Peasants in medieval villages worked hard all year long, both men and women. They had jobs on their own land as well as services they had to perform for the lord of the manor, which could take up three to five days per week or more during busy times like harvest. In addition to farming tasks, peasants also had to collect firewood, maintain drainage ditches, care for animals, and repair houses throughout the year.

1. Living in a medieval village
Part II
The peasants’ year

2. Men and women worked hard in medieval villages. Most of the time
they worked side by side, although they also had separate jobs to do.
Many of the jobs shown in Source 3 were done by both men and
women.
In addition to these jobs there was other work that continued all year
round – collecting firewood, digging drainage ditches, looking after
animals, repairing houses and so on. Remember that as well as working
on their own land villeins had to do their services for the lord. This
could take up three to five days a week, or more at busy times like
harvesting and hay-making.

3. Source 3

4. Source 1

5. Source 2

6. Source 3

7. Source 4

8. Source 5

9. Source 6

10. Source 7

11. Source 8

12. Activity
Study sources 1, 2 and 4-7. match each one with a month of the year
explaining your choices.
Make up a board game about the peasants’ year. If you are stuck your
teacher can give you a model to follow. Include all the jobs and the
services they might have to do. You can also invent some good and bad
things that might happen, for example:
You fall ill
Your house catches fire
A relative gives you a pig
Lord insists that
you do two
extra days
week-work for
all of March to
mend his
fences. Go back
two spaces.
A great harvest. All
the food is
gathered in. The
lord of the manor
is very pleased and
puts on a big feast.
Go forward five
spaces.