Belief, language and work

Church and everyday life

During this period, it says, the Church dominated everyday life. In the 14th century one in every 15 Englishmen was clergy of some kind.⁠¹ Norman clergy dominated the Church, and monasteries and churches were constructed in the new Romanesque or Norman style of architecture.⁠² For more than a century after the Battle of Hastings, all substantial stone buildings in England were built in the Romanesque style, known in the British Isles as Norman.⁠¹

That style was superseded from the later 12th century by a new style — the Gothic.⁠¹ English began to replace Norman French as the dominant language.⁠² Commerce developed, helped by better coinage and the growth of the wool trade.⁠²

For the first time in English history, the doctrines as well as the actions of the Church were being attacked, by John Wycliffe and the Lollards.⁠²

Between 1315 and 1322, the Great Famine, brought about by unusually prolonged periods of heavy rainfall and cold spells, killed 10-15% of the population.⁠³ With land prices low and wages high, many who survived the plague experienced a higher standard of living.⁠³

Edward I (r.1272–1307) united his barons behind the conquest of Wales (1277–84) and his attempts on Scotland.⁠² Edward II's defeat at Bannockburn (1314) was followed by Scots raids far south of the border.⁠² Edward III won victories in France at Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356) during the early years of what was later known as the Hundred Years War (1337–1453).⁠² His armies included archers using longbows, which became the dominant English weapon of the later Middle Ages.⁠²

Henry V won a startling victory over the French at Agincourt in 1415, achieved largely thanks to the all-conquering English longbow. By the time of his premature death he was ruling half of France.⁠²

Towns grew, English began to replace Norman French, and the wool trade expanded. The old feudal order was already under pressure before the plague arrived. After it, many who survived saw higher wages and cheaper land — and then came attempts to hold wages down.