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.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.
We're offering a special discount to History Hit for our subscribers, get 50% off your first 3 months with code KZbin: www.access.hist...
#historyhit #medievallondon #guild #middleages

[@obcl8569]

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

[@freakyfridayfun]

I was just gonna comment that exact same thing 😅

[@rileynewman-gatton8549]

Same! I don't even like the medieval period usually, but her videos are always so entertaining and informative!!! She makes everything very down to earth and relatable.

[@jaekn]

Yes, your style of writing, and echoing comments you read elsewhere, does make you seem simple.

[@obcl8569]

@@jaekn lolololol what in the world compels you to be so gratuitously mean to someone out of the blue like that?!?! It would be offensive if it wasn’t so hilariously uncalled for.

[@bakshijoon]

No one can convince me this isn’t The Waitress from Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

[@BoomerZ.artist]

The pure happiness when she rang the bell was awesome.

[@gonefishing167]

Felt it myself . 🙏🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@ph11p3540]

Kind of like guys loving the sound a powerful engine

[@EShirako]

To be fair, that bell was pretty amazing-sounding!

[@R1CK3RS]

This woman's enthusiasm for her subject is absolutely infectious

[@chris-te5tm]

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.

[@CallMeByMyMatingName]

"Bring out your dead! 🛎"

[@TomiTapio]

Still have church bell sounds in Finnish cities, especially Saturday Sunday wedding/funeral/worship time...

[@lyooyiylklykyokyklky]

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

[@lara-ce2kg]

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.

[@helenamcginty4920]

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. 😅

[@maisies515]

That was lucky the inspectors were honest and didn’t bend to the bigger company!

[@pmc8451]

That’s nothing like a guild in any shape or form. That’s a bitter local business rival making a complaint to the council who then are legally obliged to inspect the premises. The first issue should of been resolved in the planning process and the second issue is mute because all new premises will get a hygiene inspection shortly after opening anyway.

[@pmc8451]

@@maisies515 You think the local greasy spoon is “the bigger company” 😂

[@maisies515]

@@pmc8451 a Wetherspoons which is an international company? Yes

[@rebeccawayman4219]

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.

[@ericwilliams1659]

Yeah, many people don't know the wife usually managed the household, had the keys to the silverware and/or spices, was in charge of the help, and many important tasks to keep a household a home.

[@paavobergmann4920]

Jup. Being essentially in charge of human ressources in a noble hosehold is a very important position with a lot of responsibility. And isn´t it in the Iliad that Priamos has to ask his wife for the key to the treasury in order to pay the ransom for his son´s body? Ok, that was a couple thousand years earlier, but only stresses the point that the noble women were less publicly visible, but immensely important within the estate. And then there´s Anne of Cleve, who played her cards just right in very difficult circumstances.@@ericwilliams1659

[@blueprairiedog]

And she couldn't actually join the guild because the men wanted to hoard power and money. Nothing changes.

[@paavobergmann4920]

@@blueprairiedog Widows often took over their deceased husbands business. Given the worldview of the time, "men wanted to hoard power and money" is a highly problematic sentence, both logically and morally. Yes, women´s rights as we try to establish them were virtually absent, legal representation was a shame, but to imply this clandestine cooperation of men is as much of a prejudice and logical shortcut for the time as it is for today. Inter-male competition is sufficient to explain the situation, no mill will needed.

[@aarons6935]

Yet men set up everything she has. without them, she had nothing. get outta here with this feminist rhetoric.

[@SensaiGaia1]

I've learnt far more from these videos than I ever did from a History class.

[@danielfox9461]

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

[@fredericmartin7352]

Freedom light? Diet slavery?

[@blackkittycat15]

I find it funny the modern equivalent does a full loop into wageslave.

[@nilo70]

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

[@OboeCanAm]

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

[@nicolekuek7358]

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.

[@stevem7868-y4l]

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

[@tiffystrangebirdbrown6844]

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."

[@Mathemagical55]

That means he was a member of the Worshipful Company of Salters.

[@paulinequinton1478]

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.

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Lol Nothings changed indeed

[@Ocyla]

Right lol. Just goes to show it will never get better.

[@Maggie-rr8gi]

Good one😅😅

[@Jettypilelegs]

And they get protection from any crimes they commit.

[@dal8963]

Here during the regime of biden inflation might just make your comment a fact not a joke...no surprise a unelected Dementia ridden puppets is not fit... but I Digress

[@peterjones7673]

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.

[@Jay-ql4gp]

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

[@danielcloudt8284]

I love Eleanor Janega.

[@suzannaflores1164]

Dr.* :)

[@neko-chan6145]

Yay. Dr. Janega, one of my favorite. I enjoy listening to her.

[@seanseoltoir]

I disagree.... Her accent is quite irritating to me... She went to college in Chicago, so I assume she's from there... That's probably the reason I find it so irritating... Of course, the various NYer accents are even more irritating...

[@mspeeps9634]

She frequently tilts her head back while talking. Odd delivery that’s tough to watch. Is that a Chicago thing, too?

[@ddowd8492]

History just HITS different with Dr. Eleanor Janega!

[@williamrobinson7435]

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! ⭐👍

[@grannyannie2948]

It's more confusing than that. Some peasants were wealthier than some knights. Class and wealth is not the same thing.

[@JoaoRodrigues-pj5ii]

Great info. Dr. Janegas has a really good conection to the viewer.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Another wonderful historical coverage video about GUILDS( middle class) in London during medieval term ...thank you ( History Hit) channel for sharing

[@gonefishing167]

Just wonderful, thank you. The ringing of the bell gave me a shiver . What a marvellous experience it would have been. Perhaps you’ve done it before but you still managed to make it special for us - well , for me anyway 🙏🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@nikbear]

Eleanor Janega just utter class ❤ 👌

[@kelseycoyote6576]

Thank you Dr. for yet another educational series! You do us all a great service. Your channel should be available to all children in schools as part of history lessons with extra credit for video reports. Your style of communicating is engaging will interest students across the board helping them to love learning. ❤

[@paulmaryon9088]

Brilliant, thank you for yet another great and informative video, wonderful

[@darkfireeyes7]

I love her face when she rings the bell at 9:56. What a gorgeous sound! I hear multiple tones from it.

[@pippaseaspirit4415]

Fascinating! I actually went to one of the schools founded by the Guild of Haberdashers.

[@pedroisaacs6212]

Thank you for your inspiring work Dr Janega. I am thouroughly enjoying your series!

[@froggirl96]

i love her so much!! keep bringing eleanor back pleeease❤

[@bluestarfish95]

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)

[@mariahsmom9457]

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

[@cherihayward350]

My thoughts exactly 💯

[@paavobergmann4920]

It floored me when I saw a calculation that tax on income was pretty much exactly what it is today. That´s just how much it costs to more or less run a country.

[@abastible]

Love Dr. Janegas and listening to her in Gone Medieval

[@mattheide2775]

Thank you, many pieces of my history puzzle were just connected. ❤

[@robinwhitebeam4386]

Thank you Eleanor , your presentation style is perfect. Keep making films!

[@tondakremble6660]

OMG!!! So interesting & informative. Eleanor "Rocks" it!

[@SavageJonesIII6548]

The tenor of that bell brought a tear to my eye. His love for God sounds through the ages and continues to ring out his praises to this day.

[@kariannecrysler640]

Truly enjoyed this one! Thank you so much

[@woodrow60]

This is excellent. I’ve seen very little on the guilds and merchants of the period - they seem to be oddly ignored.

[@bunnygamercog]

Love her hair accessory! She’s so stylish and so knowledgeable!

[@archerbyrne8103]

Schwerpunkt has a pretty hefty playlist about Medieval society that deals somewhat thoroughly also with the English commoners

[@aanchaallllllll]

0:53: 🏰 Life in the medieval period was influenced by social status, with peasants comprising the majority of the population and guilds playing a significant role in various industries. 3:49: 💰 The guilds in London hold significant power and wealth, influencing politics and trade in the city. 7:15: 🐪 Spices and camels play a significant role in the medieval imagination and the Grocers Association symbols. 11:03: 🏛 The video discusses the history of the Mercers and Grocers community in medieval London and their influence on trade. 14:21: ! Joining a guild in the Gardens requires being born into it, becoming an apprentice, or buying your way in through Redemption. 17:51: 🔍 A murder case in 1324 reveals the dark side of a seemingly upstanding community member. 20:55: 🌾 The video discusses the stark contrast between the privileged life of the Collins family and the Great Famine happening in Europe, as well as the interconnectedness of people in the city who are not part of guilds. Recap by Tammy AI

[@forest_green]

Dr Eleanor Janega! I had no idea she was in a documentary. What a pleasant surprise!

[@jaclynroth1440]

Love this narrator so much. I always click when I see her. She’s the best.

[@michaeljohnangel6359]

Really informative and brilliantly presented! Thanks!!!!

[@loismccluresmith7944]

Women’s authority and economic power actually declined during renaissance

[@greendragonpublishing]

Excellent episode! And one of the few times non-royal women had power and records of their power.

[@adamsermet5953]

Love you Eleanor.

[@SierraLouder-zr2mp]

I had no idea the girl who played the waitress in its always sunny had such an interest in midevil history. Awesome videos!!! 👏

[@bakshijoon]

Omg I thought I was the only one who saw this. This is clearly The Waitress

[@danieltalbot8070]

Nice. Point of information: the crest is the bit on top of the helm(et), the shield is the coat of arms.

[@haraldisdead]

I like her play on the traditional 3 estates in the intro

[@GnomaPhobic]

I really enjoyed this video. So much pre-modern history is focused on either the ruling classes or the peasantry, but the middle classes were the ones who really pushed change across the last millennium in my opinion. There is a natural conservatism in agricultural working classes because they have so much to lose from social change when they lack savings or property; they know any disaster that occurs will effect them disproportionately, just as nearly all misfortunes in life are worse when you're poor. The upper classes favor the status quo for obvious reasons. The middle classes thus tend to have incentive to innovate and create because they don't possess the privileges of life in the ruling classes.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

In the 1970s, I was lucky enough to have a British History professor very much like Dr. Janega. He introduced me to feminism…yes a “he”…which had not quite made it to Arizona and certainly not as a field of historical study. I am so grateful for his presence in my life, which informed my approach to the study of human history and behavior as well as how I saw myself as a woman breaking into a very much male dominated profession. Gifted, ethical teachers change the lives of their students for the better and, in so doing, make the world a better place.

[@eddyd8745]

KZbin at its best. Thank you.

[@kevinmurray7789]

In the older part of Dublin we have a Mercers Street, and off it is Glovers Alley.

[@petekadenz9465]

Great video series! The narrator is wonderful. It would be good to have a short Further Reading list for each video.

[@serahloeffelroberts9901]

Guilds still exist in Germany and are used for training purposes. My friend was in a 7 year Guild program for breeding and training dogs

[@coranova]

We're Dr. Janega fans in this house 💙

[@fr.michaelknipe4839]

Wow. Just great. Very well done 👍🏼

[@matthewwallacegross6348]

On the whole, an absolutely brilliant dive into the Middle Class of Medieval London. Although, I must say that I cringed a little when Dr. Janega referred to the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Grocers as a "crest." While the average man on the street frequently falls prey to this misuse of the term "crest" when referring to a coat of arms, one would expect an expert in Medieval history to know that the crest is that which sits atop the helm in an achievement of arms, and not the arms, themselves, which are found upon the shield.

[@raassa]

very informative and very well explained...

[@poneill65]

"Your place in society could dictate everything, from what food you ate, where you could go, how educated you were, and even how long you were likely to live" Phew, so glad we fixed that 🙂 "Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose" as our (still) Norman overlords might say!

[@piccalillipit9211]

*when she rang the bell* she looked 6 years old :)

[@rosswestbrook3333]

What no thieves guild?? Computer games are a lie.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

I bet there was but kept quiet :)

[@GizzyDillespee]

They were all thieves guilds, including church, state and family.

[@badfoody]

those are called syndicates hahaha

[@LollieVox]

@@GizzyDillespeegood point!

[@greyhawk4898]

The thieves guild was a suborder of the merchant guild and answered to the noble 😉

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@robertmastnak581]

Very interesting fakts. Thx, keep going.

Great video and info> needs something about guilds in the video title though. Easy to miss.

[@insulaarachnid]

The Drapers, Merchant Tailors, Haberdashers and Clothworker guilds, surely had areas of business that crossed over each other?

[@nigelgarrett7970]

I think they joined rather than overlapped. The drapers were merchants of wool and cloth. The haberdashers were merchants of silk and velvet. The clothworkers were about finishing wool (fullers and shearers, not shearing the sheep but the finished wool for an even finish). The tailors (or taylors) then used the materials.

[@benjaminblakemore9704]

I find Eleonor so beautiful 😍 😊 kind regards from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@Adrienne557]

So fascinating! How do we watch the first video in the series on peasants?

[@HistoryHit]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqjFgoGvjsyNf7csi=Ayj1B3XF4gIAB2qZ

[@riveranalyse]

For everyone who likes Eleanor Janega, I'd hiiiiighly recommend Janina Ramirez.

[@mr.l7471]

As a history buff, I have always wondered what guilds are supposed to be. So, in our modern economic term, guilds were essentially cartels or monopolies of the medieval world.

[@lucialuciferion6720]

It seems nothing has changed. Always the 1% doing everything they can to rule the rest by monopolizing real estate back then.

[@piccalillipit9211]

Yes, and no. Because a modern Monopoly or cartel would seek to maximise profit by lowering quality and costs whilst offering people no alternative. Gilds were a monopoly - on quality.

[@francesaggarwal22]

I think.of guilds being like our modern trade unions , protecting their members, working practices and the integrity of their trade , but with more political power in their community.

[@raraavis7782]

In a way, Germany still has them. If you want to be a carpenter or tailor or any such thing, you have to do an apprenticeship with a 'master' in this field. And to actually open a business in your field, you either have to become a 'master' yourself or employ one. And you have to be a member of the 'Handwerkskammer' ('chamber of crafts'). This whole system of organizing these type of professions and both ensure reasonably high standards within and some sort of representation towards the state goes back directly to medieval guilds.

[@piccalillipit9211]

@@raraavis7782 Germany also has the super cool travelling apprentices. I think they're called journeyman? They wander around in black trousers making stuff.

[@lameesahmad9166]

Thank you for explaining about the guilds in London. Researching my family in Nottingham I found the municipal records a goldmine. The municipality kept records of the various guilds and who their apprentices were. I could tell what work various lines of my family did and when they had graduated as freemen in the city. I should imagine it would be very complicated to do the same thing in a city the size if London but in places like Nottingham these records helped a lot to trace our ancestors. Generally by the time the apprentices qualified to be freemen they were approximately 21 years old. They were given a certificate which was known as being given the keys to the city. Before they qualify they could not own their own business and they could not even buy a property in the city. So for them to qualify was a great celebration. They were indeed free. At this time they were also able to approach the parents of the lady they wished to marry because they would be able to set up shop and earn enough to raise their own family. The guilds in one way were tyrants because they decided how many businesses could open up in the city and who these people would be because they would be their competitors. Together they controlled the wealth and function of the businesses in the area and if they did not like you you did not stand a chance to get a foot into the cities enterprises. . I find it very interesting how you described the ability if the guild leaders to become mayors. With such clout they were indeed powerful. I have often wondered if the operation of controlling the economy was the brainchild of the knights Templer. Do you know if the idea of guilds came originally from them?

[@jchow5966]

Wonderful!!! Thank you!!!!!!

[@sharlaidrey7898]

I was a little bit confused about the non-guild bakers and sellers. Does it mean that bakers didn't have a guild or that there were both - bakers in guild and not? In my country, if the city had a guild, you couldn't do the job (candelmaking, potterymaking) unless you were a member of said guild. You could even be arrested for selling things not made by the city's guild. But on the other hand I am pretty sure that there was no groceer or merchant's guild, so selling itself wasn't regulated, only the things you were selling. It's great to see the differences of the same institution in different countries.

[@Mathemagical55]

Within the City of London's jurisdiction you had to be a member of the bakers guild (The Worshipful Company of Bakers) to sell bread. However there wasn't a guild for, say, 'egg sellers' or 'vegetable sellers' so anyone could sell agricultural produce at designated markets, although they'd be taxed to bring it into the City.

[@sharlaidrey7898]

@@Mathemagical55 Oh, thank you for clarification!

[@54mgtf22]

Hi Eleanor, Love your work 👍

[@sydneyward7286]

What a phenomenal video!

[@roelantverhoeven371]

the best bells (and cannon) were also cast in Flanders and Brabant! Mary Rose for example had all flemish cannon. cast by Hans Poppenruyter in Mechelen.

[@johndyson4109]

Same thing with credit in the U.S. nowadays.. The better credit rating you have the less you pay in interest and fees and the more money you get in credit. The Freeman in medieval London were treated the same way in effect. The peasants had to pay a tax to bring their sheep over the London bridge so they could sell them. The Freeman who brought sheep to be sold over the bridge paid nothing! You'd think it would be the total opposite but NO!

[@helenamcginty4920]

There are so many misapprehensions about how medieval people lived. This series is so good at counteracting them.

[@Qoh91-rk7zv]

you people are very very honest.

Jeez, awesome grilled fish of london, that's a classic

[@tastytae]

i love how much this person seems to genuinely love their job

[@andreascovano7742]

any video on the foreign merchants, such as the italians or the germans?

[@65gtotrips]

They must’ve filmed her very early in the morning on a Saturday or Sunday because there’s literally no one else on the streets in London proper.

[@jacoboleary9076]

I love this series, it's Philomena Cunk but right?

[@geoffcook3147]

love these. ty

[@mmhthree]

Did a search in my tree and found a Sir Francis Garton, Mayor of Arundel... I wonder if there's a relation to the de Garten's of London. I have found quite a few Lord Mayors of London in my tree, and I figure most people who trace their families to 1600's Virginia will find some of these same families in their tree. Everyone should do their family tree in their lifetime.. it's been so much fun. The English records are the best!! So thorough and goes back to William the Conqueror and the Domesday Book.

[@alsy6813]

I feel so very strange about people who can trace their family's history for centuries... I barely know about my great-grandparents, and everything about their parents is completely lost to time, revolutions and wars. It must feel so different, to know your roots and who your ancestors were.

[@jbs197906]

A potentially great episode spoiled by a horrid camera work. Was it that difficult to get a tripod???

[@sotiriospeithis6659]

Very good

[@bmyers7078]

15:30; If I recall, Charles 3rd is a Fishmonger.

[@c1neal]

More Eleanor

[@wilsonli5642]

What other sources are there on this Hugh de Garten (sp?) character? Neither Google nor Wikipedia seem to have any information on him and his (apparently very influential) family.

[@ellegee4043]

The more I learn about history, the more I realize humans and society haven't changed... It really struck me hearing about the Collins family who die out during the great famine in the 1300s, but the Degarton (sp?) family just get more wealthy and more well connected. Sounds sickenly familiar to modern society :/ Oddly, this concept of stagnant (or cyclical) social history is both disturbing and comforting. What we are going through now has been experienced before (we just have technology) and humanity has perservered.

[@4729Punisher]

When I finish my time machine, the first place I'm going is 1250s Britain. I want to experience medieval life first hand. Aside from the black death, everyone killing everyone and more of everyone killing everyone else, it just seems like a great place. Incase anyone is wondering, my second stop will be 1920s Paris. Maybe I'll finally fall in love ❤️

[@thatflightsimguy]

I always spend extra long at the spice rack in the supermarket and pretend I'm a rich medieval Guild lord, touching up the paprika etc

[@joannat.4021]

Omg, I love ur videos ❤

[@cojohnso80]

Regardless the subject matter, i will always click on a @problematicexcellence video. She is an elite communicator

[@deutschesmaedchen]

I like her too, she’s so succinct and doesn’t hesitate or humm and uhhh all the time. They barely need to edit her!

[@kille-4B]

But she should work on that too hard sounding american accent, just soften it a bit dear!

[@deutschesmaedchen]

@@kille-4B why?

[@kille-4B]

@@deutschesmaedchen Because it it not a pleasent sound, but I like the things she talks about, and I’m sure she would get a bigger audience if she had a more pleasant voice. 🤗

[@deutschesmaedchen]

@@kille-4B it’s just her accent, your request is unreasonable, let alone rude.