Edward III introduces three new gold coins, theflorin,leopard, andhelm. Unfortunately the amount of gold in the coins does not match their value of six shillings, three shillings, and one shilling and sixpence, so they have to be withdrawn and mostly melted down by August of this year.
Hundred Years' War: Peace talks, sponsored by theAvignonPope, fail.[3]
By 24 June – theBlack Death pandemic has reached England,[1] the bacteriumYersinia pestis having probably been brought by a sailor fromGascony to the port ofMelcombe (modern-dayWeymouth, Dorset).[6][7] It spreads across the south and west, rapidly reaching (or perhaps arising separately at) Bristol.
1 July –Joan, daughter of Edward III, dies of the Black Death at Bordeaux whileen route to marryPeter of Castile.
28 July –William Zouche, Archbishop of York, issues a warning (Terribilis) to his diocese of "great mortalities, pestilences and infections of the air".[8]
28 September –John de Ufford nominated to the Archbishopric of Canterbury by papal bull.
By November – the Black Death has reached London.[3] There is probablypneumonic plague present here also.[7]
Black Death in England reaches the north, devastatingYork (May) andChester. Over 20% and perhaps as many as 60% of the population die.[3] The plague diminishes by the end of the year. Scots raid across the border as far south asDurham but through this or other means the plague spreads to Scotland.[7]
January – Parliament is prorogued because of the plague.[7]
