Choir stall originally from Burs Church, today in the Swedish History Museum
Choir stall originally from Burs Church, today in the Swedish History Museum
In the summer of 1348, the Black Death crossed the Channel into England, altering the landscape of monastic life. The pandemic swept through monasteries, where monks and nuns lived in close quarters, leading to mortality rates even higher than those in the general population. The communal nature of monastic life made these religious houses particularly vulnerable, and the loss of life was devastating. Monasteries such as Westminster Abbey and Glastonbury struggled to replace the monks and nuns who perished. The Carthusian monastery in London lost all but one of its brothers. The rhythm of monastic life was disrupted as choir-stalls emptied, raising questions about who would continue the spiritual work. See our article on the Plaques and Perils: The Black Death’s Impact on Monastic Life in Late Medieval England.
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