The 14th century brought economic challenges that stemmed from the demographic crisis, beginning with the Great Famine of 1315–1317, and greatly intensified from the middle of the century by the Black Death and ensuing outbreaks of plague. Despite the widespread suffering, labour rose in value in comparison with assets, especially land. Halesowen Abbey responded, like other major landowners, by leasing out more and more of its demesne to those who were in a position to cultivate it, and in some cases even selling land, initially in small transactions involving peasants. The Lyttelton charters give glimpses of this process, starting on 25 March (Lady Day) 1335 with the lifetime lease of a tenement at Ridgeacre and two other plots to John Weston of Coventry and his wife for eight shillings per year. At Michaelmas 1369 Abbot Richard de Hampton and the convent leased a plot in the manor of Halesowen to John atte Holt de Hulton for sixty years for a rent of eighteen pence. In January 1378 the abbot and convent of Halesowen granted the reversion of a house and lands to John Broun, Cristina his wife, and their heirs: this was the sale of a small estate, although the price is not stated in the grant. In May 1382 Thomas Wheatcroft of Harborne was allowed to lease various lands in Ridgeacre for six shillings and eightpence. With the new century the length of leases, where specified, increases considerably, although the transactions remain small at first. In April 1404 William Cockes of Halesowen was granted eighty-year lease on a house called Chyltonusplace for four shillings, but a provision was made that he or his heirs could sublet the place for an increase in rent to five shillings. Three years later William Caldewelle acquired three areas of land in Warley and elsewhere on a 99-year lease at a rent of six shillings. Slowly the pattern of tenure was being changed from one of villeins and cottagers to small farmers, with a corresponding change in the landscape.