A Craftsman in a Medieval Town
It wasn't easy to become a craftsman and it took a long time to learn the tricks of the trade. There were a number of stages to becoming a Craftsman.
Young boys who wished to learn a trade were sent off as an apprentice to a master craftsman's shop. They lived in the attic of there masters house and ate with the master and his family.
They ate two good meals in the day, dinner at midday and supper at about five in the afternoon in winter or seven in the evening during the summer.Breakfast was only bread and weak beer, which meant that most craftsmen were really hungry by dinner time.
wooden platters were used instead of plates and people rather ate with their fingers instead of forks and knives.
A roast joint of beef,pork lamb or chicken was cooked in the kitchen for dinner.The master the master cut the first piece of meat and then passed the food along the table to all his workers. At suppertime they ate apples,cheese and spiced cakes.
They drank ale or mead served in pewter tankards with their meals.
A boy could become a journeyman after around seven years of training.This means that he was free to do a day's work for pay for anyone.If a journeyman wanted to become a master,he needed to prove that his skill has reached master standard.
This was achieved by making an example of his work,called a masterpiece.If the other master craftsman in the town considered the work to be an excellent standard, the journeyman was free to open his own shop,but only if he had enough money to do so.
In order to maintain high standards of goods,craftsmen would form groups called guilds .Every trade had its own guild which set down the rules for the trade.e.g workshops had to remain closed on Sundays and feast days, no one was allowed to start work before sunrise or continue work after dark,prices were fixed etc.
Craftsmen paid a yearly fee to the guild.The money was used to take care of sick colleagues or the upkeep of the families or deceased members.Each guild had their own patron Saint and would close their shops and march around town.A party would be held in the guildhall in the centre of the town.
By Oisin Moore and Chris Phillips
They ate two good meals in the day, dinner at midday and supper at about five in the afternoon in winter or seven in the evening during the summer.Breakfast was only bread and weak beer, which meant that most craftsmen were really hungry by dinner time.
wooden platters were used instead of plates and people rather ate with their fingers instead of forks and knives.
A roast joint of beef,pork lamb or chicken was cooked in the kitchen for dinner.The master the master cut the first piece of meat and then passed the food along the table to all his workers. At suppertime they ate apples,cheese and spiced cakes.
They drank ale or mead served in pewter tankards with their meals.
A boy could become a journeyman after around seven years of training.This means that he was free to do a day's work for pay for anyone.If a journeyman wanted to become a master,he needed to prove that his skill has reached master standard.
This was achieved by making an example of his work,called a masterpiece.If the other master craftsman in the town considered the work to be an excellent standard, the journeyman was free to open his own shop,but only if he had enough money to do so.
In order to maintain high standards of goods,craftsmen would form groups called guilds .Every trade had its own guild which set down the rules for the trade.e.g workshops had to remain closed on Sundays and feast days, no one was allowed to start work before sunrise or continue work after dark,prices were fixed etc.
Craftsmen paid a yearly fee to the guild.The money was used to take care of sick colleagues or the upkeep of the families or deceased members.Each guild had their own patron Saint and would close their shops and march around town.A party would be held in the guildhall in the centre of the town.
By Oisin Moore and Chris Phillips
