Eleanor Janega Explains How Secret Guilds Controlled Medieval London

Whilst the majority of people in the medieval period were peasants, a significant community of merchants and tradesmen also existed, many of whom belonged to one of the most powerful and influential groups in medieval Europe: the guilds. Guilds were associations of artisans and merchants that oversaw the practice of their craft or trade in a particular area. They commanded considerable prestige and power in medieval towns, and membership of these organisations was highly desirable. The Grocers’ Guild, for example - which oversaw the trade in spices, one of the most expensive and important commodities of the Middle Ages - was an extremely wealthy and influential association, something reflected in the opulence and grandeur of Grocers’ Hall in London. In this episode of Going Medieval, Dr Eleanor Janega visits the banqueting hall to explore the lives of those who earned their living in medieval London.

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