The population of Europe as a whole grew in the period 1000 to 1300. This coincided with the so-called "Medieval Warm Period," when the average temperature of Northern Europe was warmer than the preceding 2000 years, and far warmer than in the "Little Ice Age" that followed. England's population in this period is thought to have risen from between 1.25 and 2.25 million at the time of the Domesday Survey to at least 4 million (and possibly well over 6 million) by 1300.

 

 

 

       Much of the population growth had taken place in the North of England; this area having recovered from the devastation inflicted by William I. Recovery was also helped by the warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons. It is also during this period a number of new towns were founded; Leeds (1207) and Liverpool (1229.)

 

 

       When the first outbreak of the Black Death (bubonic plague) occurred in 1348, a down-turn in population was already under way caused by climatic changes and over-exploitation of the land. In the years 1315, 1316, 1320 and 1321 there were particularly bad harvests.

 

       The summer of 1348 was abnormally wet with grain rotting in the fields due to the nearly constant rains. The harvest was so badly affected it seemed certain that there would be food shortages. But a far worse disaster was to appear for between 1348 and 1377 the mortality caused by the plague was catastrophic.

 

       By the end of 1350 the Black Death had subsided. However, it never really died out in England for the next several hundred years. There were further outbreaks in 1361-62, 1369, 1379-83, 1389-93, and throughout the first half of the 15th century. These outbreaks continued to take their toll and the population fell back to Domesday levels by the mid 15th century. Recovery thereafter was slow and it was not until the late 17th century that England became largely free of serious plague epidemics.

 

       It has been estimated that more than half the inhabitants of England died in this period, with the population down to perhaps 2.75 million by 1377.

 

    

       The effects of the Black Death on the Manor of Wakefield can possibly be seen in the changing of court days in the years 1348 to 1352 and the reported high levels of mortality within the manor.

 

    “The courts of Joan of Bar were held variously on Wednesday, Monday and Thursday. As for tourns, they were held at Wakefield on 26 November 1348, 27 May and 11 November 1349, and on 30 April 1350. Tourns were held at Kirkburton on 27 November 1348, 13 May 1349, and on 4 January and 28 May 1350. The tourns for Halifax and Brighouse were held in January and May 1349 on consecutive days, then for Halifax alone on 23 November 1349 and for Brighouse on 7 January 1350. The latter two then had a tourn on 17 and 18 May 1350 respectively.”

 

    “This changing of court days was to be still more marked between 1350 and 1352, the subject of the present volume, when the manorial court at Wakefield moved to Thursday while records of the tourn at Wakefield are missing. At Halifax the tourn was held on 25 October 1350, the second for the year, but there was only one the following year, on 25 July 1351, before the normal twice-yearly court resumed in 1352 in January and June. At Brighouse, too, after the second tourn on 26 October 1350 there were none in 1351. Then the normal pattern was resumed with tourns on 2 January and 4 June 1352. At Kirkburton the blank year was 1350, with tourns in January, July and November 1351. The rhythm of courts was resumed in June 1352, when all three outlying bailiwicks were provided with the facilities of a tourn to maintain public order.”

 

    “A ready explanation for the hiatus is that the Black Death had paralysed the normal life of the Manor. How far this is the true explanation is another matter. Dr Jewell stated cautiously that 'there are no express references to plague in these rolls [1348-50]'. By inference, however, from the abnormal number of parties to suits in court who were noted as dead, and provision in the transfers of land for remainders and reversions there was a considerable mortality within the Manor. At the tourn at Brighouse on 7 January 1350 it was presented that 'the vill of Shelf is dead'. One of the rolls concludes with a list of lands where no rents had been collected. The tenants of Warley, Hipperholme and Sandal severally presented that land in their townships lay waste and uncultivated for lack of tenants.”*

 

    * The Yorkshire Archaeological Society: Volume VI; The Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, October1350 to September 1352.