Guilds in the Middle Ages Interesting Facts

Guilds in the Middle Ages


Interesting Facts and information about Guilds inthe Medieval times of the Middle Ages

The reasons for Guilds in Medieval times

Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds in the MiddleAges

Protection of Workers / Guild Members andprotection of Consumers

Life in the Middle Ages Middle Ages Index


Interesting facts and information about life and the lives of men and women in theMedieval period of the Middle Ages

Guilds in the Middle AgesThe guilds in the Middle Ages were an important part of life in Medieval times. A higher social statuscould be achieved through guild membership, and feudalism encouraged people to do this. There weremany advantages of becoming a member of a guild. Guild members in the Middle Ages were supported bythe Guild if they became sick. There were two main kinds of Medieval guilds - Merchant Guilds and CraftGuilds. A man would have to work through three phases to become an elite member of a Medieval Guildduring the Middle Ages - apprentice, journeyman and master.

Merchant GuildsCraft Guilds

Medieval London Guilds

What were the Guilds?What is the meaning of the word 'Guild'? The word “guild” is from the Saxon “gilden” meaning "to pay"and refers to the subscription paid to the Guilds by their members. Other words associated with the termguild include association, society, brotherhood, company, fellowship, fraternity and livery. The guilds ofthe Middle Ages were licensed from 1170 and were similar to modern labor unions where the guilds setstandards for their professions and protected the interests of their members.

The Reasons why Guilds in the Middle Ages were establishedThe system of Feudalism during the Middle Ages allowed the lords and owners of the land to tax the towns

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people and their trades. As trade increased during the Middle Ages the taxes became excessive. InMedieval England which was run to the feudal system it was impossible for just one man to makeobjections to the rate and amount of tax that the lord demanded. The idea of forming a Guild was born.

The Purpose of Guilds in the Medieval times of the Middle AgesThe Purpose of Guilds in the Medieval times of the Middle Ages was originally based on the protection ofthe Guild members but consumers also benefited from the introduction of guilds. The purpose of the guildswere therefore twofold:

Protection for workers - the members of the Guilds

Protection for consumers

Guilds in the Medieval times - Protection of Workers / Guild MembersThe Guilds in Medieval times protected the workers, or the guild members as follows:

Members of Guilds in Medieval times received protection form excessive taxes imposed by the lordsand land owners

Competition between members was regulated by fixed pricing policies - advertising and price cuttingwas banned

Illicit trading by non Merchant Guild members was banned

All members of guilds were obligated to retain all trade secrets

The number of Guild masters and members of guilds were restricted to ensure there was sufficientbusiness for each of the guilds

Sickness Protection

Protection for their members, goods and horses when travelling

Help with funeral expenses. Orphans of members of guilds were also cared for

Guilds funded the first non-religious schools of the Middle Ages

Working conditions and hours of work were regulated

Guilds in the Medieval times - Protection for ConsumersThe Guilds of the Medieval times in the Middle Ages also protected the consumers. The spin-offs from theregulations of the guilds led to:

Fair pricing policies - all prices were regulated by the guilds

Quality of goods or workmanship. Goods and services were inspected and members of guilds wereexpected to undertake long apprenticeships

Guilds in Medieval times of the Middle Ages were also involved in civic duties. Guild members wereexpected to help to protect the town or the city where the guild operated. These civic duties includedproviding a militia for the town, policing the streets and constructing public buildings and walls to defendthe town or city. The guilds were also expected to maintain high moral values in the guilds - usury andfraud was eliminated. Religion was an extremely important aspect of life during Medieval times and guildswere expected to fund and to help in the construction of churches.

The Merchant Guilds of the Middle AgesA Merchant Guild was an association of of traders. The Merchant Guild was able to negotiate with the lord






and the trade levy became regulated. The Merchant Guilds controlled the way in which trade wasconducted in the towns and cities and applied rules to the way in which trade was conducted during theMiddle Ages. The members of the Merchant Guilds became very important members of the Medieval towncommunity of the Middle Ages. The introduction of the Merchant guilds in a town or city lead to its ownhierarchy and involvement in civic duties. The power of the Merchant Guild members increased to such anextent that the livelihood of individual trades or crafts within a Medieval town, or city, were beingjeopardised. Merchant guilds tended to be wealthier and of higher social status than craft guilds.

The Craft Guilds of the Middle AgesThe Merchant Guilds were imposing regulations on the individual traders or craftsmen to regulate pricesand supply. The individual crafts and trades established their own guilds. Guilds in the Middle Agesconsisted of Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds.

Names of Guilds in the Middle AgesA list of the names of Medieval London guilds provides an insight in the many jobs and occupations whichwere available to the Medieval people of during the Middle Ages. The section relating to the MedievalLondon Guilds also details the function of the Guildhall and describes the Ceremonial Livery and role ofWomen in the guilds of the Middle Ages.

Medieval London Guilds

Guilds in the Middle AgesEach section of this Middle Ages website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts andinformation about these great people and events in bygone Medieval times including Guilds in the MiddleAges. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinatingsubject of the Middle Ages!Guilds in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages era, period, life, age and times

Middle Ages Feudalism

Medieval Work and Occupations

Interesting Facts and information aboutGuilds in the Medieval times of the MiddleAges

The reasons for Guilds in Medieval times

Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds in theMiddle Ages

Protection of Workers / Guild Members andprotection of Consumers


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