Life in Medieval Times
Beaumaris gives an insightful look in to society at the time it was built. The main reason for building it was to enforce
to feudal system, set up my Charlemagne and his grandfather, Charles Martel. A string of revolts had been lead in Wales, and the Monarchy saw the need to build a stronghold to control the peasants. The king was seen to have absolute power, and if Wales gained independence, the rest of Britain would start to question the king’s authority. If that happened, the UK could be plunged into civil war, making it an easy target for invaders. The collapse of England could mean the collapse the Feudal system across Europe, meaning all developments would be lost, and Europe could become an anarchical civilization. Beaumaris itself is equipped with luxury living quarters such as a chapel, great hall, deluxe
bedrooms and a technologically advanced (at that time) gardrobe, or toilet. Poor peasant’s houses often consisted of one or two rooms, with a fire and sometimes furniture. Also contributing to the reinforcement of the feudal system, Beaumaris was made to be intimidating and show the massive social differences between rich and poor. In 1307, the Pope backed and attempt to kill all remaining members of the Knights Templar, an originally Catholic based organization that fought in the crusades. This was due to the age old argument between the King and Pope. The Pope saw himself as the most powerful person in Europe, due to his relationship with God. However, the king, according to the feudal system, was meant to be the most powerful, as his rule was the divine right of God. The building of Beaumaris was also meant to show the Pope the King’s power and control over the nation.
to feudal system, set up my Charlemagne and his grandfather, Charles Martel. A string of revolts had been lead in Wales, and the Monarchy saw the need to build a stronghold to control the peasants. The king was seen to have absolute power, and if Wales gained independence, the rest of Britain would start to question the king’s authority. If that happened, the UK could be plunged into civil war, making it an easy target for invaders. The collapse of England could mean the collapse the Feudal system across Europe, meaning all developments would be lost, and Europe could become an anarchical civilization. Beaumaris itself is equipped with luxury living quarters such as a chapel, great hall, deluxe
bedrooms and a technologically advanced (at that time) gardrobe, or toilet. Poor peasant’s houses often consisted of one or two rooms, with a fire and sometimes furniture. Also contributing to the reinforcement of the feudal system, Beaumaris was made to be intimidating and show the massive social differences between rich and poor. In 1307, the Pope backed and attempt to kill all remaining members of the Knights Templar, an originally Catholic based organization that fought in the crusades. This was due to the age old argument between the King and Pope. The Pope saw himself as the most powerful person in Europe, due to his relationship with God. However, the king, according to the feudal system, was meant to be the most powerful, as his rule was the divine right of God. The building of Beaumaris was also meant to show the Pope the King’s power and control over the nation.
Peasants and their role in society
Peasants were seen a futile and unimportant in mediaeval society, even though they had a fairly significant contribution. In
the 12th century, the Crusades started (see below) many peasants decided to fight. Although this might see strange, during the early crusades,
the pope and leaders let anyone join, as the main priority was to free the Holy Land. Many peasants decided to fight, as the pope had promised to every person that whoever fought would be able to get into heaven. This was similar to another method the church used. The method was that, if you had sinned, you had to pay a certain amount of money to the church, to guarantee your path into heaven. This is why the church became so rich and powerful, and later in history, corrupt. Peasants were important to the running of a manor estate, and so, without them, manorialism started to fall.
After their return, and also before, many peasants started to live in towns. Towns were rather new in medieval times, and were highly beneficial to both the king and the peasants. If you were a peasant in the town, after one year of work, they would be set free. If you lived in a
town, you also had to pay tax, which would go to the king. However, the knights and nobles were not happy as that meant that they not only lost many of their workers, but also lost much of their income from the peasants. This wasn’t helped by the bubonic plague in 1348. The Bubonic Plague came from Holland and France from ships, and was spread by rats and fleas. The plague was so horrific and widespread that, in 12 months, half the population of England was wiped out. As doctors and medical practitioners were very expensive, mostly peasants were
wiped out. As there were now fewer peasants in society, they became more expensive to pay to work. Therefore,
peasants started to ask for a higher wage, and their power started to increase. However, the noble were still determined to oppress the peasants, and soon after, the sumptuary law was passed. The sumptuary law states what peasants can
and cannot own, as well as wear. It states that poor peasants could only own and wear certain items, such as harsh cloth. The wealthier you were, the more expensive cloth you could wear, meaning royalty was one of the only groups that
could wear gold or silver. The sumptuary law was passed to reinforce the structure of power, and the feudal system. At that time, peasants were starting to get tired of having no power, and the tensions between rich and poor reached
breaking point when King Richard II introduced the poll tax in 1380. By 1381, a string of peasant revolts had broken out across England, led by young leaders Wat Tyler and Jack Straw. Both Tyler and Straw were strong believers in equality, and with priest John Ball, made a stirring speech in London the same year.
“When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the
beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude
came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any
bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond and who
free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come,
appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of
bondage, and recover liberty.”
This shows that the recent events had caused peasants to think in a different way. However, the king and nobles would refuse
to change the way society had been run for over a hundred years, and, in July the same year, Richard sent out
messengers, summoning troops. The Peasants had tried to fight back, and the brave Tyler had stormed into the Kings palace and said the following by holding the kings hand
“Brother, be of good comfort and joyful, for you shall have, in the fortnight
that is to, praise from the commons even more then you have yet had, and we
shall be good companions”
The king, furious at being addressed like an equal to a peasants, ordered the execution of Tyler and his followers right then
and there. Tyler was executed, as were many of his followers, and John Ball was hung drawn and quartered. Although he was executed, Tyler’s cause did not go unfinished. After the revolt, the lives of peasants were significantly better. The Lords treated their workers with much more respect, the feudal system started to break down, meaning people were starting to be equalized, and the poll tax was never raised again until the time of Margaret Thatcher. Even though it took a few hundred years, the class system disintegrated and the world was a better place.
the 12th century, the Crusades started (see below) many peasants decided to fight. Although this might see strange, during the early crusades,
the pope and leaders let anyone join, as the main priority was to free the Holy Land. Many peasants decided to fight, as the pope had promised to every person that whoever fought would be able to get into heaven. This was similar to another method the church used. The method was that, if you had sinned, you had to pay a certain amount of money to the church, to guarantee your path into heaven. This is why the church became so rich and powerful, and later in history, corrupt. Peasants were important to the running of a manor estate, and so, without them, manorialism started to fall.
After their return, and also before, many peasants started to live in towns. Towns were rather new in medieval times, and were highly beneficial to both the king and the peasants. If you were a peasant in the town, after one year of work, they would be set free. If you lived in a
town, you also had to pay tax, which would go to the king. However, the knights and nobles were not happy as that meant that they not only lost many of their workers, but also lost much of their income from the peasants. This wasn’t helped by the bubonic plague in 1348. The Bubonic Plague came from Holland and France from ships, and was spread by rats and fleas. The plague was so horrific and widespread that, in 12 months, half the population of England was wiped out. As doctors and medical practitioners were very expensive, mostly peasants were
wiped out. As there were now fewer peasants in society, they became more expensive to pay to work. Therefore,
peasants started to ask for a higher wage, and their power started to increase. However, the noble were still determined to oppress the peasants, and soon after, the sumptuary law was passed. The sumptuary law states what peasants can
and cannot own, as well as wear. It states that poor peasants could only own and wear certain items, such as harsh cloth. The wealthier you were, the more expensive cloth you could wear, meaning royalty was one of the only groups that
could wear gold or silver. The sumptuary law was passed to reinforce the structure of power, and the feudal system. At that time, peasants were starting to get tired of having no power, and the tensions between rich and poor reached
breaking point when King Richard II introduced the poll tax in 1380. By 1381, a string of peasant revolts had broken out across England, led by young leaders Wat Tyler and Jack Straw. Both Tyler and Straw were strong believers in equality, and with priest John Ball, made a stirring speech in London the same year.
“When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the
beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude
came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any
bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond and who
free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come,
appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of
bondage, and recover liberty.”
This shows that the recent events had caused peasants to think in a different way. However, the king and nobles would refuse
to change the way society had been run for over a hundred years, and, in July the same year, Richard sent out
messengers, summoning troops. The Peasants had tried to fight back, and the brave Tyler had stormed into the Kings palace and said the following by holding the kings hand
“Brother, be of good comfort and joyful, for you shall have, in the fortnight
that is to, praise from the commons even more then you have yet had, and we
shall be good companions”
The king, furious at being addressed like an equal to a peasants, ordered the execution of Tyler and his followers right then
and there. Tyler was executed, as were many of his followers, and John Ball was hung drawn and quartered. Although he was executed, Tyler’s cause did not go unfinished. After the revolt, the lives of peasants were significantly better. The Lords treated their workers with much more respect, the feudal system started to break down, meaning people were starting to be equalized, and the poll tax was never raised again until the time of Margaret Thatcher. Even though it took a few hundred years, the class system disintegrated and the world was a better place.
Nobles and their role in society
The medieval nobles were often seen a rich and important. They lived and ran large manor estates, and employed the many
peasants to work the land. Your role in medieval society was determined by the value of your estate, so, a knight with a small estate would be considered less important than a knight with a large estate. However small the estate was, there
would always be peasants working the land. The nobles had supreme power over the peasants. It was the nobles decision what job the peasant exactly did, whether they may marry, and what part of the land they may work and what part of the
produce they may eat. The nobles often saw themselves as invincible, until the time of the Crusades and the Black Death. Both of these events wiped out many lords and knights. The crusades were harsh, and few returned home from the Holy
land. The Black Death in 1348 wiped out people from all classes, especially peasants. As there were less of the, peasants became more expensive, and the nobles started to worry the peasants would gain more power. Then, the sumptuary
law was introduced, and the nobles again felt powerful and supreme. However, after the poll tax was introduced, the peasants started to riot. After the riots ceased, the peasants did gain more rights to the dismay of the nobles, and slowly, the feudal system started to crumble. Although the peasants were slowly given more rights, the nobles and king were still the supreme power. The nobles in medieval society were mainly used to back up the authority of the king. If the king went without the support of his nobles, his authority would be questioned, and we could have seen more riots like the one in 1381. The nobles were essential to the running of the feudal system, as without their support of the king, the entire system would collapse.
peasants to work the land. Your role in medieval society was determined by the value of your estate, so, a knight with a small estate would be considered less important than a knight with a large estate. However small the estate was, there
would always be peasants working the land. The nobles had supreme power over the peasants. It was the nobles decision what job the peasant exactly did, whether they may marry, and what part of the land they may work and what part of the
produce they may eat. The nobles often saw themselves as invincible, until the time of the Crusades and the Black Death. Both of these events wiped out many lords and knights. The crusades were harsh, and few returned home from the Holy
land. The Black Death in 1348 wiped out people from all classes, especially peasants. As there were less of the, peasants became more expensive, and the nobles started to worry the peasants would gain more power. Then, the sumptuary
law was introduced, and the nobles again felt powerful and supreme. However, after the poll tax was introduced, the peasants started to riot. After the riots ceased, the peasants did gain more rights to the dismay of the nobles, and slowly, the feudal system started to crumble. Although the peasants were slowly given more rights, the nobles and king were still the supreme power. The nobles in medieval society were mainly used to back up the authority of the king. If the king went without the support of his nobles, his authority would be questioned, and we could have seen more riots like the one in 1381. The nobles were essential to the running of the feudal system, as without their support of the king, the entire system would collapse.
The King and his role in society
According to the feudal system, the king was the most important man in society. He was the complete ruler of the nation, and
had absolute control over every lord, noble and peasant. However, the welfare of his people didn’t entirely matter to the king, as the mains things he needed were power and money. The king was determined throughout his reign to make as much money as possible, and gain just as much power. Money and power went hand in hand. The power or control of your land or estate depended on how much money you had, and that also was the same story with a country. A poor country with many taxes and debts to pay had unhappy and hungry people, and was prone to
attack and invasion from other countries. It was the king’s job to make sure his country was in a stable financial situation, with an enforced system of power. If the country had a poor power structure, the kingdom could fall, as well as the feudal system. The kings of Great Britain were determined to never let his happen, and in turn, passed a variety of laws that showed the superiority of the king. The sumptuary law stated that only royal women could were cloth of purple and/or gold, and anyone else caught wearing these colors would be severely
punished. The poll tax of 1380 enraged commoners and nobles alike, but was introduced by the young and naïve Richard II. When the peasants revolted a year later, Richard showed no mercy to Wat Tyler and his supporters, and sent a clear
but brutal message to everyone, of all classes and births, that the king had the ultimate power, and was the most important man in society. The king always saw himself as the most important man in society, and never associated himself with
the welfare of peasants. Even after the Great Plague, the kings stubbornly reinforced the importance of nobles and himself, as opposed to peasants, even though there were fewer peasants to farm and work the land. Although today a monarch in the UK has a mainly ceremonial role, back then the power of royalty was total, and unquestionable. Back then, the king ruled all.
had absolute control over every lord, noble and peasant. However, the welfare of his people didn’t entirely matter to the king, as the mains things he needed were power and money. The king was determined throughout his reign to make as much money as possible, and gain just as much power. Money and power went hand in hand. The power or control of your land or estate depended on how much money you had, and that also was the same story with a country. A poor country with many taxes and debts to pay had unhappy and hungry people, and was prone to
attack and invasion from other countries. It was the king’s job to make sure his country was in a stable financial situation, with an enforced system of power. If the country had a poor power structure, the kingdom could fall, as well as the feudal system. The kings of Great Britain were determined to never let his happen, and in turn, passed a variety of laws that showed the superiority of the king. The sumptuary law stated that only royal women could were cloth of purple and/or gold, and anyone else caught wearing these colors would be severely
punished. The poll tax of 1380 enraged commoners and nobles alike, but was introduced by the young and naïve Richard II. When the peasants revolted a year later, Richard showed no mercy to Wat Tyler and his supporters, and sent a clear
but brutal message to everyone, of all classes and births, that the king had the ultimate power, and was the most important man in society. The king always saw himself as the most important man in society, and never associated himself with
the welfare of peasants. Even after the Great Plague, the kings stubbornly reinforced the importance of nobles and himself, as opposed to peasants, even though there were fewer peasants to farm and work the land. Although today a monarch in the UK has a mainly ceremonial role, back then the power of royalty was total, and unquestionable. Back then, the king ruled all.
Role of the Church in medieval society
In medieval Europe, everybody was Christian. In the late days of the Roman Empire, Christianity was becoming increasingly
popular, and, later on, Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire. In a short period of time, almost all of Europe was Christian. The Church was seen as the holy and sacred, and above all, powerful. To question the authority of the church was to question the authority of God, which was considered blasphemy. In medieval times, England was still governed by the Catholic church. The church was a very rich and powerful industry at the end of this era, mainly due to the money they had collected from
commoners. If you were a peasant, you had to pay a tenth of your produce to the church every year, as a form repayment. Also, the church had a policy that you could redeem yourself of your sins, and get into heaven, by paying a fee. By the time of the Crusades, the church had so much influence over society that by saying fighting would get you into heaven, many people left their families and
homes to fight. The church had a powerful impact on the feudal system as well. The king was considered to be the divine right of God and any laws or rules he passed were considered final, and God’s will. The church also had a powerful impact on people’s lives and thoughts. The church had such an impact, that it is thought that the paranoia about being sinful and not getting into heaven was what caused the massive payments to the church. Although the church might not have governed people’s actions at the time, it certainly governed the people’s thoughts.
popular, and, later on, Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire. In a short period of time, almost all of Europe was Christian. The Church was seen as the holy and sacred, and above all, powerful. To question the authority of the church was to question the authority of God, which was considered blasphemy. In medieval times, England was still governed by the Catholic church. The church was a very rich and powerful industry at the end of this era, mainly due to the money they had collected from
commoners. If you were a peasant, you had to pay a tenth of your produce to the church every year, as a form repayment. Also, the church had a policy that you could redeem yourself of your sins, and get into heaven, by paying a fee. By the time of the Crusades, the church had so much influence over society that by saying fighting would get you into heaven, many people left their families and
homes to fight. The church had a powerful impact on the feudal system as well. The king was considered to be the divine right of God and any laws or rules he passed were considered final, and God’s will. The church also had a powerful impact on people’s lives and thoughts. The church had such an impact, that it is thought that the paranoia about being sinful and not getting into heaven was what caused the massive payments to the church. Although the church might not have governed people’s actions at the time, it certainly governed the people’s thoughts.
Role of women in Medieval Society
At that time, women were seen as unimportant and disposable. They had simple jobs, such as cleaning, cooking, mending clothes and studying herbal medicine. The position of women in society was determined by their husbands or fathers, as stated in the sumptuary law. If men had daughters, the first priority for that girl would have been to marry her off. The daughter of a peasant often had small jobs, and marriage was not considered until later in life. However, the daughter of a noble or the king would have been married as soon as possible, and would have often have been betrothed from birth. Daughters of kings would not normally inherit the crown, and the same went for widows of
kings. They would be forced to marry or re-marry before the possibility was even considered. Women would not inherit any land, or be involved in any form of warfare or politics. Only a few women of that time had a significant contribution to society in their lifetime, such as Joan of Arc, or Eleanor of Aquitaine. Mainly women would focus on pleasing their husbands and producing strong children. Although a lot has changed, society is left to question why, and to what extent, were women treated in this way.
kings. They would be forced to marry or re-marry before the possibility was even considered. Women would not inherit any land, or be involved in any form of warfare or politics. Only a few women of that time had a significant contribution to society in their lifetime, such as Joan of Arc, or Eleanor of Aquitaine. Mainly women would focus on pleasing their husbands and producing strong children. Although a lot has changed, society is left to question why, and to what extent, were women treated in this way.
The Crusades and the impact on society
The Crusades started in 1095, and were a mission to reclaim the Holy Land in the middle east. The soldiers that fought
were from both lower and upper classes, and were motivated by the promise of getting into heaven if they fought. Pope Claremont announced the Crusades as a mission the recapture the Holy Land, which is of a significant religious meaning to Christians as it contains the city of Jerusalem. Recently, the Muslims had immigrated into the city, and the pope was determined to reinforce the power of Christianity. There were a total of nine Crusades, and the whole of Christian Europe became involved. Lasting a total of 176 years and claiming between 2
million and 6 million lives, the Crusades are now seen as one of the major wars in medieval times. Although the Holy Land was never truly captured, there was a large, social impact on the people of that time. The feudal system suffered greatly, as many lords and barons sold their land to pay for the Crusades, and many more perished in the wars, there were now fewer people to reinforce the power of the king. The aristocracy started to fall, and more power was given to the peasants and the king. Society and the stability of it were also affected. The soldiers brought back many new spices, materials and intellectual developments that changed the way people lived. Also, the Crusades persuaded many travelers, including the great Marco Polo to discover and learn more about Asia and its culture.
were from both lower and upper classes, and were motivated by the promise of getting into heaven if they fought. Pope Claremont announced the Crusades as a mission the recapture the Holy Land, which is of a significant religious meaning to Christians as it contains the city of Jerusalem. Recently, the Muslims had immigrated into the city, and the pope was determined to reinforce the power of Christianity. There were a total of nine Crusades, and the whole of Christian Europe became involved. Lasting a total of 176 years and claiming between 2
million and 6 million lives, the Crusades are now seen as one of the major wars in medieval times. Although the Holy Land was never truly captured, there was a large, social impact on the people of that time. The feudal system suffered greatly, as many lords and barons sold their land to pay for the Crusades, and many more perished in the wars, there were now fewer people to reinforce the power of the king. The aristocracy started to fall, and more power was given to the peasants and the king. Society and the stability of it were also affected. The soldiers brought back many new spices, materials and intellectual developments that changed the way people lived. Also, the Crusades persuaded many travelers, including the great Marco Polo to discover and learn more about Asia and its culture.
The Bubonic Plague and the impact on society
The Bubonic Plague of 1348 was a horrific medical disaster. The plague came from the already infected countries of Holland and France to England on ships. It was spread by rats and fleas, and soon found its way to the vermin filled streets of London. The Bubonic Plague or Black
Death is a bacterial spread disease, which cause large, pus filled boils in the crevasses of the body. It killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe, and wiped out approximately 50% of England’s population in 12 months. After this
epidemic, there were of course less people in England to do many jobs, including farming. Therefore, peasants became of more value. The King and nobles would not accept this, and introduced further laws soon after the plague to show the
strength of the upper classes. Although there were many negative effects, there were also so positive ones. The understanding of medicine greatly increased, and people slowly began to understand science and the importance of good hygiene.
Death is a bacterial spread disease, which cause large, pus filled boils in the crevasses of the body. It killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe, and wiped out approximately 50% of England’s population in 12 months. After this
epidemic, there were of course less people in England to do many jobs, including farming. Therefore, peasants became of more value. The King and nobles would not accept this, and introduced further laws soon after the plague to show the
strength of the upper classes. Although there were many negative effects, there were also so positive ones. The understanding of medicine greatly increased, and people slowly began to understand science and the importance of good hygiene.