Medieval Life
A brief look at life in the Middle Ages
Miss K. Guppy
The Feudal and Manorial Systems
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The feudal system refers to the system of
government based on obligations between the
lord or king and vassal (subordinate)
The manorial system refers to the economic
and social system of Medieval Europe
Both concepts are linked, but feudalism
connects to the military and political
leadership while manorialism connects to the
economy and society.
Remember…
In the Middle
Ages the most
valuable
commodity of
all was
LAND
The King
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The Feudal System was introduced by
King William I after the Battle of
Hastings (1066) when he became King
of England.
William said that he owned all of the
land in England having killed many of
the Saxon Earls and taken the land
from most of the others he had
defeated.
He gave large estates to the Norman
Barons who had supported him at
Hastings as a rewards for loyal service
and also to keep them on his side in
future.
The Nobles
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In return for their land from
the King each noble had to
provide trained knights for the
army. This is how Kings since
William have raised their
armies.
The Barons gave land
(Manors) to their Knights as a
reward for service. They
became Lord of the Manor.
The Knights
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In return for his land the Knight
has to serve in the army for a
specified number of days per
year (in the 12th century this
was around 40 days per year).
Knights could control more
than one Manor at a time.
Knights did not spend all of
their time at the Manor – they
may be serving in the army or
training other young knights –
so their Steward and Bailiffs
ran the farming of the estates
The Villeins and Freemen
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Villeins were not slaves, but they were
not exactly free.
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They were permitted to live on the Manor in
exchange for service to the Lord of the
Manor.
They were not free to leave the Manor and
could be brought back by force if they tried to
‘escape’.
They were subject to a number of obligations
required by the lord:
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Working on the demesne (the lord’s land),
additional work at harvest, payment of dues
and extra charges for priviledges for things
like brewing ale or baking bread
Freemen were peasants that were not tied
to a Manor. Although they had greater
freedoms they did not have the protection
the Manor provided.
A Typical Medieval
Manor
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Common Pasture was
typically unfit for
farming
The Lord’s land is
sometimes called
demesne
Only very poor knights
had to work the own land
Crop rotation was
typically practiced in
Medieval Manor farming
Most Manor’s also had a
Church and Priest
Images
Manor House in Cornwall
Church in Pevensey built 1068
The ruins of the medieval castle
at Pevensey (Sussex)
Peasants
Village Life (As Commissioned by the
Nobility)
What Every Village Needed…

Fields to
produce various
food crops
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Wood for fuel
and for building
What Every Village Needed…
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Access to stone
(either a quarry or
by trading) for
building
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Water for people,
animals, crops and
as an energy
source (especially
for milling)
What Every Village Needed…
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Protection – being
close to a castle
OR
Protection – being
on high ground so
you can see who is
coming
Assignment: Design Your Own Village
Your task is to design a medieval village. This may be done as
either:
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An ink drawing similar to an architect’s sketch or town plan. This will include
an appropriate key and annotations.
A colour diagram including appropriate annotations and/or key.
You should assume that YOU are the Lord (or Lady) of the Manor.
Your village will need to include:
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An appropriate setting (natural features of the land)
Appropriate relative size (does the Lord live in a Castle or a Manor House?
How will this impact the size of his holdings?)
All the natural resources required for the village to survive
Appropriate living/business spaces – village housing, market spaces, businesses,
church etc.
A name for your village
A title and a name for the Lord and/or Lady of the Manor
Be prepared to describe your village’s features and justify your
design to the teacher.