Selected data from manorial documents
showing examples of decreased property values and rents due to plague.

Abergavenny:

Henllys Manor. . .1 messuage of no value beyond the charges; 1 fishpond of no value because it is not stocked; 175-1/2 acres of arable worth Q 2d. an act, 29/2; 36 acres of pasture at 1-1/2 d.--4/6; 16 acs. of large wood with no underwood, and of no value; there used to be there rents of assise of free and customary tenants 109/1-1/2 but now only 49/1-1/2 because of the mortality. Works of customers are worth 2/-. Pleas and perquisites of courts 16/- and no more for the same reason. . . .

Trefgoythel. The Earl [of Pembroke] held in demesne as of fee a certain tenement at Trefgoythel. . .There is there 1 messuage of no value beyond repairs; 169 acs. of arable which are now worth nothing on account of the weakness of the land and the murrain. . .The rents of assise used to be 70/6-3/4 but now only 6/- remain because of the mortality. There are no works of customers there and the pleas and perquisites of the courts are of no value because the tenants are dead. . . .
.
Coyd Morgan. . .There is there one messuage of no value beyond the charges; there are 28 acs. of large wood of no value; three parts of one water-mill used to be worth 14/6 and now worth 3/- because of the mortality. There is another mill there now worth only 10/- for the same reason. There used to be rents of assise 9 5 1-3/4 and now 4 owing to the same cause. . . .

Shropshire:

Harlegh. In demesne are 2 carucates of land, usually worth 60/-; the jurors cannot extend the land because of the pestilence and no one wished to hire it. There are 3 acres of meadow, formerly worth 4/6, now 3/-, owing to the pesti-lence. Rents of assise of free tenants, formerly 4, now only 10/- owing to the pestilence.

Wyleley. In demesne are 3 carucates of land but the jurors cannot extend the land owing to the pestilence. There are 4 acres of meadow, formerly worth 8/-, now only 4/-. Rents of assise of freemen, formerly 20/-, now 12/-.

Chester:

Chelmondeston.--4/4 issues of 1 place of land in the lord's hand 19 E. III. Now the place lies barren because of the pestilence and is common.

Kengeslegh.--Of 20/-, relief for the manor of Aston. Nothing; no inquisition could be taken because of the pestilence.

Flint:

County of Flint. 4/- from the miners of lead of Engle-field. No more because the miners there are dead for the
most part and those who survived are unwilling to work there.

Town of Rhuddlan. (1351.) Allowed to the Burgesses 13 6 8 remitted by the lord, part of the farm of 40 for the mills of Disserth and Pentref, for this year and so from year to year until the said mills are of more value. Allowed 10 of the farm of the said mills for the last year because the farm could not be levied because of the poverty of the people owing to the pestilence. . . .

(Rees, Manorial Documents, 37-39)