Black Death arrives

The Black Death arrived in Lowestoft devastating the population.The national accepted average for deaths in England is somewhere around 60%. Info on Lowestoft is very limited. 

The foul conditions was as true of Lowestoft as it was of any other medieval town, if not more so because of its size and importance. People had a tendency to empty their chamberpots out of their windows into the street. Many houses owned their own pigs, which were supposed to be grazed outside the city walls, but were often allowed to roam the streets in search of food. Most townsfolk drew their water from the river, which was also used for industrial purposes by the local brewers, who were heavily regulated to prevent their fouling the water. The Black Death was to flourish in these conditions. Contemporary writers give an apocalyptic account of its effects. Knighton claims that: 'Almost the whole strength of the town perished.' A contemporary calendar said that: 'The plague raged to such a degree that the living were scarce able to bury the dead..' 

CREDIT: BBC