LORD OF THE MANOR:
Medieval manor houses or castles were owned by very wealthy Lords and Ladies; to own a large estate like that they had to very close to the top of the feudal system. The life of a Lord and Lady would be far more luxurious than for a peasant, although they did not have a lot of the comforts that we know today. Nevertheless it wasn't an extravagant life all the time, the King would often set out task for the lord to do; abroad or a long way from home.
Manor houses were built of natural stone and they were built to last a very long time. Their size was a sign of a lord's wealth, the bigger the manor house the wealthier and closer up the feudal system they were. Very few original medieval manor houses still exist as many houses were rebuilt or added to, to ‘enhance’ them to go around their new way of life.
The lord's land:
The lord & ladies land would vary typically on the size of the manor but it was usually between 1200-1800 acres. The land owned the lord owned was called his “demesne”, the rest of the land of the manors were where the peasants who worked for him lived. A manor house would have six key things to be called a ‘Manor House’, farming land, large forests, a small village, a mill, a church or chapel and lots of meadows.
The people who worked for the lord of the manor:
The lord & ladies had many, many people working for them, here are just a few:
Bailiff- A person that oversaw the management of the manor and reported back to lord.
Reeve-A person second down from the Bailiff, elected or appointed by the peasants.
Butler- A man who served the lord & ladies dinner.
Valet- A man who dressed and looked after the Lord of manor.
Ladies maid-A women who dressed and looked after the Lady of the manor.
Serf- A person, partially free peasant that paid the lord for the use of his land; though had no ownership of the land.
Villein- A peasant who worked as a farming labourer, usually elected to work on 20-40 acres of land.
Cottager- A peasant with a cottage, but with little or no land who generally worked as a simple labourer.
Servant- A person who worked in the lord’s house doing cooking, cleaning, laundering and lots of other house hold chores.
Manor houses were built of natural stone and they were built to last a very long time. Their size was a sign of a lord's wealth, the bigger the manor house the wealthier and closer up the feudal system they were. Very few original medieval manor houses still exist as many houses were rebuilt or added to, to ‘enhance’ them to go around their new way of life.
The lord's land:
The lord & ladies land would vary typically on the size of the manor but it was usually between 1200-1800 acres. The land owned the lord owned was called his “demesne”, the rest of the land of the manors were where the peasants who worked for him lived. A manor house would have six key things to be called a ‘Manor House’, farming land, large forests, a small village, a mill, a church or chapel and lots of meadows.
The people who worked for the lord of the manor:
The lord & ladies had many, many people working for them, here are just a few:
Bailiff- A person that oversaw the management of the manor and reported back to lord.
Reeve-A person second down from the Bailiff, elected or appointed by the peasants.
Butler- A man who served the lord & ladies dinner.
Valet- A man who dressed and looked after the Lord of manor.
Ladies maid-A women who dressed and looked after the Lady of the manor.
Serf- A person, partially free peasant that paid the lord for the use of his land; though had no ownership of the land.
Villein- A peasant who worked as a farming labourer, usually elected to work on 20-40 acres of land.
Cottager- A peasant with a cottage, but with little or no land who generally worked as a simple labourer.
Servant- A person who worked in the lord’s house doing cooking, cleaning, laundering and lots of other house hold chores.