Work (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes

Work under the Normans

Introduction

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the nature of work remained largely unchanged for most people. What type of work someone did still depended on two main factors: where they lived and their social status and wealth. The feudal system meant that your position in society largely determined your occupation and daily responsibilities.

Village work - the poor

The majority of people living in villages were peasant farmers who worked the land as their primary occupation. However, village communities needed various skilled workers to function effectively, creating opportunities for different trades and crafts.

Most peasants combined farming with other essential skills. If a lord constructed a mill in the village, there would typically be a miller to operate it - often one of the wealthier villagers. Every village required a blacksmith to create and repair metal tools, making this a crucial and respected trade.

Other important village occupations included carpenters who crafted wooden items, wagon-makers who built transport vehicles, wheelwrights who specialised in making wheels, and weavers who produced cloth. These skilled workers provided essential services that kept village communities running smoothly.

Village work - the rich

The wealthy lords who owned the land lived very different working lives. Rather than engaging in physical labour, their responsibilities centred on managing their estates and overseeing the various courts they were responsible for running. Their wives typically managed household affairs while the lords handled broader estate management.

Knights held important military obligations under the feudal system. They were expected to provide military service to their lords and spent considerable time training to maintain their fighting abilities and horsemanship skills. This constant preparation was essential for fulfilling their military duties when called upon.

Sheriffs served as important administrative officials, taking responsibility for governing entire shires and supervising the operation of local courts. These roles required significant authority and knowledge of law and administration.

Jobs in mediaeval towns

Mediaeval towns offered more diverse employment opportunities than rural villages, creating a clear social and economic hierarchy among workers.

At the top of this hierarchy were the wealthiest professionals: doctors, lawyers, and merchants. These individuals typically owned property and often served on town councils or even acted as mayors, wielding considerable political influence.

Towns served as important trading centres, supporting numerous craftsmen and skilled tradespeople. Master craftsmen could earn excellent livings, and most towns featured a wide variety of specialists. These included:

• Butchers, fishmongers, brewers and grocers who sold food
• Bakers who provided bread (a staple food that made bakers particularly important)
• Tailors, robemakers and shoemakers for clothing and footwear
• Masons and carpenters for construction
• Gold and silversmiths, armourers and potters for specialised crafts
• Apothecaries who sold medicines, herbs, spices and sugar
• Barbers who cut hair, pulled teeth and even performed surgery
• Blacksmiths who created iron tools, hinges, keys and weapons
• Gongfermers who emptied cesspits, typically working at night

At the bottom of the social ladder were domestic servants and unskilled labourers, who had to find whatever work they could to survive, often facing very uncertain living conditions.

Learning a trade through apprenticeship

Moving to a town to learn a skilled trade offered people the possibility of improving their social position and lifestyle, though the process was demanding and lengthy.

The apprenticeship system provided a structured pathway into skilled trades. Typically, a teenage boy would enter into an agreement to work for a master craftsman for seven years. In return for his labour, the master provided housing, clothing and food, but no wages during this training period.

After completing his apprenticeship, the young man would become a journeyman and begin earning wages for his work. With experience and skill development, he could eventually aim to become a master craftsman himself. This required demonstrating his abilities by creating a masterpiece - a special piece of work that proved his competence in the trade.

Women's work in towns

Historical records provide less detailed information about women's work during this period compared to men's occupations, but evidence shows that women contributed significantly to the mediaeval economy.

Guild regulations generally prevented women from learning most trades, but many women found ways to work alongside their male relatives in family businesses. Some women even inherited businesses when craftsmen died, and several became very successful entrepreneurs in their own right.

However, the majority of women in towns worked as domestic servants, laundresses and brewers. Beyond their paid employment, women were responsible for running their households, raising children, and often supervising apprentices working in their husband's businesses.

Timeline of major events

• 1066: Norman Conquest - feudal system established, but most work patterns continue unchanged
• c1070-1100: Development of Norman administrative system with sheriffs and courts
• c1070-1100: Growth of Norman towns and expansion of trade opportunities

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