24 June 1314  The Battle of Bannockburn.  The English army led by King Edward II was comprehensively beaten.  Fortunately for the North of England, Sir Andrew de Harcla did not take part in the campaign.

1315: The Keeper of Tyndale, Sir Andrew de Harcla, found that the Scots had stolen all the draught animals and even cut down the fruit trees.  When Edward II marched north, “bread could scarcely be found for his family.”

August 1348 Princess Joan, daughter of King Edward III sailed for Calais to be married to Peter of Castile.  She was 15 years old.  Her fleet of four vessels arrived in Calais at the same time as la trés grande mortalité – as the French called the Black Death.  In France Philip VI fled his palace and his wife Joan the Lame died.  Black flags were raised across the countryside to warn travellers that the plague had taken its grip.  In Calais the flag was raised and the inhabitants tried to turn the princess’s fleet away but to no avail.  She caught the plague and died on 2nd September.

24 October 1348  The South of England plague ridden.

1348-1351 1/3 to 1/2 the population dies of the plague.  There is also a sheep murrain.

1376 The Black Prince dies.

John Wycliffe calls for reform to the Church.

1377 Edward III dies.  Richard II, aged 10, succeeds to the throne. John Wycliffe put on trial in London but John of Gaunt intervenes.

Poll tax to finance the ongoing Hundred Years War.

1379 Poll tax

1380 Poll tax

1381 The Peasants Revolt

1382 John Wycliffe expelled from Oxford.

1384 John Wycliffe dies.

1385 Richard II leads a disastrous campaign in Scotland.  The Scots burn Carlisle.

1396 Anne of Bohemia dies and Richard II demolishes the palace where she died in his grief.  Her funeral is delayed by two months waiting for candles from Flanders. Richard marries Princess Isabella of France.

1397 Richard declares himself to be Absolute Monarch.

1398 Richard Whittington elected Lord Mayor of London.

1399 John of Gaunt dies.