Mortality rates were much higher in towns and cities than they were in the countryside. People lived in overcrowded conditions often in the presence of animals and their filth. As we saw earlier in the course, there was a lot of problems with medieval towns. There are some exceptions to this though like the medieval town of Coventry.

1421 - the mayor's proclamation required every man to clean the street in front of his house every Saturday, otherwise he would be fined 12 pennies
1420 - waste collection services were recorded, the council gave William Oteley the right to charge every resident 1 penny each quarter
This was a weekly cleansing and waste removal service; waste was sold to nearby farmers
The council specified designated waste disposal locations too
The council at Coventry banned waster disposal in the Sherbourne river nine times from 1421-75
1421 - all latrines over the Red Ditch were ordered to be removed, to allow free flow of water and prevent flooding
The mayor and corporation at Coventry were active with complaints made by residents about the quality of their town

Public Health Medieval Era