Children in the Age of Chivalry – Part Three - Pages by Rosemary Morris

For more information on Rosemary's novels please click on the cover above.

My novel, Grace, Lady of Cassio, The Lovages of Cassio, Book Two, sequel to Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, begins in the reign of Edward III. It will be published in October 2021. At heart I am a historian. My novels are rich in historical detail which requires intensive research, some of which I am sharing in this blog. Pages wore their master’s badge across the front of their tunics. They were the sons of the well-born. When they were seven years-old they became pages to a suitable nobleman. In return for their service they were trained for their future career as knights and educated with the lord’s sons by the household priest. It was not important for a page to learn to read but books about etiquette were written for them. Babee’s Book set out a page’s daily routine. First, he should rise early, wash his face and hands, make sure his fingernails were clean and comb his hair. Next, he should say his prayers or attend Mass. His deportment should be excellent. He should never scratch himself or sniff in public. During the day he was expected to greet everyone he met. He was repeatedly reminded to attend to other people at meals and not to grab this best food, and neither stuff his mouth full ‘as a pigge’ nor speak with food in his mouth. Instead of picking his teeth with his knife he should use a clean stick. He must wait carefully on his lord and lady, remove his cap, and bow before he addressed them. At every meal, on bended knee, he offered his lord wine and afterward brought water for him to wash his hands. Apart from learning good manners he learned how to be a superb horseman, how to wear armour correctly, and to use weapons. An adults’ full armour was very heavy. A page gradually became used to it and learned how to put it on and take it off correctly. He was also taught the complex rules to be observed when taking part in a joust at tournaments and for hunting and hawking. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary

Children in the Age of Chivalry – Part Two by Rosemary Morris

To learn more about Rosemary's books please click on the cover. My novel, Grace, Lady of Cassio, The Lovages of Cassio, Book Two, the sequel to Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, begins in the reign of Edward III. It will be published in October 2021. At heart I am a historian. My novels are rich in historical detail which requires intensive research, some of which I am sharing in this blog. Until children were seven-years old, they did little or no work. They were allowed to play and indulge in make believe, then aged seven, they were sent to court, to be trained by another nobleman, to school or if they were peasants to work on the land. Some peasant children played with rag dolls or balls made with scraps of material or leather. Rich parents gave their young sons and daughters toys which are no longer popular, wooden blocks bones, wooden carts with wheels, clay birds, cymbals, glass rings, hoops, small wooden boats, drums, hoops, jumping jacks, marionettes, quoits, skates, spinning tops and little windmills. Other playthings are still popular, for example, balls, dolls, kites, marbles, rattles, spinning tops and see-saws. Today, fancy dress costumes are available at my local supermarket. Little girls can dress up as fairies, characters such as Cinderella and Snow-white, young boys as Superman, Bob the Builder, knights, and other popular characters. In the medieval era children enjoyed dressing up as knights and ladies. Boys played with rocking horses, toy swords and bows and arrows imitating adult participants in tournaments. Children played games such as Peek-a-Boo, which still amuses babies and small children, Blind Man’s Bluff, also called Hood Man Blind, Hide and Seek, still one of children’s favourite games, which was known as Hunt the Fox or Hunt the Hare in times past, and bobbing for apples or cherries. Unfortunately, violence was a theme in some of children’s pastimes among which were Punch and Judy shows which are still popular. However, I admit that as a child they distressed me. Young children enjoyed cock fights, and fierce fighting on piggyback that introduced them to combat mounted on horseback. There were nursery rhymes and stories mainly passed down by word of mouth to amuse them and, in castles and manor houses there were pets - lap dogs, tame squirrels, mice, caged birds and, if they were not considered witches’ familiars, cats. I daresay children were taught to ride at a young age, and they admired the hounds, and looked forward to hunting with falcons and hawks when they were older. Children were not expected to behave like adults. Medieval literature contains references to memories of childhood. Gerald of Wales described his brothers building sandcastles while he constructed a monastery out of sand.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary

Children in the Age Of Chivalry by Rosemary Morris

To find out more about Rosemary's books click the cover above.

Grace, Lady of Cassio, The Lovages of Cassio, Book Two, the sequel to Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, begins in the reign of Edward III. It will be published in October 2021.
At heart I am a historian. My novels are rich in historical detail which requires intensive research, some of which I am sharing in this blog.
Contrary to popular beliefs people understood the need for personal cleanliness. Even babies, who were wrapped in swaddling, were bathed regularly, but, sadly, approximately half of them died before they became adults.
Children were betrothed in infancy. The law allowed fourteen-year old boys and twelve-year old girls to marry, although co-habitation usually began when the wife was fourteen, an age at which pregnancy was encouraged.
After the age of five most of the peers’ sons and daughters went to another noble household to be brought up. At seven, boys destined for the church were tonsured and commenced a life of worship. Agricultural workers’ children worked in the fields from the same age. Craftsmen’s sons become apprentices when they were young, learned their trade and how to keep accounts. A child with a very low rank in society, who worked for a villein or poor franklin only received board and lodging.
In towns and country, the parish priest taught young children about the seven deadly sins. A surprising number of townswomen were literate. Nunneries might have poor be poor endowments, but they were keen to have schools and they educated as many girls as boys. There were formal schools in most towns but only for the minority who could afford the cost Cathedrals, Benedictine monasteries, and friaries often had schools attached to them, so did city churches. It was from such establishments that the clerks and clergy and the fourteen-year-old undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge were drawn. However, the custom was for private tutors to educate great lord’s offspring.
I believe most parents wanted the best for their children. Some parents refused to punish them. Others applied brutal punishment. There were many manuscripts with different advice about how to bring up the young. A common belief was that a good father would apply the rod to instil fear of breaking the law – from the age of seven a child could be hanged for theft. Some mothers beat their daughters until they cried for mercy. In some people’s opinion, a lenient parent was considered to neglect his or her duties. In such circumstances, although children were instructed to love and honour their parents it must have been impossible.
In the age of chivalry, boys worked from the age of seven and were liable to serve in an army from fifteen onward. At the battle of Crecy, sixteen-year old Prince Edward commanded the vanguard. Can you imagine such a young commander leading troops into battle in the 21st century?
I believe most parents wanted the best for their children. When those placed in other households came home several times a year to visit them. I like to imagine these were happy occasions. The third Edward and his queen, who loved their children, were never parted with them at home or abroad for longer than necessary.
To conclude, I cried when I read Gawain’s heart-breaking poem about his pearl, his precious daughter Marguerite, who died before she was two,

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary


Fathers.