Most men did carpentry work. Master
carpenters worked with ax, hammer, and saw to make houses, doors,
bridges, milk buckets, washtubs, and trunks. Blacksmiths made
gates, huge door hinges, locks, latches, bolts, and horseshoes.
The lord loaned these people land on which to live for their life,
called a "life estate", in return for their services. The loan
could continue to their widows or children who took up the craft.
Mills were usually powered by water. Candles were made from
beeswax, which exuded a bright and steady light and pleasant
smell, or from mutton fat, which had an unpleasant odor. The
wheeled plough and iron-bladed plough made the furrows. One man
hald the plough and another walked with the oxen, coaxing them
forward with a stick and shouts. Seeds were held in an apron for
seeding. Farm implements included spades, shovels, rakes, hoes,
buckets, barrels, flails, and sieves. Plants were pruned to direct
their growth and to increase their yield. Everyone got together
for feasts at key stages of the farming, such as the harvest.
Easter was the biggest feast. When the lord was in the field, his
lady held their estate. There were common lands of these estates
as well as of communities. Any proposed new settler had to be
admitted at the court of this estate.
The land of some lords included fishing villages along the coasts.
From the sea were caught herrings, salmon, porpoises, sturgeon,
oysters, crabs, mussels, cockels, winkeles, plaice, flounder, and
lobsters.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75