In medieval Europe, servants occupied the lowest rung of the social hierarchy. They worked in the households of the nobility, royalty, and wealthy merchants, providing essential labor and services. The types and titles of servants varied based on the time period, location, size of the household, and social class of the masters. Here is an overview of the main categories and titles of servants in medieval times.
Major Categories of Medieval Servants
Servants in medieval Europe can be broadly divided into two major categories:
- Domestic servants – Worked within the household. Tasks included cooking, cleaning, waiting at tables, and attending to the personal needs of the masters.
- Agricultural servants – Worked on manorial lands owned by lords. Tasks included plowing fields, tending livestock, and other farm labor.
However, there were many specific titles and roles within each of these broad categories. The hierarchy and division of labor within a medieval household could be complex.
Titles and Roles of Domestic Servants
Here are some of the most common titles and roles of domestic servants in medieval noble or wealthy households:
Chamberlain
The chamberlain was responsible for the private chambers and bedchamber of the lord or lady of the household. Tasks included cleaning the rooms, making the beds, guarding clothing and jewels, and helping the masters dress.
Steward
The steward was in charge of overseeing and managing the household. Responsibilities included keeping accounts, paying servants, purchasing supplies, supervising cooking and cleaning, and assigning duties.
Butler
The butler was tasked with taking care of the cellar and wine stocks of the household. Duties included keeping the wine and ale casks filled, serving wine to the lord, and supervising the pantler.
Pantler
The pantler (sometimes pantlerer) was in charge of the pantry and bread. Daily tasks included fetching and cutting loaves of bread, stocking the pantry, and distributing bread and provisions to other servants.
Kitchen Staff
The kitchen staff included cooks, scullions, spitboys, and kitchen maids. The head cook planned meals and oversaw the kitchen. Scullions washed dishes and utensils. Spitboys turned roasting meat on spits over the fire. Kitchen maids assisted with general tasks.
Ladies’ Maids
Ladies’ maids attended to the wives and daughters of the lords. Duties included dressing and undressing them, washing and grooming them, and accompanying them throughout the day.
Valets and Grooms
Valets and grooms assisted the men of the household in bathing, dressing, and grooming. Grooms also cared for the stables and horses.
Messengers
Messenger servants carried written and verbal messages to and from the household. They often traveled to other noble residences or towns.
Musicians and Jesters
Wealthy medieval households often employed musicians and jesters to provide entertainment at feasts and events. Songs, music, and antics amused the lords and impressed guests.
Titles and Roles of Agricultural Servants
Manors were largely self-sustaining units that required many laborers to work the land. Some key roles included:
Reeve
The reeve supervised the entire manor and farm operations under the orders of the lord. Responsibilities included overseeing plowing, sowing, harvesting, managing livestock, and directing the work of servants.
Plowman
Plowmen worked in plow teams to till the fields on a manor. Their plowing prepared the land for sowing crops.
Sower
After the fields were plowed, sowers scattered and planted seeds to grow crops like wheat, rye, oats, and barley.
Oxherd
Oxherds supervised the oxen kept on the manor and used for plowing. Their duties included feeding, watering, and generally caring for the valuable oxen.
Shepherds
Shepherds were responsible for tending, grazing, and shearing sheep kept on the manor. They protected flocks from predators.
Goatherds
Goatherds performed similar duties to shepherds but for goat flocks on the manor.
Swineherds
Swineherds cared for domestic pigs and hogs kept on the manor. Responsibilities included feeding, watering, and keeping pigs safe and healthy.
Dairymaids
Dairymaids milked cows, goats, and sheep; processed milk into products like cheese and butter; and cleaned the dairy.
The Medieval Servant Hierarchy
Although servants occupied the lowest class in medieval society, there was still hierarchy and order within their ranks. In general, household servants ranked above agricultural laborers. And senior servants like stewards had higher status and better compensation than junior servants like scullions.
The hierarchy was reinforced through uniforms. Higher servants wore finer livery robes than lower servants. badge or coat of arms of the lord’s family. Even within the same role, seniority mattered. The first groom or head cook had more privileges than assistants.
However, there was some social mobility. Skilled servants could sometimes parlay excellent service into promotions or appointments in other households. And agricultural laborers might gain training for trades like blacksmithing to improve their station.
Numbers and Living Conditions of Servants
Estimates suggest around 1 in 4 people in medieval England worked as servants. The largest noble households may have employed hundreds of servants. For example, Richard II had around 700 servants for his coronation feast in 1377.
Living conditions for servants depended greatly on the wealth and generosity of masters. Higher ranking household servants might have their own chambers and even servants. But lower servants often slept in hallways, storage rooms, cellars, or multi-occupancy dormitories.
Food provisions ranged from leftover meat, cheese, and bread to watery stews of peas and grain. Pay was minimal; some servants relied solely on food, lodging, and cast-off clothing for compensation.
Rigid Rules and Harsh Punishments
Medieval servants faced rigid expectations, rules, and harsh punishments if disobedient. Many lords only provided room and board for immediate family – additional relatives hoping to live in the lord’s household needed to enter formal service.
Daily tasks, schedules, and behavior were strictly regulated. Servants could be beaten or confined for infractions. Even minor perceived slights to a lord’s honor resulted in severe beatings. Serious offences could lead to mutilation or even death.
However, some servants managed to gain influence and leave service for better opportunities. Chaucer’s Wife of Bath boasts of controlling her five husbands after working as a seamstress and servant in youth.
Evolution and Decline of Medieval Servants
The Black Death caused massive servant shortages, leading to better pay and conditions. Rising urbanization also siphoned labor away from noble households. In England, the number of domestic servants shrank by 50% between 1377 and 1508.
The feudal system declined as trade, commerce, and a merchant middle class developed. Wealth increasingly came from business instead of landholdings alone. Fewer nobles relied solely on agriculture, reducing the need for armies of servants.
The Industrial Revolution further reduced the need for manual household servants. Technological advances like sewing machines, washing machines, plumbing, and electricity enabled households to function with fewer human servants.
Conclusion
In conclusion, medieval servants upheld a complex hierarchy of service critical to running noble and wealthy households. Titles and roles ranged from high-ranking stewards to lowly scullions and dairymaids. Living conditions and regulations were harsh for many. But the most skilled servants could gain influence and social mobility. As society and technology transformed, the reliance on masses of servants gradually declined.