Living Conditions in Medieval Britain

What was one advantage for a peasant working in the countryside?

• They earned lots of money

• They were free

• They worked in fresh air

Two causes of the Great Famine were...

• A population increase over the years

• Very hot summers

• Outbreaks of animal disease

• Not enough work for the peasants

What percentage of the population lived in the countryside?

• About 30%

• About 50%

• About 70%

• About 90%

What percentage of the population died in the Great Famine of 1316-16?

• 10%

• 20%

• 30%

• 40%

What type of grain was used to make the bread eaten by peasants?

• Wheat

• Rye

• Barley

'St Anthony's Fire' was a disease the poor often suffered from. What was another name for this disease?

• Typhoid

• Ergotism

• Cholera

• Black Death

Why did rich people not suffer from ergotism?

• They didn't eat bread

• They could afford medicine to treat it

• They ate bread made from wheat

Which two ways was a village supplied with water?

• Streams

• Water pipes

• Water sellers

• Springs

Which industry polluted streams in the countryside?

• Fulling

• Butchers

• Tanners

• Dyers

Villagers had a good supply of fish and would eat this instead of meat on a Friday.

• True

• False