During our exploration of the British Library’s medieval collections, we uncovered a previously overlooked document that sheds new light on the survivors of the Black Death (1346–53).
This document, a piece of parchment found within an account of the Ramsey Abbey manor of Warboys in Huntingdonshire, details how long peasants were absent from work due to the plague.
It also lists the names of those who survived and provides their employers’ estimates of recovery time.
Our recent paper with Barney Sloane highlights 22 tenants who likely contracted the plague, endured several weeks of illness, and ultimately recovered.
The Black Death, one of history’s deadliest pandemics, is estimated to have claimed between a third and two-thirds of the medieval European population.
Given its devastating impact, historical research has predominantly focused on those who perished. However, the stories of those who survived the plague have largely remained untold.
Despite the plague’s high mortality rate, survival was possible, as mentioned by medieval chroniclers. For instance, Geoffrey le Baker, an Oxfordshire clerk, noted that recovery was contingent on the symptoms:
People who were joyful one day could be found dead the next. Some suffered from sudden boils, which were so hard and dry that when lanced, little liquid emerged. Many survived by lancing the boils or enduring long suffering. Others, with black pustules across their bodies, rarely survived to regain health and life.
But who were the survivors? Why did some succumb while others endured? And what did “long suffering” entail?
Unfortunately, most medieval records focused on mortality rather than illness, leaving limited evidence of those who recovered.
Unique list of plague survivors
In the manor of Warboys, a unique record details individuals who fell ill between late April and early August 1349.
Ramsey Abbey monks documented their tenants’ absences from work due to illness, noting the duration of their incapacity.
Experiences of the plague varied significantly among individuals.
Henry Broun returned to work after a week, while John Derworth and Agnes Mold were absent for nine weeks.
On average, illnesses lasted three to four weeks, with most people resuming work in less than a month. This rapid recovery is notable, given they were entitled to up to a year and a day of sick leave.
The list predominantly features tenants with larger landholdings.
Debate among historians and archaeologists continues on whether the plague struck indiscriminately or if certain groups, such as the poor and elderly, were more vulnerable.
The survival of wealthier tenants might suggest that their better living conditions helped them recover more effectively, potentially by preventing secondary infections.
It’s important not to misconstrue the fact that 19 out of 22 survivors were men; this reflects manorial landholding gender biases, not the plague’s gender selectivity.
While 22 may seem a small number, typically only two or three absences were recorded in the summer months of the 1340s. This represents a tenfold increase in sickness at the manor.
In total, these tenants accounted for 91 weeks of missed labor over a 13-week span.
Our perspective on the Black Death has been shaped by its staggering death toll. Yet, acknowledging those who recovered helps us grasp the pandemic’s profound societal impact.
The deceased, dying, and ill likely far outnumbered the healthy in communities across Europe.
Medieval records reflect this, with one account noting a severe shortage of laborers: “there was no one who knew what needed to be done”.
The combination of massive mortality, widespread illness, and poor weather led to the harvests of 1349 and 1350 being dubbed the worst in medieval England, even surpassing the great famine of 1315-17.
This archival find allows us to reintroduce the narrative of illness and recovery into the history of the Black Death, showing that recovery was possible during this catastrophic pandemic.
Related: Genes That Helped Us Survive Black Death Continue to Influence Our Mortality Today
This new evidence highlights the remarkable resilience of medieval peasants.
Despite facing severe symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, blood vomiting, and fevers, many not only survived but returned to their work within a few weeks.
Alex Brown, Associate Professor of Medieval History, Durham University and Grace Owen, Postdoctoral Research Associate (Late Medieval History), Durham University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
