Page 51 - All About History - Issue 29-15

Time Traveller’s Handbook
BLACK DEATH

WHO TO BEFRIEND WHO TO
ody has the answer to rid England of VOID
plague, so looking for a cure is hopeless he main way to
wever,aparticularclassofpeopleappea FIG.04 scape the plague is
efarlesssusceptibletoitthanothers– mply to avoid those
rich. Only one member of the royal fam who are afflicted
wardIII’sdaughter,Joan–willbeclaim with it. The sad but
he plague, and she will be in France at rue reality is that
time.Befriendingakingcanbedifficult hese people are often
not impossible. Your best option is to ery old, young or
nwithmembersoftheking’scouncil, oor. Peasants have
chief justice William de Shareshull. Be tendency to huddle
fulthough–beingclosetotheking ogether in confined
sn’t guarantee survival. When the plagu irty spaces, causing
pears in 1361, many of Edward’s trusted he plague to spread
sandcaptainswillsuccumbtoit. apidly among them. In
act, the plague will kill
ra tip: In such a religious society, o many peasant serfs
ny people will rush to the clergy for hat there simply won’t
ice. The monasteries will fill up with e enough of them left
kpeopleandthosewhocareforthem
Did You Know? will be ravaged by the disease. Because o work the land. Those
ew that do survive
their contact with the sick, the clergy w
The Black Death won’t suffer horrific losses, and monasteries will be in a position
o demand more for
be a single outbreak. It and convents will be deserted en masse heir labour, and this
will continue to strike Although these members of the church ncreased sense of
Europe until the 18th mayseemtooffercomfort,you’rebestt mportance will lead
century stay away from them and avoid getting o the peasant revolt
swept up in the religious fervour. in 1381.

Farming
As a result of so many peasants dying, the fields
There isn’t much you have been left untilled and people face starvation.
can do if you catch the Being able to provide for yourself will ensure your
belly stays full.
plague, but these skills will
certainly aid your survival
in Medieval England FIG.05

FIG.07
FIG.06
M ical Construction
Although Medieval medicine The plague has claimed
won’t allow you to develop many talented craftsmen, and
antibiotics to fight the disease, construction projects have been
any basic modern medical halted. Anyone with these skills
knowledgeissuretobe of is in high demand and assured a
benefit to you and others. hefty salary.

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