Chapter 6 Medieval British Society, 1066–1485 - Lyceum Books

126 Part II Norman Britain
of guilds were incorporated; because of their special insignia, they came to be called
livery companies. Some still survive, though they are now merely honorary social
organizations, and their halls are frequently used for civic ceremonies.
Guilds commonly enforced a seven- year apprenticeship for young men wishing
to enter organized crafts or trades. Apprentices lived in their master’s household
and served him without pay while they were learning special skills. On completing
this period of training they could become journeymen, able to work in the employ
of masters. Eventually (if they prospered) they might become masters themselves,
with their own apprentices and journeymen. Guilds were sometimes criticized because
they created monopolies, but it is also true that they were creative forces,
providing education, control over the quality of products, mutual assistance in time
of need, and good fellowship for their members.
Housing
Ordinary men and women of the Middle Ages lived in very simple houses, sometimes
no better than huts. These were built of wood: often two large curved pieces of
oak, called crucks, formed the basic framing, and the walls might be fi lled with earth
or mud in what was called wattle-and-daub construction. Roofs were frequently
thatched with straw or reeds; fl oors were generally compacted earth, perhaps covered
with straw. Because fi replaces were uncommon, fi res were often lit in the
middle of rooms, with at least some of the smoke escaping through a vent in the
ceiling. Glass was too expensive for ordinary use, so windows were small and openings
were sometimes covered with wood shutters intended to keep out the cold, but
often precluding the entrance of light and air as well.
Medieval houses were small and crowded, seldom more than two rooms. Furnishings
were sparse, often consisting of no more than a few stools, a trestle table,
and a chest. It was common for a number of people, not just husbands and wives,
to sleep together in the same bed; indeed travelers, putting up at inns or taverns,
might share beds with complete strangers. In rural areas it was not uncommon for
farm animals to share a building with their owners. Such buildings were generally
elongated rectangles, called longhouses, separated in the middle into quarters for
humans and beasts.
Wealthier members of society had larger, more substantial homes. Feudal
noblemen needed great stone castles, both for defense and to house their numerous
retainers and servants. Originally these castles were moated and protected by
drawbridges, portcullises, and watchtowers. By the fi fteenth century, castles had
become more comfortable, with large windows and fi re- places in their great dining
halls and separate suites of rooms for their owners. Tapestries often adorned the
walls, helping to keep out drafts as well as providing beauty and color. A quest for
greater privacy is one of the chief characteristics of the life of the upper classes in
late medieval Europe, and many of the fi ner houses in England, like Haddon Hall in
Derbyshire, refl ect the success of such efforts. Private chapels, too, are a common
feature of the homes of noble men and women.