Was There An Economic Mid-Tudor Crisis?

Sweating Sickness
what is it?

This disease is charcterised by fever and sweating
This disease had a high mortality rate
Symptoms incude cold shivers, guidiness, headaces, pains in the neck and exhaistion

When did it occur?

Outbreaks

Causes

Puerperal Fever

What is it?

This is also known as child bed fever
affected women during and after pregnancy
Form of Septicaenia
Symptoms: headaces, sore throat, rash and vomiting, diarrhoea, leg and abdominal pains, raisied temprature, fast pulse and fast breathing
the result was normally death.

When did it occur?

Outbreak?

Very common as women would make arrangements for child to be cared for if died during birth
common in peasents due to poor hygiene

Causes

Smallpox

What is it?

Outbreaks

Several relatives survived of Henry VIII, including his sister margret as well as Anne of Cleaves
There was an outbreak in 1528

Causes

Caused by infection- variola virus, inhalation of the virus
People were wrapped in red curtains as they belived that the colour red was curing

Plague

What is it

known as the bubonic plague
an infectious fever caused by disease
symptoms: swollen lymph glands, fever, blackening, back pain as well as pain in arms and legs

Causes

Outbreaks

in 1555 the population decreased due to disease but this did not prevent inflation, however it did slow itdown.
this lead to eonomic refoem where the value of coins was increased

In order to understand the effects of a rising population it is also important to know what causes a rising or falling population in the first place. Although a problem related to finding out how population affected England is the fact that most data is reliable as there was poor or no record of the number of people living in certain areas, unlike today. As well as this many records have been lost through time for reasons such as floods and fires. Furthermore any records made would have only recorded the head of the household who would have been a man of military age; this means no consideration would have been taken about women and children. The high population in England was affected in 1349 when the outbreak of the black plague began to spread; this reduced the population by one third and diseases that were subsequent of this such as the bubonic plague lowered the population to 1.5 million people in the 1460’s. This lead to a deflation period which meant low rent, low prices and high wages. Another cause of a low population included war. However by the beginning of the mid Tudor period the population had begun to rebuild itself which lead to a number of problems, mostly related to standards of living.

Due to the high population rent and wages were affected, more so in London as this was where most people wanted to live. This was also known as price scissors which meant that the cost of living was more than it was possible to earn, prices continued to rise until after 1550. This was all down to inflation which meant high prices, high rent and low wages due to high demand for goods and jobs. As a result of high rent it also lead to many people being unable to live in their current residency’s, especially the middle and lower classes, which in turn resulted in poorer living conditions, which can also be linked with poor hygiene and an increased likely hood of death. The lack of wages could have also resulted in famine.

In order to deal with this problem Henry VIII had began the debasement of the coinage this was also in order to help him pay for wars between France and Scotland. Debasement meant that all the coins were collected up and made into more coins than before but consisted of a lesser value of gold and silver. Debasement was also continued through the dissolution of the monasteries part of the reformation where all the gold and silver was taken and melted down in addition to the current coins. Within the 16th century inflation had risen to over 400%. This also contributed to the trade recession within mid Tudor England as imports from other countries were no longer due to a shortage in finances and high unemployment. This was especially the case in the 1520’s and 1550’s

This was partly due to food shortages which had accrued due to an increase in population as well as poor harvests, producing a higher demand on goods and a higher strain on the farmers; this was also known as the Malthusian crisis of 1549. This resulted in discontent peasants who were worrying about where the next meal would come which caused the possibility of future rebellions. Another cause of the food shortages was due to the changing agriculture; farmers were becoming more specialised and would either work in arable farming, which was herding cattle and sheep, which could produce food within the peasants’ affordability. Or farmers would specialize within arable farming growing crops, however this was not always growing foods as some would produce new crops such as Saffron and rape seed for the textile industries which also resulted in a lower yield of key food substances such as grain. This is also related to the closures of common land and the increase in landlords meaning farmers would specialise in order to receive more money as they would also owe the landlord rent on the farmland being used.

Other effects of a high population was unemployment, however this was also partly thought to be due to the development of the rural textile industry. It is mainly to do with the expansion of London between 1500 and 1560 with a population rising from 50,000 to 90,000. Resulting In a high demand for jobs which were no available. Due to a high demand for jobs employers lowered wages as there were many people who all needed a job and would work for very low pay which related back to inflation and the price scissors.

In conclusion there were many affects of a high population including debasement, which was started during the late reign of Henry VIII and continued by his son Edward VI. Other affects also include large scale unemployment, food shortages and in all a lower standard of living. However other factors also contributed to these effects and made the fact that there was a high population worse such as the development of industries such as metal and coal as well as urban industries such as textile mills.

Friday 25 December 2009