The Medieval Craftsmen

Guild

All craftsmen belonged to a guild. There were a baker’s guild, a tailor’s guild and so on.

Duties

A guild had a lot to do: – It set examinations to see who could become a craftsman, it made sure that goods were properly made, it fixed wages and looked after old or sick members. It took a long time to become a member of a guild, there were three stages:

1. Apprentice:

At twelve, a boy went to work for a master craftsman. He lived in the master’s house and learned the trade. The boy had to spend seven years with his master. An apprentice was not paid but his master gave him food and clothes. The master could be good or cruel.

2. Journeyman:

After seven years, the apprentice became a Journeyman. Now he was paid for his work, he could leave his old master. Some Journeyman travelled town to town looking for work.

3. Master Craftsman:

For have a workshop and sell his goods in the town, the journeyman had to be a master, for become a master he had to make a Masterpiece to show the guild that he was a good craftsman. If the guild thought his work was good, they let him become a Master.

Homes

Most townspeople lived in a small wooden houses with thatched roof and only two room with little furniture. Before the house there was a long back garden.

Diet

They grew vegetables and kept cattle, pigs and hens.