Friday, 11 April 2025
A new study from a University of Nottingham archaeologist has revealed surprising insights into the city’s medieval past, which challenge long-standing views on the impact of the Black Death and how the population of Nottingham changed between the 14th and 16th centuries.
Scott Lomax, a PhD researcher in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, has analysed the Nottingham borough court records and tax lists alongside archaeological evidence and found that the town’s population was growing well into the 1330s – later than previously thought.
While the Black Death of 1349 then caused devastating losses, with mortality likely to have been approximately 60 per cent of people, the study – recently published in the journal Continuity and Change – shows that Nottingham rebounded faster than historians have previously assumed, thanks to significant migration.
This study gives us a more accurate picture of medieval Nottingham. Previous studies of urban population change have examined tax records from 1377 and the 1520s and suggested a simple story of catastrophic decline after the Black Death, but my research shows a more complex reality.”
Nottingham attracted new inhabitants in the aftermath of the Black Death and continued to do so, on an intermittent basis, especially during the late 14th and 15th centuries, with major expansion taking place during the early 16th century.
“This challenges long-standing views of archaeologists and historians on post-Black Death urban stagnation and decay in Nottingham and instead demonstrates resilience,” added Scott.
Areas like Narrow Marsh expanded significantly, showing that parts of the town thrived – even after the devastation of the plague – indicating the growth of leatherworking, especially tanning, at this riverside location.
Archaeological and documentary evidence also demonstrates the emergence of Narrow Marsh as a suburb of the town in the second half of the 14th century, and a booming one by the early 16th century. Growth here, and apparent continuity and growth in the eastern periphery, especially at Barker Gate and Goose Gate, where the urban poor and migrants appear to have found homes in cottages, following the arrival of plague, challenges the traditional narrative and proves that areas of the town were more densely occupied than previously thought, especially during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
The research not only rewrites a part of Nottingham’s history, but it also has implications for our understanding of population change in other English towns and cities, and is crucial for interpreting urban development and economic shifts.
The full paper published in Continuity and Change can be found here.
Story credits
More information is available from Scott Lomax in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, via scott.lomax@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 24 in Europe and 15th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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