Curfew (Cover Fire)

William the Conqueror set a curfew (from the French couvre-feu or cover fire) at 8:00 p.m., which was widely adopted across medieval Europe. 

 Though this was ostensibly imposed to prevent fires from catching while people slept, those who will have read "William I – 1066 by Eleanor Farjeon" will recall that it was more likely about preventing candlelit late-night public plotting.

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