Death Comes to Bruton - A Market Town in Somerset C.1400 - C.1900

Synopsis

Attitudes To Death Changed Dramatically: From Bequests To The Church For The Benefit Of The Soul To The Victorian Belief In Their 'heavenly Home'. Communities Faced Death From A Multiplicity Of Causes: Epidemics, Violence, Accidents, Visitations Of God. Before The Welfare State The Consequences Could Be Dire, Especially For The Poor With The Death Of The Breadwinner: Poverty And Destitution Often Followed. A Study Of Wills, However, Also Reveals A Marked Increase In Prosperity: From Leaving Just One Or Two Sheep In 1400 To Many Thousands Of Pounds In 1900. This Book Traces How The Inhabitant Of One Market Town Coped.