They usually became beggars or
thieves. Much of their former land was converted from crop raising
to pasture for large herds of sheep. Arable farming required many
workers, whereas sheep farming required only one shepherd and
herdsman. There were exceptional profits made from the export of
wool cloth. But much raw wool was still exported. Its price went
up from 6s.8d. per tod [about 28 pounds] in 1340 to 20s.8d. in
1546.
Villeinage was now virtually extinct. A lord could usually claim a
small money-rent from the freeholder, sometimes a relief when his
land was sold or passed at death, and occasionally a heriot from
his heir.
There was steady inflation. Landlords made their leases short term
so that they could raise rents as prices rose. Copyholders
gradually acquired a valuable right in their holdings; their rent
became light - less that a shilling an acre.
At least 85% of the population still lived in the country. Rich
traders built town or country houses in which the emphasis was on
comfort and privacy. There was more furniture, bigger windows
filled with glass, thick wallpaper, and formal gardens. Use of
thick, insulating wallpaper rose with the rise of paper mills. It
was stenciled, hand-painted, or printed. Some floors were tiled
instead of stone or wood. They were still strewn with straw. The
owners ate in a private dining room and slept in their own rooms
with down quilts.
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