Medieval Towns
Around the year 1100 AD, small towns could be seen throughout Europe. These towns were typically built near a castle or manor home, and the people of the town paid rent to them. However, the people of the town chose how to earn money. Some of the jobs that were common in the Middle Ages were craftsman, merchant, baker, butcher, brewer, innkeeper, doctor, and priest.
Craftsmen
A craftsman was a person who crafted, or made, useful things that would benefit the people of the town. Then, the craftsman would sell his works to earn a living. There were many types of medieval craftsmen. Some types of craftsmen and what they would make are listed below.
craftsman - a person who is skilled in a particular craft.
- Masons - stonework, buildings, construction
- Carpenters - woodwork, buildings, construction
- Painters - paintings or other types of art
- Cloth Makers - clothing, fabrications, tailors
- Bakers - baked goods (bread, cake, muffins, etc.)
- Shoemakers, or cobblers - shoes, boots, footwear
- Apothecaries - medicines
- Candle makers - candles
- Potters - pottery, containers
craftsman - a person who is skilled in a particular craft.
Merchants
A merchant was someone who would travel around vast areas of land to different towns to trade their goods. Merchants wouldn't necessarily make the goods that they sold. They usually bought these goods from craftsmen and then sold them for a higher price in order to make a profit. A merchant usually traded the most unusual, exotic, or most expensive goods in order to attract buyers. Some goods that may have been sold by medieval merchants are listed below.
merchant - a person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with forge in countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trade. OR a person who buys and sells commodities for profit.
- Spices
- Wine
- Food
- Raw Materials (something that has not been processed or crafted)
- Furs
- Cloth
- Glass
- Jewels
- Other Luxuries
merchant - a person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with forge in countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trade. OR a person who buys and sells commodities for profit.
Other Jobs (baker, innkeeper, etc.)
A group of medieval brewers Some bakers making bread A woman buying meat from a couple of butchers
A medieval priest An innkeeper sweeping up A medieval plague doctor
Guilds
Guilds were groups formed by craftsmen or merchants who took part in the same craft or sold the same items. In some of the pictures above, you can see multiple people working together at their job. These people may be part of a craft guild. In order to become a true member of a guild, a person would have to go through three stages; apprentice, journeyman, and master. By joining a guild, a person would improve their social status and not have as big of a penalty for being sick or missing a day at work. Some other benefits to being part of a guild were that working conditions and hours were more acceptable, there was better protection during travels, and guilds also funded the first non-religious schools of the middle ages. As a matter of fact, guilds also helped with funeral expenses!
guild - a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power.
guild - a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power.