The majority of the population in the 13th century were peasant farmers, who made a living by growing crops on their small farms,which they rented from thelord of the manor, and performing service on the lord's farm as a form of rent. Sometimes they would pay rent in cash rather than in service, and in time this became the prefered method of paying rent by both lord and tenant. They would not have thought of what they did as a job, more as a way of life. Peasants who did not own enough land to support themselves often hired themselves out as labourers to better-off peasants.
The village would have some specialised craftsmen like the blacksmith,the carpenter, the miller, the baker, the fuller (who treated wool so that it could be made into cloth). Other craftsmen included thatchers and tilers. Women often made money by spinning wool or flax into thread, they would keep some for their own use and sell the surplus to professional weavers. Brewing ale was another job that was usually done by women, women would often sell ale from their own homes. Every village would have a church with an attendant priest.
In towns there would be many different craftsmen and tradesmen: shoemakers, saddlers, potters, weavers, tailors, coopers, chandlers, glaziers, armourers, grocers, bakers, butchers, merchants of all kinds. Most businesses were family affairs in those days, wives and children would help out in whatever the family business was, and a widow often ran a business after her husband died.
Builders were very important in medieval times. The 13th century was the era when the great cathedrals were being built, and they would employ many masons, carpenters, glassmakers, etc.
There would be people of various kinds practising medicine. There would be doctors (including some women doctors) apothecaries (who made and sold medicines) and midwives, who delivered babies. There would be lawyers.
There would be many people working as servants in both town and country. Being a servant was not normally a job for life in medieval times, it was something young people often did until they got married. Servants were usually treated as junior members of the family by their employers, being a servant was not considered to be a lowly occupation.
Source(s):
Life in a Medieval City by Frances and Joseph Gies
Life in a Medieval Village by Frances and Joseph Gies
Answered By: Louise C - 5/26/2009 |
Check out
www.fidnet.com/-weid/dailylife.htm
There's a whole section on occupations. It also tells about clothes, marriage, village life and it's easy to navigate. Below is a list I lifted from the site. Go to the site and click on whichever you're interested in.
Acrobat, Apothecarist, Architect, Armorer, Artist, Astrologer
Baker, Barrister, Bookbinder, Bowyer, Brewer, Bricklayer
Candlemaker, Carpenter, Cartographer, Clothier, Cook,
Diplomat, Dyer, Engineer, Engraver
Farmer, Fisherman, Forester, Fortune-Teller, Furrier,
Gardener, Glassblower, Grain Merchant, Gravedigger
Herald, Herbalist, Hunter, Innkeeper, Interpreter,
Jester, Jeweler, Leatherworker, Locksmith
Messenger, Miner, Minstrel, Moneylender, Navigator,
Painter, Peddler, Physician, Playwright , Politician, Potter,
Rat Catcher, Sailor, Scribe, Servant, Shipwright, Shoemaker, Spy
Stonecarver, Storyteller, Weaver
Answered By: Just Wondering - 5/25/2009 |