how the poor in 18 century England benefited by commons
Answers
Not much was written about poverty in the Middle Ages. The poor were not considered important. Much more was written about the rich and powerful. However in the Middle Ages poverty was common. England was basically a subsistence economy where each village made most of the things it needed and most of the population were subsistence farmers. They grew as much food as their families needed (if they were lucky). Surprisingly, perhaps, examining Medieval skeletons shows that most people had an adequate diet, except in times of famine. However life must have been very hard for the disabled. There were many disabled beggars in Medieval towns.
The Church tried to help the poor. The Church taught that it was a Christian duty to give to the poor. In monasteries a monk called an almoner gave alms to the poor. However in the Middle Ages fearful poverty was an inescapable part of life. The Church also ran the only hospitals in the Middle Ages. Things did improve after the Black Death of 1348-49. In England about one third of the population died. Afterwards there was a shortage of workers so wages rose. In the 15th century wage labourers were better off then in the 13th century.
Answer:
The 18th century saw the emergence of the 'Industrial Revolution', the great age of steam, canals and factories that changed the face of the British economy forever.