Events in the 1500s



This Foldout presents some events which took occurred in the 1500s


  • 1500 1500-1700, there was the Little Ice Age with harsh winters

  • 1538 Parish records were introduced for births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales, following an order by Thomas Cromwell

  • 1546 Thousands of people close to starvation after poor harvests

  • August 1551 In the spring and summer, several people died of the sweating sickness in England

  • 1557 There were outbreaks of influenza in the years 1557-1559


    Divers strange and new sicknesses reigned in England, taking men and women in their heads; as strange agues and fevers, whereof many died


    Before the harvest, corn was at famine prices, but after the harvest, wheat fell to an eighth part of the price (5s per quarter). The penny wheaten loaf being increased from 11 oz to 56 oz!

  • 1558 In the beginning of this mayor's year, died many of the wealthiest men all England through, of a strange fever

  • August 1558 In the harvest of 1558, the quartan agues continued in like manner or more vehemently than they had done the last year passed, wherethrough died many old people and specially priests, so that a great number of parishes were unserved and no curates to be gotten, and much corn was lost in the fields for lack of workmen and labourers.

    A third part of the people of the land did taste of the general sicknessinfluenza

  • 1563 Several outbreaks of the plague which had been brought back from Le Havre by English soldiers. The outbreaks killed 20,000 people in London

  • 1587 Leeds had a visitation of the plague

  • 5th June 1588 A pinnacle of Halifax Parish Church was struck off by lightning

  • 1593 London's theatres were closed for a year on account of the plague

  • 1594 1594-1598. Bad weather across western Europe led to five consecutive bad harvests and famine, and this started an economic recession in Britain



    © Malcolm Bull 2021
    Revised 15:13 / 15th May 2021 / 4791

    Page Ref: C813-1500

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