Medieval Merchant Guilds

Medieval Merchant Guilds

Interesting history, facts and information about the life of the people
who lived in England during the Medieval times

Medieval Merchant Guilds
The guilds in Medieval Times were an important part of Medieval life. A higher social status could be achieved through membership to Merchant guilds. There were two main kinds of Medieval guilds - Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds. The word “guild” is from the Saxon “gilden” meaning "to pay" and refers to the subscription paid to the Guilds by their members.

Medieval Merchant Guilds
The system of Feudalism during the Medieval times of the Middle Ages allowed the lords and owners of the land to tax the people and their trades. As trade increased in Medieval Times the taxes became excessive. A single person had no chance of making any objections to the rate and amount of tax that the lord demanded. The idea of Merchant Guilds was born. A Merchant Guild was an association of of traders. The Merchant Guild was able to negotiate with the lord and the trade levy became regulated. The regulations agreed between the Merchant Guild and the lord resulted in a Merchant Guild charter. The Merchant Guild charter allowed the merchants to pay an annual payment, or fixed sum, to the lord who owned the land where the town was based.

Rules of the Merchant Guilds during the Medieval times of the Middle Ages
The members of the Merchant Guilds became powerful. The Merchant Guilds controlled the way in which trade was conducted in the town. The merchant Guilds applied rules to the way in which trade was conducted during the Medieval times and era. These rules were included in the charters of the Merchant Guilds and included:

• A ban on, or fines imposed, on any illicit trading by non Merchant Guild members
• Fines were imposed on any Merchant Guild members who violated the Merchant Guilds charter
• Members of the Merchant Guilds were protected and any Merchant Guild member who fell sick was cared for by the guild. Burials of guild members were arranged and the Merchant Guilds undertook to care for any orphans
• The members of Merchant Guilds also provided protection of their horses, wagons, and goods when moving about the land as travelling during the Medieval times of the Middle Ages was dangerous

Members of the Medieval Merchant Guilds
The leading members of the Merchant Guilds became very important members of the Medieval town community of the Middle Ages. Leading Merchant Guild members adopted the role of spokesperson for all of the members. The introduction of the Merchant guilds in a town or city lead to its own hierarchy and involvement in civic duties:

• The chief spokesman of a Merchant Guild became the mayor of the town, or city
• The leading delegates of the Merchant Guilds became the Aldermen of the town or city
• The other members of the Merchant Guilds became the burghers of the town or city

The power of the Merchant Guild members increased to such an extent that the livelihood of individual trades or crafts within a Medieval town, or city, were being jeopardised. The Merchant Guilds were imposing regulations on the individual traders or craftsmen to regulate prices and supply. The individual workers of trades or crafts followed the example of the Merchant Guilds who had objected to the lords of land and in turn raised objections to the Merchant Guilds.   The individual crafts and trades established their own guilds. The  Craft Guilds were then established in the Medieval town or city of the Middle Ages.

Medieval Guilds
Medieval Craft Guilds
Medieval London Guilds

Medieval Merchant Guilds
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