Medieval Cities

The Growth of Medieval Cities

What were Medieval Cities Like?

• Surrounded by thick stone walls

• Narrow streets

• Crowded squares

• Unpleasant smells

How Feudalism slowly died!The King

The Lords

Anyone could become a Knight so it wasn’t prestigious anymore!

Magna Carta – Forced the King to Recognize he was subject to laws

The Black Death Killed off peasants forcing to pay in cash & growing cities meant villeins escaped

Knights

Peasants

The Lords

Peasants

Why did Medieval Cities Grow?

• Merchant class started appearing

• When towns grew merchants grew

• Town populations swelled

What were guilds?

• Merchant Guilds- people who sold things. Shop owners, businesses, and stores.

• Craft Guilds- people who made things. Cobblers, Blacksmiths, etc

The Stages of a Merchant

• Apprentices The period of apprenticeship lasted for 2-7 years, after which time the apprentice became a journeyman.

• Journeymen The term has nothing to do with traveling; it comes from the French "journee", (day), and meant that the journeyman was paid by the day for his work.

• Masters. After several years as a journeyman the craftsman would submit a piece of his best work to the guild for approval. If this "master-piece" was accepted he could become a master craftsman and own his own shop.

Medieval Streets

• All repairs to streets were the responsibility of house owners

• Streets were built right upon one another• Roads were narrow• Traffic moved slowly• There was usually a toll to enter the city

which could be paid with things instead of money

Cleanliness

• Streets were nasty

• Gutters ran along the sides or down the center of streets.

• Many horse stables opened out onto the streets and muck heaps piled up.

• People often threw dirty water out of windows in the general direction of the drains.

Criminals in Medieval Towns

• Law Enforcement. Law and order in the town was enforced by the beadle or constables

• Night Watch. If a "hue and cry" was raised to chase a criminal all citizens had to join in or risk being fined.

Sanctuary

• If a fugitive managed to reach a church they could claim the right of sanctuary there for a period of 40 days. At any one time in the Middle Ages it has been estimated that there were as many as 1000 people in sanctuary throughout England.

• Some Churches gave sanctuary up to 2 miles surrounding the Church (like in the town of Beverly)

Sanctuary

Sanctuary in Beverly

How Were Criminals Punished?

• Most crimes were punished by some form of physical punishment at the least

• Prisons were used only to keep someone before they could go to trial, not as punishment

• If you stole something, you could be put to death

How Were Criminals Punished?

The Curfew Bell

• Curfews were imposed in towns to keep the peace.

• Originally the "curfew bell" was rung at 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening to indicate that it was time for smiths, brewers, and taverners to cease their working day.

• Anyone out after 9pm after that had to carry a light and have a good excuse for being out.

• People couldn’t carry weapons around at night, especially if they were from out of town.

Fire in the Cities

• Because the buildings were made of wood and buildings were close to one another, fires broke out often.

• Wood was way cheaper than brick• Everyone had to keep a large container of water

outside their house in case fire broke out• If there was a fire, everyone in the city was

expected to come running and help put it out.

The City Day

• The day officially began with the ringing of the Angelus bell at 4 or 5 in the morning.

• Most shops opened at 6 AM, providing plenty of early morning shopping before the first meal of the day at 9 or 10 AM.

• Morning was when most selling took place

• Most shops closed up by 3pm

Markets

• Markets were noisy, raucous affairs. Merchants had to "cry the wares" as their only means of advertising, and some had to be fined for forcibly grabbing hold of passers-by in their enthusiasm to make a sale.

Bells and Criers

• Bells were the main medium of telling time and making announcements. A Common Bell was rung to summon civic meetings, courts, and as an alarm in case of fire or attack.

• The town crier rang a hand bell when he walked throughout the town declaiming news and proclamations.

• The criers were the main source of news for town dwellers.

• They also had the task of ringing their bells to solicit prayers in memory of people who had paid for the privilege.

Middle Ages

Medieval Middle Class• A new class of

merchants, traders, and artisans who arose in Europe in the late Middle Ages

Magna CartaMagna Carta

• England’s King John I was forced by his nobles to sign a document granting them legal rights in 1215.

• Document shaped British government and American ideals of liberty and justice

Black PlagueBlack Plague

• Also known as the “Black Death” or bubonic plague

• Spread from China, India, and the Middle East to Europe in 1347

• Resulted in starvation, riots, and economic collapse