The Life of the Medieval ‘Middle Class’ in England

What was life really like for the merchants, craftsmen and traders in London in the middle ages?

Whilst the majority of people who worked in the Medieval Period were peasants, a significant community of merchants and tradesmen existed, the majority of whom belonged to one of the most powerful and influential groups in medieval Europe - the Guilds.

Guilds were associations of artisans and merchants who oversaw the practice of their craft or trade in a particular area. They were able to command prestige and power over medieval populations and membership of these organisations was extremely desirable. The Grocers' Guild for example, which oversaw the trade in spices (one of the most expensive and important commodities in the Middle Ages) was an incredibly rich and powerful association as is very apparent by the opulence and grandeur of Grocers' Hall in London.

In this video, Dr Eleanor Janega visits the banqueting hall to explore the lives of those who earned in medieval London.

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[paulinequinton]

So for medieval people, having money meant you had better health, a better diet, a better education and more opportunities in life? Well thank God that's all over, then.

[obcl]

I'm a simple gal.
*I see Dr. Eleanor Janega, *
and I click.
Every time.
Have never regretted it.

[helenamcginty]

The guild system still exists under a different guise. Back in the 1970s my parents and I opened a boutique and coffee shop. We sold home made cakes and scones, sandwhiches using bakery bread, tea and coffee. A local greasy spoon complained about unfair competition. An inspector from the town hall visited both premises. He decided that our little cafe and the baked beans on toast, fried food and mugs of tea cafe round the corner were too different to be in competition
The other cafe then claimed that they had been over run by mice since we opened. Inspectors came again and found, surprisingly, no evidence of mice at all even in the landlord's basement store room. But fined the other cafe for hygiene infringements. 😅

[BoomerZ.artist]

The pure happiness when she rang the bell was awesome.

[RCKRS]

This woman's enthusiasm for her subject is absolutely infectious

[chris-tetm]

9:52 Shoutout to the audio crew for capturing the bell's ring. It's the first sound that comes to mind when you think of a medieval city.

[lyooyiylklykyokyklky]

That was fantastic! Dr. Janegas love of history, and her empathy with the humanity behind it, is always a joy to watch!

[danielfox]

I absolutely adore the term "unfree" it perfectly describes a serfs position cuz ur not exactly a slave but you're not not a slave either

[nicolekuek]

I love this series. And I love Eleanor's point at the end that she would love to know more about normal people, but they just weren't written about so she doesn't know too much about them. It was sad to hear but an excellent point to make. It was also a bit sad to see that while technology has moved on, a lot of things still remain the same. The rich and powerful of today can still get away with stealing thousands of pounds... humanity is humanity.

[lara-cekg]

I will watch any history video as long as Dr. Eleanor Janega is in it. She makes the subject even more captivating, so you're unable to stop watching.

[rebeccawayman]

Thank you so much… this was an excellent episode. Thank you for mentioning the women’s role in household of a guild. The book keeper. People don’t realize that women were very important in these roles. Not just a homemaker. She had servants, but she ran a full hours old or two and kept up the books for the business.

[tiffystrangebirdbrown]

Wow! This is topnotch information, I had trouble making heads or tails of some of this on my own. I didn't realize the guilds voted for Lord Mayor. Im descended from a simple man, a Mr Clement Browne, self described "Citizen and Salter of London."

[mariahsmom]

Interestingly, this all sounds very much like modern times. The more things change, the more they stay, the same!

[OboeCanAm]

When I see Dr. Janega, I click and watch!
Thanks for another great video.💖

[peterjones]

Once again another great video from the brilliant Dr Eleanor. She always puts things over so well and makes history come alive with her perfect presentation. Thanks Dr Eleanor more from you please.

[stevemull]

Always a great watch, and listen, i hated History when i was a kid, but now in my 60's realise how important it was

[nilo]

I Love watching Janega ! I have watched everything she has done on YouTube and am very happy to see this new one to me ! Cheers From California 😊

[williamrobinson]

Great! It's certainly true that the lives of the 'have nots' in the mediaeval world are opaque to us, but the Guilds do give us a structured insight. Thanks Dr Eleanor and team! ⭐👍

[bluestarfish]

Thank you so much. 😃 I knew my ancestor, John Jolles /Jolliffe was Sheriff of London in 1605 and Lord Mayor of London in 1615 but I never knew there was a connection with his being a member of the Drapers Guild. I now understand. ❤ (I love all your videos)

[Jay-qlgp]

Martin has a very pleasing ring! I loved this one, thank you so much!