The Medieval Craftsman
| Introduction | Training of a Craftsman | Types of Craftsmen | Guilds |

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Skilled craftsmen were of vast importance to the medieval town and castle. They helped to mend metalwork, mill crops, build houses, and do many other important things. Without their expertise in the making of goods, most of the medieval towns would not have survived because individual families could not have produced all the necessary goods to sustain life in the village. Also, the carrying on of the family profession was a honor, and many families were famous in their profession.


Training:

Children usually began their formal training for their profession around the age of eleven or twelve. They would either learn and carry the family business, or they could become an apprentice to a local craftsmen. They trained for seven years before moving out and starting their own shop, or taking the families on. Most were married, and their wives would help in the labor of day to day life, and then producing children to continue the cycle. Also, almost all craftsmen were free.


Different Types of Craftsmen

There were many professions which the children could choose to take-up, and all were equally important in the society. All parts of the town depended on the craftsmen's goods. Millers ground the grain that the farmer's provided them. They were integral part of the society and were also the richest of craftsmen. They were also the most disliked. They paid the lord to operate his mill and everyone was required to use his mill. Blacksmiths made the tools which most of the other workers needed to do their job. They also had an agreement with the lord. In return for charcoal, they performed all of the castle's metal working needs. Bakers were responsible for providing food made out of bread to those who were not farmers. The farmers grew many of the necessary items to feed the town's hunger. Shoemakers and seamstresses kept the town's clothes in descent shape. Candlemakers helped keep the homes lit. Thatchers helped to make thatch roofs for barns and other buildings. Carpenters repaired wooden objects like buildings and carts. As you can see, if any one part of the town failed, the entire Medieval structure suffered along with them.


Guilds

The unions of the past were known as guilds. They were one of the most influential organizations of that time. They flourished because of the main reasons they were formed: to protect the business from the merchants, to ensure high standards and a high quality of work, and to look after the old and sick members of the guild. The regular town merchants needed protection from the merchants who came in a provided cheap labor. The people of the town always wanted the job to be done right the first time, with as little money spent as possible. The guilds helped ensure that the job would be done right by having training requirements for their workers. Also, when the workers became ill, or became too old to work any longer, the guild supported them and their families. They usually had a central shop which was elaborately decorated and showed their wealth.


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