CR5 Issue 171 August 2019

Medieval Shopping
Shopping in medieval times
would certainly have been an
assault on the senses.
The medieval town was a very
different place to our shopping
centres today. Although the
problem of litter is a current
(and valid) environmental
concern thanks to our overuse
of packaging, crowded medieval
streets would have habitually
run with sewage, blood from
slaughtered animals, rats and
loose livestock. Couple this with
the fact most people didn’t
wash very often, and one can
only imagine the smell and noise
(or hue and cry) of which you
would have run the gauntlet, by
popping out for a loaf of bread!
There were two types of shop
owner in medieval England:
merchants and craftsmen, and
both were commonly governed
by guilds.
Merchant or craft guilds
consisted of members who
traded in a certain commodity
such as wool, or who were
specifically skilled artisans,
respectively. By grouping
together as a guild, they were
able to set standards and
prices for their trade. Paying
for membership of the guild
also provided traders with
protection.
Craft guilds would offer
apprenticeships with the
opportunity of learning a skill
through a master craftsman
and earning the resulting
qualifications or papers.
An apprenticeship was unwaged;
sometimes families would even
pay for their son to learn a
respected trade. This payment
would include food and lodging
although it usually meant
sleeping on the shop floor.
Once a young man had
completed his apprenticeship,
he became a journeyman and
would be paid for his services.
Because most people
couldn’t read, medieval
shop signs were symbols
made of painted wood or
wrought iron
A journeyman would have to
produce his ‘masterwork’ to
be given the title of master
craftsman.
There were punishments for
those who broke the rules
of the guild, often favouring
the medieval penchant for
humiliation (think of the
popularity of the town and
village stocks).
For example, in those days
bread was unleavened and
sold by weight. A baker caught
adding weights to his dough to
make a heavier loaf would be
made to walk through the town
with the loaves tied around his
neck. Likewise, a brewer who
produced bad or adulterated
beer would be forced to publicly
drink it and then have the rest
poured over his head.
Banishment from a guild meant
the merchant or artisan was
unlikely to work in the town
again.
Most medieval trade premises
were workshops as well, with
the merchant or craftsman living
above. Wealthier merchants
would have larger houses built
on the outskirts of the town.
The shop front would generally
have no glass windows but
instead would be open to the
street, with wooden shutters put
up when it was closed.
It was common for tradespeople
to group their shops together,
possibly because it was easier
for the guilds to oversee, so
streets became dedicated to
one commodity or craft, for
example, a street of bakeries or a
lane of cobblers. We can still see
this reflected in some old street
names today.
Because most people couldn’t
read, medieval shop signs were
symbols made of painted wood
or wrought iron, sometimes
partially gilded. These large signs
were hung on brackets and
chains attached to the building
and were made obvious to the
medieval customer. The sign
for an apothecary was a pestle
and mortar. A blacksmith had
an anvil and hammer, while a
farrier, who looked after horses’
hooves, might have had a simple
horseshoe.
In those days, barbers were also
surgeons and dentists hence
their sign: a red and white
striped pole signified blood and
bandages.
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