Wool

Wool was a very important trade for England in medieval times and large amounts of wool were produced and exported. Looking after sheep was much easier than growing crops and the Church made large amounts of money from farming sheep on its land. The wool was in high demand from areas in northern Europe like Flanders where it was made into high quality cloth and sold all over Europe and back in England.

Wool was woven in England by individuals to clothe their own families and was the basic material used for the clothes they wore.

Mining

In medieval times coal was mined and used in the production of iron. Most of the coal was mined from open-cast mines where the coal seams were easily found on or just below the surface of the land. When the easily mined coal began to run out people turned to seacoal. The name seacoal is thought to have been used because the coal was found washed up on beaches but this seems unlikely.

Certain areas of England were important for mining specific types of mineral. Cornwall was important for the amount of tin that was mined there, whereas Derbyshire was important for the amounts of lead and silver. Henry II granted licenses to those who wanted to dig mines in the royal forests.

Metalworkers

A very high standard of metal-work was achieved by medieval craftsmen. Goldsmiths and Silversmiths produced outstanding pieces. Pewter, which is a mixture of tin and copper or lead, was used in medieval times for making all kinds of goods.

Other industries

Woodworkers were in high demand as most of the houses and the day-to-day utensils were made from wood. Clay potters also made many of the products that were required in medieval times. Plates, bowls and jars made from clay were common.

Weekly markets and fairs were the main way in which medieval people bought and sold goods. Farmers and craftsmen from the countryside would take their goods into the towns to sell at the markets. Shop keepers in the towns had to shut their own shops on market days and sell from the stalls. Villagers from outside the towns would go to the markets and fairs to buy goods that could not get locally.

Once or twice a year huge fairs were held in the bigger towns. These fairs could last for days and even weeks. The range of goods available was much larger than the local markets and included goods from other countries. Due to the Crusades there was much more interest in foreign goods and merchants from the East were welcomed to sell fine clothes, wines, spices and lace. One of the largest fairs in England was the Stourbridge fair held near Cambridge after the September harvest and could last for five weeks.

Peddlars travelled from village to village selling goods from their carts and were a source of news.

In the towns traders and merchants formed guilds. The members of the guilds helped protect each others interests and also control quality ensuring all the members did work to a suitable standard. Over time separate guilds were created for each type of trade and it was common for all shops selling one type of product to be located in the same area of the town. The idea of selling one kind of product in one area still happens today. Some cities have jewellery quarters for example.

Members of the guilds paid a membership fee and the guilds became powerful and wealthy. Some guilds built their own meeting places call guildhalls where meetings and banquets took place. Guilds also helped their members if they fell ill and looked after their family after they died. Guilds used their wealth to put on plays called mystery plays that were based on stories from the Bible. The word mystery is probably a mispronunciation of a medieval word for guild or craftsmen.

Henry II recognised the powers of the guilds and wanted his share of their wealth. Henry claimed that every guild had to be licensed and pay a tax straight to the King. Any guild that was not licensed was fined.

The master of his trade owned a shop and had an apprentice who he trained in his trade. Mastering a trade could take seven years or more and the apprentice would live with the master and his family while he learnt. Once the apprentice was sufficiently skilled he could join the guild and become journeyman. To proove he was good enough to join the guild the apprentice had to produce a 'masterpiece' of an acceptable standard. A masterpiece being a piece of work of exceptional quality.

The journeyman travelled from village to village and town to town and got paid for working on a daily basis. If a journeyman earnt enough money he could buy or rent a shop of his own but most could not afford it so remained travellers. Shops not only sold the goods but could be the place where the goods were made. This allowed buyers to see the goods being crafted.