The Impact of the Black Death on Peasant Economy in England, 1350-1500

This article provides an abstract model that compares the financial position of peasant economy in England during the post-plague period with the conditions faced by its counterparts prior to the great epidemic. The model presents a detailed discussion of the likely sources of income and a breakdown of the various types of expenditure, and concludes that, despite the stagnation of prices in product markets and the inflationary pressures in factor markets, peasant economy in the post-plague era was characterized by substantial improvements in its standard of living. The reductions in the size of peasant families and of seigneurial burdens are identified as the primary causes of this improvement.