Commoners

The commoners, those who didn't belong to the nobility or the church, were divided into several classes. The highest among those living under the banner of the lord of the manor was his assistant the bailiff. His duty was to collect taxes and supervise the running of the whole fiefdom.

Below the bailiff in rank were the skilled craftsmen. They planned and carried out everything that was accomplished at the castle or the lord's lands, since their masters, the nobles, were trained only in the skill of fighting. Among the craftsmen were the armorers and the blacksmiths, the masons and the carpenters, gardeners, the stewards, horse trainers, falconers, game keepers, foresters, weavers, and catherworkers. Even though they were far beneath even the humblest and poorest knight, they had a much better life than the peasants.