Medieval Manor Flashcards

Study Notes

Manor House

The residence of the lord, his family, and their servants.

Village Church

Center for religious services and community meetings.

Peasant Cottages

Dwelling places for peasants, often simple and basic in structure.

Lord's Demesne

Fields owned by the lord, cultivated by peasants for the lord’s benefit.

Peasant Crofts

Personal gardens owned by peasants for growing food.

Mill

Water-powered facility for grinding grain into flour.

Common Pasture

Shared land used for livestock grazing by all villagers.

Woodland

Forest areas providing wood for fuel and other needs.

Manor System (Economic)

Economic arrangement where the lord provides land and protection to peasant; peasants work the land in exchange for protection.

Serf vs Peasants

Serfs are bound legally to the manor; peasants own land and provide labor for the lord's protection.

Life in a Castle

Castles prioritized defense over comfort, featuring dark and stuffy conditions with latrines for waste.

Life in the Village

Villages had small homes with dirt floors, straw roofs, and centralized open-fire kitchens without chimneys.

The Manor

A self-sufficient unit including the castle, farmland, and homes with under 600 residents, typically 15-30 families. Kitchen positioned outside to prevent fire hazards.

What is on a Manor?

Population comprised of various feudal levels: peasants, knights, lords, and nobles. Included large agricultural fields, forests (hunting reserved for nobles), and communal buildings like a church and tradespeople’s shops.

Self-Sufficiency

Manors produced essentials (food, clothing, shelter) on-site, featuring specialized buildings like a mill, bakehouse, and blacksmith shop.

Life as a Person on a Manor

Residents included peasants, tradespeople, and family members; peasants farmed, while tradespeople offered services (milling, baking, smithing) and women/children focused on domestic tasks.

Life on a Manor: The Lord

Lords managed manors, often originating as knights with multiple estates. Their income derived from agricultural products, rents, and fines collected from peasants. Overlords reassigned negligent lords, and manors featured well-kept manor houses.

The Church

Christianity was prevalent; the church served as the second largest building, hosting weekly services and important life events. Community hub and tax collection point, with tithes equating to 10% of peasants’ income.

Description

This quiz consists of flashcards detailing key components of a medieval manor, including definitions of the manor house, village church, peasant cottages, lord's demesne, and peasant crofts. It's an engaging way to learn about feudal structures and daily life in medieval society.

Medieval Manor Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is the dwelling place of the lord and his family called?

What is the site of both religious services and public meetings?

Where did the peasants live?

Fields owned by the lord are called Peasant Crofts.

What are gardens that belonged to the peasants called?

What is a water-powered mill used for?

What is the common area for grazing animals called?

What provided wood for fuel?

What is the basic economic arrangement between the lord and peasants called?

Serfs were legally tied to the manor.

Life in a castle was built for __________, not comfort.

Describe a typical house in the village.

A manor includes the castle and the land and __________ surrounding it.

What levels of Feudalism were present on a manor?

What was common in European manors regarding religion?

What is a tithe?