To try to throw some light upon the plague question, we have to bear in mind that for various reasons to do with the evolvement of Pendle Forest from it's beginings as a Norman hunting area, the region was relatively sparsley populated. Regarding how much plague affected the population, the fact that it was sparsley populated worked in its favour and perhaps famine had a greater impact as I'm reading that there were major crop failures in the late 14th century.
I'm also reading that a number of leper hospitals were set up during the 13th and 14th centuries, a large one was at Clitheroe. Also land was granted at Colne to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem 'in order for this order to provide the constant hospital treatment required by both the local sick and those who travelled through the area.(from history of Pendle Forest by John A. Clayton[/size])
Reading from the same book, there were outbreaks of plague in Manchester in 1581, 1586 and 1590. In 1604-5 the disease returned severe enough for 6 acres of waste land to be set aside outside the town (Manchester) where wooden cabins were occupied by plague sufferers and there were plague pits constructed where some 2,000 victims were buried.
