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There was little change from last time, certainly for the ordinary peasant. The Black Death had some effect as, once the worst of it had passed, many homes, and in some cases villages, remained empty. No one could really understand what had caused the Black Death and people believed that the homes might have evil spirits within their walls and this had caused the plague. Richard tells you more about the Black Death on the timeline. It was often the peasant's homes that were worst affected and where manors weren’t so badly hit by the Black Death, life went on as normal. The Great Hall of the Manor House was where it all happened. This would be the place to hold the feasts, the celebrations and also this was often where the law courts might take place. Windows were beginning to become fashionable in rich homes. The peasant still had wooden shutters which would be closed at night and if the weather was bad. The floors would just be trampled down earth sometimes covered in straw. No peasants could afford chairs so they sat on benches or stools. Cooking would be done in a cauldron hung over the fire in the middle of the room.
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