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?
No comments:
Post a Comment