A Chronology of State Medicine, Public Health, Welfare and Related ...

1360 - 1389
1360 An act set out "The Sort of Persons to be Appointed Justices of the Peace, and Their
Authority" (34 Edw.III, c.1). See 1388, 1389 and 1487.
1362 Statute of Pleading (36 Edw.III, c.15) ordained that all pleas in Courts should be
pleaded, showed, defended, answered, debated and judged in the English tongue. See 1385.
First version published of Piers Plowman by William Langland; subsequent versions
published in 1377 and 1392.
1371 Royal Order forbade the slaughtering of oxen, sheep and swine in the City of London.
See 1388.
1377 First Poll Tax imposed on all persons over 14 years of age, at one groat (four pence)
per person. See 1379.
Possibly the start of Bethlem Hospital (see 1247).
1378 Penalty introduced for telling slanderous lies of the Great Men of the Realm (2 Rich.II,
c.5) (see 1275).
1379 Second Poll Tax imposed on all persons aged 16 years or more. See 1381.
1381 Third Poll Tax imposed on all persons aged 15 years or more, at one shilling per
person.
Peasants Revolt: Wat Tyler marched on London in protest against the poll tax.
1385 English to be taught in the grammar schools in place of French.
1387 A Craft Guild of Barbers founded in the City of London; and later, in all major towns
in England. See 1462.
"Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer published, containing a description of a
medical practitioner.
1388 The Statute of Cambridge (12 Rich.II, c.7) ("Poor Law") concerning Labourers,
Servants and Beggars strengthened the powers of the justices of the peace; distinguished
between "sturdy beggars" capable of work and "impotent beggars" incapacitated by age or
infirmity; forbade servants to move out of their "hundred" without legal authority; and made
each "hundred" responsible for housing and keeping its own paupers, but made no special
provision for maintaining the sick poor. This statute pointed the way to the Tudor Poor Laws
(see 1531), but for the next two centuries the aged and infirm depended upon charity for
survival. See 1391 and 1494.
The first English Sanitary Act (12 Rich.II, c.13) dealt with offal and slaughter houses;
prohibited the casting of animal filth and refuse into rivers or ditches, and "corrupting of the
Air". See 1427 and 1571.
1389 Justices of the peace given powers to fix the wages of labourers (13 Rich.II, c.8). See
1487.