The final review concludes with the key role of the grain market in this 'Age of Shocks', especially in an as urbanised society as Flanders in this century.

This research was done at the @urbanhistoryua.bsky.social under the supervision of @tsoens.bsky.social & Alexis Wilkin (ULB)

Happy reading!

The fourth part focuses on the large landlords, but analyses the production of grain, with decision-making regarding demesne farming and leasehold patterns being central here.

The third part examines the role of large Flemish landlords in the grain trade: what do all the prices in their accounting records signify, and how did they strategise their grain sales and thus the distribution of grain?

After an introductory part, the second part analyses the evolution of the grain prices, with a special focus on the price integration over this period and how this influenced hunger levels during several crisis periods.

📍Additionally, regional disparities emerged: larger cities (Bruges/Ghent) experienced relatively milder crises than those in the south (Lille/Douai/Cambrai), where institutional differences influenced the extent of food insecurity.

A more detailed discussion is in the article. Happy reading!

11/11

💀 The first three plague outbreaks of the mid-fourteenth century in Flanders were closely tied to episodes of hunger, though the intensity and length of food shortages varied. Disease mortality meets deprivation.

The plague of 1360–61 stands out as particularly severe for this region.

10/11

All of these factors could influence the purchasing power of urban households relying on market purchases for their food provisioning.

❗Nonetheless, this article has some important contributions and findings:

9/11

Wages in the building sector also do not (necessarily) represent other sectors, and certain work was seasonal and could not be done all year round.

People also tend to resort to a 'substitution mechanism': purchasing cheaper food variants in times when the staple food is more expensive.

8/11

Some caveats: for the late Middle Ages, we have to work with a limited amount of data. Household composition & the contribution of each member to its budget is in many cases obscure, especially for this region and for women and children (in Flanders).

7/11

Combined with calorific deficits, I can study the chronology, duration, and intensity of these episodes of food shortage during plague outbreaks.

The pestis secunda stands out as the harshest episode among the three in this region.

6/11

As an example, the pestis secunda (1360-61) shows that households of unskilled labourers get into trouble early on, and their inability to provide enough calories for their families persists for some years.

In contrast, the skilled labourers do not get into real trouble, even during the peak.

5/11

I have computed a "welfare ratio" of an average household of (un)skilled building labourers (w/ biases) using the monthly grain price averages.

When these ratios surpass the 60 or 80% threshold, households (completely reliant on market purchases) have trouble providing for their families.

4/11

📍🗺️ Geographically, I have compared the cities of Bruges, Ghent, Lille, Douai and Cambrai.

⏲️Temporally, the plague waves of 1349-1352 (Black Death in Flanders), 1360-1361 (the 'pestis secunda'), and 1367-1370 were studied.

3/11

It is a part of a Special Issue on "Household, Family, and Community Responses to the Direct Costs of Epidemics".

The article focuses on monthly grain prices - unique for Continental Europe in this period - to assess changes in household purchasing power during these demographic shocks.

2/11

I would like to be added please!

Feel free to spread the word and circulate this call amongst other relevant networks!

Selective bibliography: