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Medieval Life
What was life like for the people of
England in Medieval times?
The Black Death
produced important
social changes. English
society was based upon
the principle that there
were three main classes
of people, each with its
own purpose to fulfil.
These were the clergy,
the nobility and the
peasants – those who
prayed, fought and
worked.
The peasants (free people who
could move around) were the
largest group and it was
accepted that they supported
the other two classes with their
labours.
The church and nobility owned great
estates to which the peasants were bound
as serfs (could not leave the land of their
lord) – by custom to plough the fields for
the masters – by law.
Serfdom was upheld by moral and
religious reasons. Serfs were told to look
upon their service as a calling from God.
Serfdom would make them better people.
Landlords were supposed to look
after their serfs but many did not.
When one lord was rebuked for
taking a cow from a serf he said:
“Let it suffice the boor that I have left him
the calf and his own life.”
Medieval society was marred by a streak
of cruelty and callousness. Death and
suffering were common and people often
felt contempt for the law and would often
resort to violence.
Medicine was crude and often ineffectual.
Medicine was mixed up with magic and
ritual was common. Disease was often
regarded as God’s judgement for sin. Falling
ill was a punishment for past misdeeds.
The Manor
A medieval manor
was an estate
granted to a
member of the
aristocracy by the
king.
The lord of the manor
employed knights
and villeins who
fought for the lord
and performed
feudal obligations.
The manor house was set apart from the
village where the peasants lived
Not all manors were held by the nobility.
17% belonged to the king and 25% belonged
to the church.
Medieval manors varied in size but most were
between 1200-1800 acres. Every noble had at
least one manor. Richer nobles had several. In
the late 12th Century there were more than
9000 manorial estates in England.
Another name for this land was Fief.
The lord’s portion of land was called a
demesne. The rest of the land was divided
amongst his peasants who were his tenants
The land was divided equally
into strips between the
peasants. There was also a
section of ‘common’ area
that all the villagers could
use. Each villager had a
small house and was
generally self sufficient
For everyone life revolved around the seasons
Rural seasonal work
Knights
Knights were sons of
nobles.
When a boy was eight
he was sent to a
neighbouring noble to
be trained as a knight.
When he was 15 or 16
he would become a
squire in the service
of a knight.
When he was about 20
the squire would be
dubbed a knight.
Occasionally a young
man was knighted in
battle
Knights possessed land to the annual value
of 200 marks and were forbidden to wear
clothing valued at more than 6 marks.
They were not allowed to wear cloth of
gold.
Chivalry
Knights were
supposed to follow a
code of chivalry:
* defend the weak
* be courteous to all
women
* loyal to the king
* serve God
However the reality was often quite different.
The ‘weak’ were defined as noble women and
children – not peasants.
They were little more than mercenaries and
were brutal in war.
Armour and Weapons
Chain mail was made
up of 200,000 small
rings.
Plated armour weighed
around 23kg and the
sword weighted 15kg.
Some knights
protected their horses
with armour.
Food
The most common foods were:
• pottage (soup/stew)
• Dark bread
• Pork and mutton
• Water, milk and ale
• Vegetables
• Cheese
Most peasants were vitamin deficient
Medicine
Women were
discouraged from
getting involved in
medicine of any
kind.
Cures were crude
and painful.
The church was often
the only source of
medical knowledge
and it was
underpinned with
prayer.
Fashion
Clothing was reflective of a person’s place
in society. There were strict dress codes
which were severely punished if they were
broken
Crime and Punishment
There were many, many
crimes that could be
severely punished.
Law courts used
French but the
peasants all spoke
English. Punishments
were carried out in
public.
Religion
If you live anywhere in
Europe and you were
a Christian then you
were Catholic.
Medieval people
were very
preoccupied with the
state of their
immortal soul.
Entertainment
Entertainment was important to Medieval
people. Feasts were a part of entertainment
for the rich. Tournaments were enjoyed by
everybody. Music was a source of
entertainment and children had games –
some of which survive to this day.
Travel
Peasants rarely travelled
more than 10 miles away
from their home. For
those who did travel it
was slow, uncomfortable
and dangerous.
Education
Education was usually the responsibility of the
church. The core subjects were based on
those of the Ancient Greeks and remain
unchanged to this very day.
The End