Who killed the musician: an interactive map revealed the secrets of crimes in England in the 14th century

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an interactive map that sheds light on more than 300 murders that occurred in 14th-century England. This initiative aims to make history more engaging and accessible to the public. The map covers the cities of London, York and Oxford, and can tell how a street musician died or who killed a spice merchant.

An interactive map created by the University of Cambridge allows the public to explore what crimes were committed in 14th-century England. After analyzing historical records, the researchers were able to pinpoint the locations of the murders and provide detailed information about each case. The map allows users to navigate through different cities, exploring crimes that occurred in specific areas. The detail provides a deep understanding of crime rates during the Middle Ages.

Users can view background stories on over 300 murders in London, York and Oxford. Records are searchable by gender, day of week, and even implement type.

“The map allows people to interact with the medieval world, but it also allows people to see that era almost as a mirror of our modern one,” said project leader Manuel Eisner, professor of criminology at Cambridge, adding that the map highlights some of the similarities between our eras. For example, “people are angry over some trivial quarrel.”

Researchers hope the map will not only provide insight into daily medieval life, but also help users understand the psychology of crime and make historical information more accessible. The map is an example of broader efforts by archivists and scholars. Recent projects have digitized an 11th-century tome that describes households in England, detailed travel itineraries across medieval Europe, and compiled databases of the names of people who were sold and enslaved during the transatlantic slave trade.

History experts say such maps can help people learn more about eras that might be difficult for a layperson to research through labor-intensive archives.

“It’s a great piece of history and gives students a chance to walk through an era,” said York teacher Anna Hughes.

The researchers worked on the map using data from 14th-century coroners’ medical reports and inquest records relating to sudden and violent deaths. Having created an earlier version of the London map, the scientists hired a web design and digital marketing agency to visually organize the information.

The murder map attracts attention with various cases, such as the sad case of Roger Stayward, who threw away a bucket of eel skins outside a shop in 1326. In those days, this type of fish was used as currency and to pay rent. Because of this incident, two angry shop owners killed him and fled to a nearby church.

London guide Louise Grainger loves to tell this story, because “far fewer people die from a bucket of eels than from falling into the Thames while trying to swim,” and the interactive map has added several more places to her tour. For example, a story about a fight in a pub next to the oldest market in the city – Leadenhall.

“It’s very difficult to hear a person’s voice on the street,” Granger said, adding that the map helped add “real color” to understanding the time period.

Olivia Swarthout, 24, talks about medieval art on social media and said the map helped her write her book, Weird Medieval Guys, about life during that period.

“People think of the Middle Ages as a rather sanctimonious and strict time period, but everyone had problems,” she pointed out the stories of lovers’ quarrels and corrupt clergymen and the consequences that are detailed on the map.

While historical records are increasingly being digitized, Swarthout said online archives are not always easy to use. And the interactive map turns the learning process into an interesting quest.

The Cambridge team has yet to tabulate even more crimes, and the map could be expanding soon. But with the information already available, Professor Eisner launched a podcast in hopes of stimulating people’s interest in the medieval era.

“Anything related to crime (books, films) sells for a number of reasons. This is what scares us. We like to play detective. We love the mystery behind it,” says the Cambridge University professor.

Data visualization and historical research are increasingly intertwined. Using technology and historical records, scientists can bridge the gap between past and present, breathing life into long-forgotten stories and shedding light on human life throughout the ages.