What do servants do in a castle?

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Usually a small private chapel for the lord's use would be in the castle. Servants made up the bulk of the people who lived in a castle, and they did everything from cleaning latrines to grooming horses to housekeeping. Everyone but the lord's family and high- ranking guests would have slept in the great hall.



Accordingly, how many servants would a castle have?

An English medieval castle, if a large one, could have a household staff of at least 50 people, which included all manner of specialised and skilled workers such as cooks, grooms, carpenters, masons, falconers, and musicians, as well as a compliment of knights, bowmen, and crossbow operators.

Similarly, did servants live in the castle? Everyday tasks were done by servants, such as cooks, craftsmen, and spinners. The servants slept in the castle, too, but the farming peasants who grew food for the castle's inhabitants lived in cottages on the lord's estate, or manor.

Furthermore, what are the roles in a castle?

Officers & Servants in a Medieval Castle

  • Seneschal, Major-domo or Steward.
  • Constable - Horses, grooms and pages.
  • Marshal - Marshalsea, Military, arms and discipline, knights, squires, men at arms.
  • Chamberlain - Chambers, valet de chambres.
  • Master of the Wardrobe - clothing and other domestic items.

What did maids do in the Middle Ages?

They were responsible for all the details of household maintenance so that their Masters could focus on matters more fitting to their social status. The service of multiple maids was widely considered essential to the management of sprawling palaces, castles and estates between the Middle Ages and the 19th century.

35 Related Question Answers Found

Do castles have toilets?

The toilets of a castle were usually built into the walls so that they projected out on corbels and any waste fell below and into the castle moat. The protruding shaft of masonry that made up the toilet was buttressed from below or might nestle in the junction between a tower and wall.

Did Knights live in castles?

No. Castles were expensive. Poorer knights might live in a castle owned by their lord or in a nearby manor house. By living this way, they would be ready to go to war or protect their lord's lands at a moment's notice.

What did knights sleep?

They were often sleep-deprived, exhausted and malnourished. They slept outside on hard ground, fully exposed to whatever weather befell them.

How big is the average castle?

Some later medieval castles had walls that were only about 15 to 20 feet (4.6 m to 6 m) high, but the walls of the stronger castles typically measured about 30 feet (9 m) in height and sometimes more. e wall of Eng- land's Framlingham Castle reached 40 feet (12 m) above the ground.

What was a peasants family life like?

For peasants, life was hard. They worked long hours every day just to ensure that their family had a roof over their head and food to eat. Most of the peasants were farmers, but some were tradesmen, such as millers or tavern owners. The farmers leased their land and also paid taxes to the lord and to the king.

Do people still live in castles?

Despite this, some noble families still own castles today—and a few, like the Percy family of Alnwick Castle, have owned their castle for hundreds of years. Most of these families have replaced their agricultural incomes with money made by opening their properties up to public access.

What was life like inside a castle?

Life in the early castles was far from comfortable. The wind whistled through the wooden shutters in the windows and most people slept on benches or on rough mattresses in the great hall. By 1200s, castles had well furnished bed chambers and living rooms, heated by large open fires and lit by candles.

What does a castle need?

Castle designs also changed to keep up with improvements in siege technology. Castles also had to provide necessities for living (like sanitation, fresh water and cooking areas), which were especially important when the castle was under siege. With this in mind, let's look at the major features of a castle.

What are the parts of a castle?

There were various medieval castle parts that made up a castle which included moats, ramparts, walls, turrets, towers, look outs, and gatehouse.
  • Castle Arrow Slits.
  • Castle Barbican.
  • Castle Battlements.
  • Castle Drawbridge.
  • Castle Dungeon.
  • Castle Gatehouse.
  • Castle Keep.
  • Castle Machicolations.

Who works in a palace?

The King and Queen work with a whole team known as the “Royal Household”. The Royal Palace is run like a company or a government department and creates work for tens of people: advisers, secretaries, cleaners, gardeners, etc.

What is a Atilliator?

Gong farmer (also gongfermor, gongfermour, gong-fayer, gong-fower or gong scourer) was a term that entered use in Tudor England to describe someone who dug out and removed human excrement from privies and cesspits. The word "gong" was used for both a privy and its contents.

Where did knights sleep in a castle?

At the time of Chr tien de Troyes, the rooms where the lord of a castle, his family and his knights lived and ate and slept were in the Keep (called the Donjon), the rectangular tower inside the walls of a castle. This was meant to be the strongest and safest place.

Who is in charge of a castle?

Castellan: resident owner or person in charge of a castle (custodian). Chamberlain: responsible for the great chamber and for the personal finances of the castellan. Chaplain: provided spirtual welfare for laborers and the castle garrison.

Who invented castles?

The first castles were built by the Normans
The Normans introduced the first proper castles, starting with the wooden Motte and Bailey castles, to England following their victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

What do castles represent?

Castles represent authority, dominance, power, romance, safety, sovereignty, and wealth. In heraldry the castle is symbolic of grandeur, nobility, solidity, and strategy.

What is a castle steward?

In medieval times, the steward was initially a servant who supervised both the lord's estate and his household. Stewards commonly earned up to 3 to 4 pounds per year. Stewards took care of their lord's castles when they were away.

What is the king's right hand man called?

Curia regis is a Latin term meaning "royal council" or "king's court".