The Medieval Bridge Keepers and Toll Collectors: The People Who Controlled the Crossings

The Medieval Bridge Keepers and Toll Collectors: The People Who Controlled the Crossings

Over the past few days we have been finding out a bit about medieval jobs and today I want to find out more about the lives of the medieval bridge keepers and toll collectors. A few days ago we found out a bit about medieval messengers and that leads nicely onto this topic because they obviously travelled extensively. But they were not the only ones, many people used the roads, among them were merchants and even pilgrims. The people using these routes would eventually come to a bridge, and waiting nearby was often someone whose job was to maintain it, guard it, or collect payment for using it.

Bridges were extremely important because rivers could be dangerous, especially during the winter floods or after heavy rain. A bridge could save people having to travel many extra miles that may add days to a journey. Because of this, bridges became a valuable asset to local communities, towns, monasteries, and landowners.

Trade had started to increase in the Middle Ages, and there was more traffic, so more bridges were built and repaired. Maintaining them was obviously expensive. To help pay for these costs, some authorities were granted permission to charge tolls. This meant that certain travellers, particularly merchants carrying goods, had to pay a small fee before they could cross.

The people responsible for collecting these payments usually lived close to the bridge. Some had either a small building or gatehouses next to the crossing. Local residents sometimes had different rights to the travelling merchants, and church officials could sometime have special privileges.

Some travellers paid without any problem, they understood that the money was to help maintain the bridge. But others were less enthusiastic to pay and arguments happened often. Some felt the toll was unfair or attempted to avoid paying altogether. The collector sometimes found themselves caught between their employer and the anger of the travellers.

Bridge keepers also had to keep an eye on the condition of the structure, reported any damage, and were sometimes required to carry out minor repairs. If a bridge became damaged it could isolate communities, disrupt trade, and even cause accidents if it collapsed.

Many bridge keepers were familiar faces in their local area. They saw merchants returning home, pilgrims, soldiers headed to war, and ordinary families that might be travelling for work.

They were required to work in all weather conditions. Cold winters, heavy rain, and flooding rivers were a constant problem. They really did have an important job, they kept people, goods, and even information moving across England. Without bridges and the keepers who looked after them, travel and trade would have been so much more difficult. Message being sent from one part of the country to another could have been delayed.

Do you think they realised how important their jobs were?

WW2 Home Guard Part 4: Training the Home Guard for a Possible Invasion

WW2 Home Guard Part 4: Training the Home Guard for a  Possible Invasion

Today I want to continue my series on the Home Guard. I want to look at how the volunteers trained after they joined up. In the early days and months of the Home Guard, there was huge enthusiasm, but like we discussed yesterday, equipment was often in short supply.

When the Home Guard was first formed in 1940, many volunteers had little to no military experience. Some had already served in the First World War, but others had never worn a uniform before. They came from all walks of life. There were shopkeepers, farmers, teachers, factory workers and even men that had retired.

Training usually started with the basics. They learned how to march, follow commands and work together as a unit. At first, the lack of weapons created obvious difficulties. Some men were made to practise with wooden rifles, broom handles or other improvised equipment while they waited for supplies. This sometimes led to jokes in newspapers and cartoons, but most of the volunteers understood the seriousness of what they were preparing for. Behind the jokes was a genuine fear that Britain could be invaded.

As more equipment gradually became available, training became increasingly realistic. Volunteers learned how to handle rifles, use machine guns and throw grenades. Instructors taught them how to spot enemy aircraft, recognise military vehicles and report suspicious activity. They practised setting up roadblocks, defending key locations and protecting important buildings like bridges, railway lines and factories.

Exercises were mostly carried out in the evenings and on the weekends because most volunteers still had full-time jobs. After a long day of work, they would attend drills, lectures and field exercises. It must have been exhausting, but they knew the possible cost of not being prepared. They knew that their families, neighbours and communities might depend on them if the worst actually happened.

The volunteers crawled through muddy fields, learned fieldcraft and practised moving  across difficult terrain. They took part in mock battles to test their skills and to improve their coordination. Over time, many of the volunteers became far more capable than critics had expected.

Training was not only about weapons and tactics. It also created friendships and a sense of belonging. Men who might never otherwise have met found themselves working together towards a common goal. The Home Guard offered many volunteers a feeling that they were actively contributing to Britain’s defence rather than simply waiting for events to unfold.

As the threat of invasion gradually decreased, training remained important. The Home Guard became a more organised and effective force, ready to respond if needed.

Today we can look back in the knowledge that no invasion happened, but these men didn’t know that and they were willing to put themselves on the line to protect the country and their families and communities. They may have been seen as unorganised and somewhat of a joke, but they trained with the thought they might be Britain’s last line of defence. A truly amazing generation.

 

Do you think you would have shown the same determination and commitment if you had been in their position?

 

The Victorian Charwoman: The Hard-Working Women Who Kept Victorian Homes Running

The Victorian Charwoman: The Hard-Working Women Who Kept Victorian Homes Running

Today I want to explore the life of the Victorian charwoman. She was one of the many working women whose contribution was often overlooked. When we talk about Victorian servants, we usually imagine large country house, like Downton Abbey with butlers, cooks, housekeepers, and maids. But that wasn’t the full picture, thousands of poorer women earned a living as charwomen. They moved from house to house and carried out some of the hardest domestic work.

The word "charwoman" comes from the word "chare," which means a small job or task. Unlike the live-in servants  charwomen were usually employed by the day and often paid by the hour. Many of them came from working-class families and they often took on this work because they had very few other options. Some of them were widows who now needed to support themselves. Others had husbands but the wages were too low to support a family, some were single women responsible for elderly relatives or young children.

As Victorian towns and cities began expanding in the nineteenth century, the demand for domestic help increased. Middle-class families wanted help with household chores but could not always afford a full-time servant. The growing middle class usually saw domestic servants as a sign of respectability and success.

Hiring a charwoman for a few hours a week was a cheaper option. This also created an opportunity for women who were willing to take on the physically demanding work.

A typical day would often begin very early. She might need to walk a fair distance to get to her first employer. She had to walk regardless of the weather. Once she arrived, she would often be expected to scrub floors, clean fireplaces, carry coal, wash laundry, polish furniture, clean windows, or do any other unpleasant task that the family asked you to do. An awful lot of the work involved bending, lifting, carrying, and standing for long periods of time. Working conditions that would not be accepted by modern standards.

Many charwomen worked in several different homes each week. This could give them some independence because they were not tied to a single employer. But the work was usually insecure. If a family decided they didn’t need their help anymore or they wanted to save money, a charwoman could lose some of her precious income. Also if she became unwell and could not work, she usually would not be paid. There were not the protections we have today.

While some employers treated their charwomen with kindness and respect, others barely noticed them. Victorian society placed great importance on social class, and many working women found themselves judged because they were poor. In spite of this, many charwomen took pride in their work. They felt that their cleaning skills were valued, and many had long-standing relationships with the families they worked for.

For many women, charing offered a way to maintain a measure of independence at a time when employment opportunities for working-class women were limited. The wages were not amazing and the hours were very long, but the work helped many of them survive.

It is easy to focus on the wealthy families and grand houses. But Victorian society depended on ordinary women doing difficult job with determination and resilience.

Could you have coped with the long hours and physical demands faced by a Victorian charwoman?

The Home Guard Part 3: The Hunt for Weapons and Equipment in 1940.

The Home Guard Part 3: The Hunt for Weapons and Equipment in 1940.

Today I want to continue our series on the Home Guard. I want to look at one of the biggest problems that faced the volunteers when they first joined in 1940. It wasn’t that the men were unfit or unwilling. It was the fact that their was not enough weapons.

One of the reasons that there was a lack of weapons was the evacuation of Dunkirk evacuation. Huge amounts of military equipment had be left behind in France.

There were far more volunteers than expected and obviously the regular army had to take priority. Many Home Guard companies had to make do, a common theme in the war. They improvised weapons while waiting for supplies.

Some volunteers brought their own shotguns or rifles from home. Others were trained using wooden rifles or even broom handles. In some areas, pikes were made by attaching steel blades to long poles, it was more like a medieval weapon than a modern one. Volunteers also practised using petrol bombs, built roadblocks from local materials, they dug defensive positions and prepared obstacles to slow down any invading force.

Despite all of the shortages, morale stayed high. Many volunteers understood that Britain was in a state of emergency. They also knew that all resources were limited, and they knew that they had to do everything they could to make it work. To many it was survival. People needed to maintain their determination and newspapers and radio broadcasts tried to encourage both determination and confidence, they reminded not just the volunteers that they were playing an important role.

Leaders like as Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, encouraged people to not lose their resolve. The shared sense of purpose helped many volunteers to continue in spite of the lack of equipment.

By the late 1940s and into 1941, things began to improve. More rifles arrived and uniforms were beginning to be issued. New weapons were adapted specifically for the Home Guard. There was the Smith Gun, the Northover Projector and the Blacker Bombard, all of which were intended to be simple, inexpensive and quick to produce. The equipment was often basic and sometimes difficult to use. Nevertheless, these weapons reflected Britain's determination to strengthen its defences.

 Training also became more organised and effective. The men slowly became a better-equipped defensive force.

What stands out to me the most is the determination of these volunteers. They were faced with the possibility of invasion, I can’t comprehend the fear the whole country must have felt. The men were armed with so little but they still turned up. They trained and prepared to defend their communities. I have to admire their commitment.

Do you think you would have felt confident armed with only a wooden rifle?

The Medieval Messengers: People Who Carried the News and Important Messages Across the Country.

The Medieval Messengers: People Who Carried the News and Important Messages Across the Country.

Today I want to find out more about the lives of the medieval messenger. These were the people helped to keep countries, armies and communities connected before telephones, trains or the internet. We learn about kings, queens and knights of the medieval world. But none of them could have ruled effectively without the people who were willing to carry messages across long and often dangerous distances.

During the medieval period, communication was slow. Most people lived their entire lives in a relatively small area and news could take days or even weeks to travel. But rulers needed ways to send orders, collect information and to stay informed about events across their country. As countries were becoming larger and governments more organised, the demand for reliable messengers began increased.

Some messengers worked directly for kings and noblemen. Others served the local officials, merchants, churches or military commanders. Their duties varied greatly. A messenger might have carried a sealed letter between castles, delivered royal proclamations to towns, or bring urgent reports from the battlefield. In some cases, they were trusted with sensitive information that could influence military campaigns, political decisions or diplomatic negotiations.

Medieval roads were often very little more than muddy tracks. Bad weather would make journeys even slower and far more exhausting. Rivers could flood, bridges could collapse and dense forests sometimes provided hiding places for criminals. A messenger carrying an important document had to be determined and resourceful. If a message was delayed or lost, the consequences could be serious.

Many messengers travelled on horseback if their employer could afford it, which allowed them to cover far greater distances more quickly. Others had to make their journeys on foot. The letters were usually placed in pouches or containers to keep them safe from rain and damage. Some royal messengers were given official authority that allowed them to demand fresh horses along their route, helping urgent news move more quickly across the country.

Carrying a message was not always as simple as delivering a letter. Important messages were sometimes intercepted by enemies, stolen by spies or even opened by those seeking information. In royal courts, letters that were sent by queens, princes and powerful nobles were sometimes watched, so many letters were sealed with wax. Not every messenger was loyal. Some were bribed to reveal information, hand over letters or allow messages to fall into the wrong hands en route. In a world where money and political favour were important, trust was just as important as speed.

A messenger might spend days travelling through unfamiliar countryside with only their horse for company. They may have be concerned about robbers, accidents or failing to complete their task on time. At the same time, there may also have been pride. Many were trusted with information that few others would ever see. They knew that people depended on them. Their reliability could earn them respect and even future employment.

During wars, messengers became even more important. Armies would rely on them to carry orders between commanders and to report on enemy movements. This could often times be even more dangerous, a captured messenger could reveal valuable information. Some risked their lives to ensure messages reached their destination.

Although medieval messengers rarely became famous, they helped countries to function. They carried news of victories and defeats, births and deaths, alliances and rebellions. Without them, rulers would have struggled to govern and communities would have remained far more isolated from one another.

Could you imagine trusting a single person to carry your messages?

Image info:

Shawar receives messengers from King Amalric

Date: 13th century

WW2 Home Guard Part 2 - The Rush to Volunteer: When Britain Answered the Call

WW2 Home Guard Part 2 - The Rush to Volunteer: When Britain Answered the Call

Today I want to continue my series on the Home Guard. I want to look at the amazing response to the government's call for volunteers in 1940. In Part One, we talked about the fear of an invasion that many in Britain had after the fall of France. I want to focus on the men who stepped up and the many women who supported them.

They often had very little military experience, but they were determined to play their part in defending their country, even if they could not serve abroad.

By the spring of 1940, Germany had achieved an incredible series of victories across Europe at a very fast speed. Many people were understandably worried that an invasion of Britain might be next. Newspapers had worrying reports from the continent, while rumours of German paratroopers and spies spread. Families listened to radio broadcasts, wondering what might happen in the coming months.

On the 14th of May 1940, the government announced that is was creating the Local Defence Volunteers, which was usually known as the LDV. The aim was a simple one. It wanted to recruit men who were too old or too young for regular military service or employed in vital civilian occupations to volunteer to help defend their local areas. That evening, the Secretary of State for War, Anthony Eden, made a radio appeal asking men to come forward.

The response was extraordinary. Within only hours, police stations were crowded with men eager to enrol. Long queues started to form outside of recruitment centres all across the country. Some men who had served in the First World War felt a duty to protect Britain again. Others who had never worn a uniform before felt they could not just stand by while the country was preparing for a possible invasion.

Around 250,000 men volunteered within the first week, and the numbers eventually rose to over 1.5 million.

The volunteers came from all walks of life. Farmers, shopkeepers, teachers, railway workers, clerks and labourers all stood side by side waiting to sign up. Many of these men were fathers, even grandfathers all of whom were worried about the future of their families. Some were disappointed that their age or occupation had prevented them from joining the regular armed forces, so the LDV offered them another way to contribute.

Unfortunately the enthusiasm quickly created problems. So many men volunteered that there were not enough uniforms, weapons or equipment to go around. In the early weeks, many volunteers attended drills wearing their ordinary clothes and armbands marked "LDV." Some units had very little more than walking sticks, sporting shotguns or old hunting rifles. But in spite of this the training started almost immediately. Men met after work in village halls, school playgrounds and fields to learn basic military skills.

Although the situation sometimes appeared to be completely chaotic, the volunteers took their responsibilities seriously. Many of them spent long hours patrolling roads, watching for suspicious activity and preparing defensive positions. They knew that if an invasion came, they might be among the first line of resistance. The possibility was frightening, but many believed that doing something was better than just waiting for the Germans to make a move.

As the months began to pass, the LDV became more organised and it eventually adopted the name by which it is best remembered today: the Home Guard. What had started as a response to what seemed a national emergency was becoming an important part of Britain's defensive preparations.

The Scullery Maid: One of the Hardest Job Below Stairs in a Victorian Household.

The Scullery Maid: One of the Hardest Job Below Stairs in a Victorian Household.

Today I want to explore the life of one of the most overlooked people in a Victorian household: the scullery maid. It is easy to focus on the owners of these grand country houses or even the senior servants. But hidden away in the kitchens were the young servants whose work was often the hardest and the least appreciated of all.

During the Victorian period, many girls from poor families entered domestic service, some  as young twelve, often because their families needed the extra income or could no longer afford to support them. Service offered the girls food, accommodation and a small wage. Some parents hoped that service would provide their daughters with skills and a more secure future.

 

For some, becoming a scullery maid was their first job. They were usually among the youngest servants in the household and were at the very bottom of the servant hierarchy. Victorians placed great importance on status and rank, and everyone was expected to know their place. While a butler, housekeeper or cook held positions of responsibility, the scullery maid had very little status at all and usually earned the lowest wages in the house.

This may seem unfair to us  because the scullery maid often had the most physically demanding job. However, Victorian employers did not usually pay servants according to how hard they worked. Wages were based on a servants rank and the responsibility and trust that they had. A cook was responsible for feeding the household and a butler managed valuable property and supervised other servants. A scullery maid was considered inexperienced and easily replaced, so despite her workload, she received the least pay.

A typical day for a scullery maid often began before dawn. While most of the household was still asleep, the scullery maid was already working. One of her first tasks was usually to light the kitchen fires so that the days meals could be prepared later in the day. This involved carrying coal, cleaning the grates and removing the ashes, it was dirty work.

The work must have seemed endless. The scullery maid was also responsible for washing large piles of pots, pans, dishes and cutlery by hand. There were no modern dishwashers or labour-saving devices. After a grand dinner, can you imagine the mountains of greasy cookware that had to be scrubbed. She might also clean the floors, wash vegetables, fetch water, polish kitchen equipment and help to prepare food. Whatever unpleasant or tiring task needed doing it usually found its way to the scullery maid.

The kitchen could be a difficult place to work. In winter, carrying water through the yard must have been horrible. In summer, the heat from ovens and stoves would have been almost unbearable. They worked  long hours often between twelve and sixteen hours. If the household hosted a dinner party or ball, she could find herself still washing up long after the guests had left, sometimes even working until midnight before needing to get up again before dawn. Many of these girls had to work with aching backs, sore hands and tired feet.

Being so young and living away from home for the first time must have been hard, it may even have been lonely. Many struggled with homesickness and they were often overwhelmed by the demands of the job.

 Scullery maids were usually supervised by the cook and other senior servants. They all demanded high standards at all times. Some were fortunate enough to have employers that were kind and taught them valuable skills, but others were faced with harsh and critical employers who would demean them for even small mistakes.

Despite the hardships, many scullery maids hoped it would lead promotion. A diligent servant could eventually become a kitchen maid, cook or move into other  roles with even greater responsibility and better wages. Many though left service before this happened. For girls from poor families, service offered them a chance, however difficult, to build a better future for themselves.

Victorian households depended on the scullery maids unseen labour. The  comfortable lifestyles that were enjoyed by wealthy families were often made possible by young girls working long hours behind the scenes. Their names are often not remembered, but the  work they did kept some of Britain's largest households running smoothly.

Do you think that the hard work and sacrifices that the scullery maids made receives enough recognition today?

 

Image info:

Artist: Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

Date: 1738