At our October meeting we talked about Agriculture in the Middle Ages - Before the Potato.As our discussion progressed, it became evident that a wide range of foods was available, such as barley, wheat, rye, oats, bread, pottage (oats, peas, beans), onions, leeks, garlic, cabbage, apples, pears, cider, ale, wild fruits, fish (river and sea) and eggs.
A lot of people were able to keep a cow, sheep, poultry or pig from which came eggs, butter, cheese and meat. Of course, not necessarily everyone was able to enjoy all these, as it depended on their yearly harvest, weather, money and the amount of land they were able to cultivate.
At the start of this period, they laboured on the Lord's land, as rent for their strip of land and a place to live, but as time went on, it evolved to working their own land and paying their Lord a rent in either cash or produce.
We all know of the term Peasant to cover a large portion of the population, but this included Serfs, Villeins, Free Tenants, Cottars, Cultores, Labourers, Husbandmen and Yeomen. In addition many wage earners and craftsmen could be included because they gained a substantial part of their living from a holding of land.
The next meeting will be on Monday 17th November, when we will be talking about Disease!
Michael Page
