Being a Craftsman afforded you a certain standard of living in medieval society but it was difficult to attain an opulent standard of living doing this kind of work. Craftsmen. Medieval Craftsmen were classed above peasants in the feudal system and they had a much better level of education than the peasantry class who commonly worked on the land on a manor estate and were very poor.

Medieval Bowyer Making a Longbow

Trades were often kept within families and skills passed down from father to son, some Craftsmen would make things that were needed in battle such as a Bowyer a master-craftsman who made bows for infantry soldiers.

Medieval Longbow were made by bowyers

Every medieval town had a blacksmith who made weaponry such as swords and a wide range of goods that were used in medieval towns and villages.

A medieval Blacksmith is at work using a forge to make a sword

Medieval Craftsmen Guilds

Medieval Craftsmen started in a trade usually at an early age as an apprentice. Medieval apprentices in the trade usually did the same trade as their fathers and learn from them, in addition a medieval person wanting to be a Craftsmen would usually join a specific association or Guild.

Basically as an apprentice you were expected to learn your trade from a time served Craftsmen, the apprenticeship would be hands on as you worked along side the time served medieval Craftsmen. It wasn’t until the apprentice had finished his training that he could earn a decent daily wage and he was also expected to pay a considerable sum of money at the outset of his learning, eventually though he would become qualified in his chosen trade.

From Apprentice to Journeyman

Finally after all the years of hard work and training an apprentice would become a journeyman and at this stage he would be paid a daily wage, the journeyman would eventually become a master provided that he continued to learn and paid more fee’s to his master.

Medieval Craftsmen – Types and Names

Master Craftsman

Artisan and a highly skilled craftsman in medieval times.

Artillator

Very important Craftsmen who made bows, arrows and other related products that medieval military men required

Bowyer *Fletcher

A bowyer was a highly skilled craftsman who made arrows and bows such as Crossbows and Longbows for medieval archers, also commonly known as a Fletcher

Moneyer

Authorised to make coins from different metals such as copper, gold and silver that could be used to buy goods and services. Moneyers would have been licensed by the Crown and would have been allowed to keep a very small percentage of the money he created in payment for his work.

A Medieval Moneyer mints the coins in medieval times

Fletcher *Bowyer

Skilled and important person for the military as he was a arrow maker.

Blacksmith

If your horse needed a new pair of shoes, you would go to a Blacksmith, Blacksmiths were very common Craftsmen in Medieval towns and villages.

Medieval Blacksmith

There were a huge number of medieval craftsmen and a multitude of trades in medieval times people such as Weavers, Woodworkers, Fullers and Coopers were all popular trades. without Craftsmen and other trades medieval life would have been a struggle for many medieval people.