Britnell, R. H., 'Feudal Reaction after the Black Death in the Palatinate of Durham', Past & Present 128 (1990), 28-47

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Quick Summary

The bishop of Durham was unable to prevent peasants from negotiating better terms of tenancy on his estates after the Black Death

  • The economic circumstances of peasants and labourers improved between 1349 and 1382
  • This happened despite attempts by landlords to prevent wage increases
  • The ‘Feudal Reaction’ to the Black Death had collapsed in Durham by the 1380s
Key Conclusion

Britnell concludes that the economic circumstances of peasants and labourers improved on the estates of the Bishop of Durham between 1349 and 1382. This improvement happened despite attempts by the bishop to resist the general trend of rising wages and greater economic freedom. Peasants were given an ‘irresistible bargaining position’ (p. 46) following the Black Death, which allowed them to negotiate better terms of tenancy and ‘possibly’ higher incomes.

Content Overview

Britnell’s finding is significant because it demonstrates how the ‘Feudal Reaction’ – an attempt by landlords to suppress peasant economic freedom – was unsuccessful on the bishop’s estates. The ‘Feudal Reaction’ is a term used by historians to describe the different strategies available to landlords attempting to control the labour market and prevent rising wages for peasants and labourers after the Black Death. These strategies included measures taken by central government to reduce the effects of rising wages – such as labour legislation – as well as measures taken by landlords on their individual estates – such as demanding labour services from their tenants.

Further Findings

By the 1380s labour services had been replaced by money payments on almost all of the bishop’s estates. In summary, although the ‘Feudal Reaction’ was strongly enforced on the estates of the bishop of Durham, it had largely collapsed by 1380 due to the resistance of tenants and the pressure of ‘economic realism’ (p. 47).

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