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Domesday stayed with the Royal Treasury at Winchester from the late 11th century onwards, although it also moved about with the royal household from time to time. In the 13th century it went to Westminster in London and there, from King John’s reign to Queen Victoria’s, was [...]

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A quarter of all land was used as pasture for grazing livestock. Riverside meadows also produced hay. Sheep were plentiful, as were cows, oxen and horses. Goats and pigs were also kept, and fish was sought after on a Friday (for religious reasons).
Crops of wheat, barley, oats [...]

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Domesday is written in Latin. It is easy to read, but not so easy to understand as there are many abbreviations. The documents mention ranks in society, jobs that no longer exist, place names and measurements that are no longer used. However, despite all this, Domesday gives us an insight into life [...]

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Document Number One in the Public Record Office of Britain’s National Archives is the Domesday Book. In 1085, William the Conqueror ordered a survey of his new realm. Over the years, the county-by-county record has been studied by administrators and historians. By Victorian times, Domesday had become a national treasure. Imbued with [...]

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Ale was made with grain, mainly barley. The barley was “malted”, that is, left to germinate or start growing in water. The grain was then roasted slowly to stop the seed from growing further. This malt was crushed and boiled in water. After the liquid had cooled, yeast was added. [...]

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Open fires provided the means to cook food as well as a source of heat for most people. Peasants and less wealthy people cooked on the fire in the centre of their houses. There was little ventilation and there were no chimneys, so it could get very smoky inside. Food was also [...]

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…that a paillasse is a thin mattress filled with straw or sawdust and was commonly used in the middle ages.
…that a garderobe was a medieval toilet. Usually nothing more than a hole in the outer wall of the castle which dropped into a cess pit or moat. It is also claimed to be [...]

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1320 – 1346
The black death ravages China and the Middle East
1347
The black death reaches the Crimea, including Kaffa
October 1347
The black death enters the port of Messina, Sicily, via trade ships from the east
Fall/Winter 1347
Sicily is overwhelmed
January 1348
The black death enters France through the port of Marseilles; northern Italy is struck down
February 1348
Population of Avignon, France, [...]

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Many medieval people believed in the existence of supernatural beings. One story of how the plague spread told of a beautiful witch called the Plague or Pest Maiden. The maiden was “born” as a blue flame from the mouth of a dying patient. She carried a red scarf and flew from house [...]

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Knights were men of the sword. Their iron blades were heated, cooled and hammered many times before they became steel. Their blades were often damacened, that is inlaid with gold and silver designs. The knight held the sword by the hilt which was protected by two guards called quillions. The pommel, [...]

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