to have been spread by fleas. People who got the bubonic strain of the disease often took longer to die than those people who got the pneumonic plague.
• Pneumonic plague. This strain of the disease affected people's lungs, causing them to cough up blood. It is thought to have been spread by people breathing or coughing on one another.
• Septicaemic plague. This was the rarest strain of the disease went straight into the bloodstream of its victims, killing them quickly.

Why was it called the Black Death?

There are a number of explanations, although historians don't believe that it was actually called the Black Death until the 18th century.

One of the side effects of the disease was often red spots covering the entire body. Over time, these spots turned black and then people would almost certainly die. Another explanation is that a black horse or giant was seen striding across the countyside before the plague arrived in an area. However the most likely cause of the name was probably an error in translation between Latin and English as we know it today. So the Black Death could easily have been called 'the terrible death' instead.

When did it start and end?

Historians commonly state that the Black Death was at its worst in Britain between 1348 and 1349/50, although it started in Europe some time before and continued to spread up until 1352.

How many people died?

It has been estimated that a third of the population of Britain died between 1348 and 1350. In Europe as a whole, historians have estimated that 25 million people died of the Black Death between 1347 and 1352.

What was its impact?

The impact of the Black Death was devastating, whole communities became victims of the disease. The clergy were unable to keep up with demands to perform services for the dying and were often amongst the dead themselves. Wide spread panic must have existed with people uncertain whether they would be 'next'.

There is one reported story of the le Strange family in Whitchurch, Shropshire which underlines the panic that must have existed. John le Strange died of the Black Death on 20th August 1349, with the inquest (or inquiry) into his death scheduled to take place on 30th August. But two days before the inquest, John's eldest son Fulk fell victim to the Black Death, joining his father and brother Humphrey. This left John's youngest son, called John himself, to inherit all the land and property. Although the value of this property had almost halved compared to before the Black Death.

It is possible that Shropshire escaped the worst of the Black Death because of its rural nature; the fact that a majority of people didn't live in urban communities must have helped to reduce the death toll, compared to a built up place such as London. But even still, the impact of this frightening wave of disease must have been huge.

What evidence remains? Very little evidence from that time remains about the Black Death. It is however possible to piece together what life was like in 14th century Britain through some of documents stored at Shropshire Archives. In particular, a good selection of deeds from Ludlow dating from 1349 exist in the archives. These deeds show people giving either their property, or their dead relations', property to the Palmer's Guild. Michael Farraday, in his book 'Ludlow 1085-1660' (Shropshire Archive reference: Q64) says that these large amounts of death and charity could be due to "incidence and frightening epidemic that is, the Black Death".

Deed of William de Gloucestre of Lodelowe, tanner 26 May 1349 Larger image and transcript, in a new window [45kb] [Shropshire Archive reference: LB/5/2/516]

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