Up until modern times, children often didn’t make it into adulthood. Even doing my own family tree, I find the rate of infant mortality jumps after 80 to 100 years. One relative of mine in the early 1900s carried a baby to a church to be baptised, only to have it die on the way. So you can imagine – for medieval children, things were way grimmer!
Plague, hunger and war carried off lots of medieval children. Death might also come from unsanitary living conditions or botched medical care. Life for tiny tots in the Middle Ages could be brief and nasty. So, let’s find out how medieval children died centuries ago!
DEATH OF MEDIEVAL CHILDREN: Hungry pig!
Truth is that children were in a very precarious position – especially in a predominantly rural society. In May 1322, a sow bit the head off a one month old child! The baby was in her cradle unattended in a shop when the animal came over, feeling a bit peckish.
Trawling through English coroner’s Rolls for the early 14th century, a number of fatalities involving children crop up. Drowning was exceptionally common given that youngsters would be sent to draw water at rivers, ponds and lakes only to fall in and sink. Heavy clothes, muddy banks and not being able to swim combined to end many a young life.
DEATH OF MEDIEVAL CHILDREN: Drowning
There was a boy called Richard, son of John le Mazon, who was only eight years old and after a meal was making his way to school, walking across London Bridge – in the year, 1301.
On a sudden impulse, he decided to grip a beam on the side of the bridge and just hang there by his finger tips. Regrettably, he couldn’t keep his grip and fell down in to the river Thames and drowned.
DEATH OF MEDIEVAL CHILDREN: Break a leg
In 1322, on the Sunday before the feast of Saint Dunstan, a group of boys were laying on a pile of timber. One was a seven year old called Robert, son of John de Saint Botulph and they continued to mess around until a heavy piece of wood tumbled on to Robert’s leg.
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His mother, Johanna, arrived and managed to release her son’s leg which was fractured. Now, breaking a leg is not the end of the world in our modern age, but in the 14th century, this was a medical disaster. The child lingered on until the Friday before the Feast of Saint Margaret, at which point he died.
DEATH OF MEDIEVAL CHILDREN: Cuff around the ear
This is a rather odd story – in 1324, a five year old called John, son of William de Burgh, was at the property of Richard Latthere when he got it in to his head to steal a small amount of wool and try and hide it in his cap. Richard’s wife, Emma, saw what he did and cuffed him hard round the ear. He clearly made quite a din as a result and bawled his eyes out.
John’s mother raised the hue and cry – that is, she alerted other townsfolk to her plight by screaming her head off – and the boy was carried away. At around the curfew bell of the same day, John died. Emma fled though subsequently surrendered herself to the prison at Newgate.
