Town+Life

 __**Town Life **__

Group: McKenna, Derek, Ashley A, Nick

The following paragraphs are describing the life, advantages and disadvantages of living in a town in England when the Black Plague took over most towns and cities.


 * Disadvantages of Town Life:**

In town there were many disadvantages such as cleanliness, space and enough work. The cleanliness was horrible because the town had no sewage systems; the only place sewage went was just under the streets. Because of that rats infested everywhere. The trash and excess food was burned or thrown in the ocean, river or lake. The reason why the sewage was so bad was because of the number of people that filled the town. Finding a space to live was often hard to do considering that one had to be within the limits of the stonewall. So it was hard to find land. But apprentices tended to live with the family, and Businesses were often under the house or close to it so it took up less room. Many shops were on wheels, or out in the open. Another disadvantage is the class that people got put into when they were born. The class that their father or mother was in was the class that the townsfolk got in. People had the option of Country living or Town living, it was based on opinion, some wouldn’t want the work of living in the country and some wouldn’t want to live in a crowded town. I think a city like Calgary is very different from a town in the time of kings and queens. For instance rats don’t run everywhere you walk. In downtown Calgary there are buildings that reach 500 ft compared to buildings that reach only 70 ft in the 1600’s. Sewage systems are cleaned and don’t smell. The disadvantages are costs for homes, businesses, food, cars, families, clothing and everything else people buy. There isn’t trading in Calgary, or bargaining. But finding land is easier because the space in and around Calgary is huge. There are no stonewalls to protect us from rival cities and lords because there are none.


 * Advantages of town Life:**

Personal freedom was important to everyone who lived in a city. A townsman had to be free from the rules that could make him a peasant to a master. Merchants have to be free to move around the town without trouble from the town guard. Some people like veillien cannot leave his masters land like a peasant but peasants have a home. In the cities everyone used to have freedom until the new kings came and made different rules. The rules also came with different raids from countries all across the world at different times they made different rules. Some cities even bought their peasants and rules for the other cities.

The people in the middle ages had a very hard lifestyle but it was better than not being able to move from a room forever. They would have to do whatever their master told them to but at least they could leave the house for errands and things like that. They had very little freedom but they still had some freedom. They had the freedom of speech (unless shunned) and the freedom to move around wherever they please.


 * Occupations of Towns:**


 * Artist:** Artists were employed in the later medieval times by kings. At first artists only painted heraldic designs on furniture. Then it became popular so they started painting portraits.
 * Bailiff:** The Bailiff manages the castle estates or farm.
 * Armorer**: A medieval armorer held an important occupation in the medieval workforce. Armor had to be uniquely made to fit its wearer and was considered one of the specialist Medieval Jobs.
 * Apothecary**: An Apothecary makes medicine from different types of herbs, plants and roots. Apothecaries were also called physicians, which were very expensive. They were normally used for sick or poor people.
 * Astrologer**: An astrologer studied the stars and planets.
 * Baker:** Bread was a daily food of medieval life, and nobles in their castle employed good bakers.
 * Barber**: A barber had many different jobs they were dentists, surgeons, blood letters and they would also cut hair.
 * Bottler**: They were responsible for bottling such things as wines and other expensive provisions.
 * Bower or Bowyer:** The Bowyer manufactured bows, arrows and crossbows.
 * Candle maker**: The candle maker made candles to light the castle.
 * Carpenter:** The occupation of the carpenter was important. Carpenters built furniture, roofing, siege engines and wood paneling.
 * Chamberlain:** Responsible for the chamber, which included the administration of the king's household's budget. This job was later added to collecting revenues and paying expenses.
 * Chaplain**: The Chaplain was responsible for the religion of castle servants. The duties might also include jobs of a clerk and keeping accounts. A priest would usually looked after the spiritual needs and confessions of the nobles and their families.
 * Clerk**: A clerk was employed to keep accounts.
 * Clothier:** A Clothier made clothes for the nobles and required having knowledge of many different materials.
 * Cook**: A cook was employed in the castle kitchens roasting, broiling, and baking food in the fireplaces and ovens.
 * Cordwainer:** A Cordwainer was a shoemaker or cobbler, a craftsman who made shoes.
 * Ditcher**: The ditcher a Laborer who dug castle moats and foundations.
 * Gardener**: The medieval gardener needed knowledge of herbs and plants.
 * Herald**: The Herald would make announcements on behalf of the king or noble to the public.
 * Herbalist**: A herbalist was usually a member of a religious order such as a monk or friar who would plant and take care of medicinal plants, roots and herbs.
 * Marshal**: The Marshal was the officer in charge of a household's horses, carts, wagons, containers and the transporting of goods.
 * Messenger:** Messengers were people who would take messages from the lord. Such as letters.
 * Moneylender**: Moneylenders were the medieval bankers.
 * Physician**: Physicians were a very highly regarded and respected occupation. Bleeding, lancing and surgical procedures were practiced.
 * Potter:** Potters were craftsmen of clay, porcelain and early forms of ceramics. Basically they produced pots for cooking and storage and occasionally worked as sculptors. Potters were members of medieval craft guilds.
 * Reeve:** The reeve supervised all work on a lord's property. The reeve ensured that everyone began and stopped work on time.
 * Scribe**: Most scribes came from religious establishments where reading, writing and comprehension skills were learned.
 * Scullion**: Scullions were the lowest of kitchen workers whose duties included washing and cleaning the kitchen.
 * Spinster:** was the name of the occupation given to a woman who earned her living, spinning yarn. The spinning wheel was invented during the medieval era. Later the term spinster was used to describe any unmarried woman.
 * Watchman**: A Watchmen was an official at the castle he was responsible for security. Also night watchman.


 * Medieval Doctors:**

Medicine was basic and Medieval Doctors had limited knowledge. Medieval doctors had no idea what caused the terrible illnesses and diseases, which plagued the Middle Ages. The Medieval period was devastated by the Black Death in England (1348-1350), which killed nearly one third of the population of England. The Medieval doctors were helpless. There were no Antibiotics during the medieval era and it was almost impossible to cure illness and diseases without them. How did Medieval Doctors tend to their Patients? The beliefs about the causes of illnesses were based on the ancient teachings of Aristotle and Hippocrates.


 * Definition of a Blacksmith:**

Definition and origin of the term Blacksmith: A Blacksmith is a combination of the two words 'black' and 'smith'. A 'Smith' is someone who works with metal (especially by hammering it when it is hot and malleable. The blacksmith was named because he was a 'smith' who worked in the "black" metal namely iron.

Description of a Blacksmith: Is a person who works with metal especially hot metal. Normally making them into tools and weapons The medieval blacksmiths had to have shatterproof hammers with handles and iron tongs to hold the work piece to heat the iron. A blacksmith forge is a place where they work with there metal and heat it. The blacksmiths have many different types of tools; here is a list of all the tools:

• Anvil • Tongs • Bellows • a variety of hammers varying in size for shaping and finishing • Swages • Swage block Sledge Hammers • Punches • Drifts • Axe • Chisels • Bit • Auger bit • Molds for making popular and everyday items • Nails • Table, stools, shelves etc


 * Appearance Of Town**:

The middle age cities and towns had taverns, the bakery, tailor, and people selling fruits and vegetables outside of stores. In the town square they had a clock tower or a big sundial with a person called the town crier that advertized by his loud voice and rang out the time every hour with his hand bell. At every gate there were two guards, the gates were made out of wood with metal supports. Comparing to a city in the present, every thing has changed and gotten easier. For example, there are better houses with stronger foundations, and better schools and education.

Made out of stone and bricks. || Skyscrapers || We now have skyscrapers that are about 10 times bigger than the average size castle in the Middle Ages || A basic house with a fire place in it, with shutters for windows || Houses || We have better houses; we have heaters, and glass windows. Houses have are stronger structures now || Dirt roads or gravel || Roads || Now there are pave roads in lots of cities and towns || People selling vegetables in the town square with other vendors . || Selling Food || There are stores like IGA and superstore that sell food where you could get all your food. || Guards have a Full armor suit with a sword and shield and protect from enemies from getting into the castle walls. || Guards/Policemen || Instead of having armor or swords to defend them selves policemen have a basic uniform. Instead of guards we have policemen that protect the people of the community. ||   Resources: > [|Medieval Society/ freedom] <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Jessica, Benjamin, Alana, Clayton //The towns got bigger, but the earliest merchants were peddlers who traveled and sold there good from town to town. They wanted more goods, and more luxuries from places in Italy that traded with the peddlers. They became wealthier as they learned to deal with bankers and loaners. They didn’t like giving their hard earned money away to the lords. The market place became and still is the focus of many towns.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Middle ages || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Present time 2009 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Descriptions ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Castles
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Houses
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Roads
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Selling Food
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Guards
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> [|Britian express]
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Towns]
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Medievel life and towns]
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> [|Castles of Briitian]
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|Middle Ages Town Life]

**This is a summary of a website we found we thought it would be a good resource for the other two groups to use.

Renaissance Town Life - Middle Ages** // //**Group: Benjamin, Clayton.**//

//**In a town the feudal system had a minor effect because the only people living there were peasants, villeins and freeman and serfs. In a town there would only be one noble there to in force the law. The noble was rarely liked. The towns had higher taxes in order to make more money for the noble. There would be a nightly night watch which included a bell to enforce curfew and then policeman (nobles workers) would walk around to make sure people obeyed the law.Towns had walls that acted as a toll booth but medieval. Towns were made close to an existing castle so if a riot took place the authorities could be notified sooner. If the town was not near a castle then they would build it on top of a hill so they could see possible enemies.

Water was scarce in some parts of Europe so a town by a river or creek would increase extremely over a small period of time. The water would provide many resources such as food, water, and bathing materials. The food was hard to obtain since most of it was driven away and hunted by the bigger cities. Some towns had taken advantages so many resources that they ran out.

Each town had a guild that controlled the trade with other towns/villages. There were many different kinds of guilds which helped trade specific items.**//

In town life most of the people where farmers because farming was a big resource and most of the population needed to farm the land for food. People were able to leave their farms and earn their living by becoming craftsmen and traders. For safety and for defense people in the middle Ages formed small town around a central lord or master called town life. The day began with the Angelus bell at 4 or 5 o’clock. It was the first thing of the day and the end of the night watchman's duty. Most shops opened at 6 AM, giving plenty of early morning shopping before the first meal of the day at 9 or 10 AM. Some of the old houses where made of wood and some of the new houses where either made of wood and brick or just brick. The bad thing about the wood houses are they would set fire really easily and the bad thing about the brick houses is they where usually build by the water so the ocean spray would ware the brick down and crumble away. Fire was the worst fear of town people because of closely packed wooden houses and low water supply. Fires were hard to control and could produce widespread damage. There law in the town life was a couple watch men on towers and some people watching on the ground incase people dig tunels and or holes in there town. Most people kept pigs because they were cheap and a good source of food. But houses were small and gardens even smaller so pigs were often let out into the streets to roam. Cleanliness was a big concern because open sewage pipes ran along the side of the house and animals and children would go near it and get sick. Many stables opened out to the streets and all the poop and mud drain into the streets and make them really wet and sloppy and it would splash around and get the houses dirty and people and other things that could get you sick. The towns where built on trade. Merchants needed stability for trade so they went to the king and a strong government for the rule of individual people.

by: Matt.c, Tara and Brittany

===The womans role in a family is not only to cook and clean, but they also had to work outside with their husbands in the fields, when they were there and when they werent. Rural familys usually have lots of children, and have to bring all of their work together since they are the busiest in the family. They were aloud to work with their husbands in the market place. They made cloth, clothes, meals and saved food for the winter. If families were more wealthy there was more this women could do. The medieval society was completely “owned” or dominated my men, and women had to know their place in the society.===