Strange Medieval Jobs

The Unusual Ways People Made a Living in the Middle Ages

By Oakfield Publishing

Life in the Middle Ages required people to perform jobs that might seem bizarre today. Beyond knights, blacksmiths, farmers, and merchants, medieval towns and castles depended on workers whose occupations ranged from unpleasant to downright strange.

Gong Farmer

Despite the pleasant-sounding name, this was one of the dirtiest jobs imaginable. Gong farmers removed human waste from privies and cesspits. Because of the smell and health risks, they often worked at night—but their unpleasant work was essential to keeping towns functioning.

Rat Catcher

Where there were people and food, there were rats. Professional rat catchers were hired to control infestations in homes, businesses, and communities. Their methods could include traps, dogs, and other techniques we'd probably rather not think about.

Leech Collector

Leeches were widely used in historical medicine for bloodletting. Someone had to supply them. Collectors gathered leeches from ponds and marshes, sometimes reportedly using themselves or animals to attract the bloodsucking creatures.

Fuller

Making woolen cloth wasn't glamorous. Fullers cleaned and thickened newly woven fabric by repeatedly pounding or trampling it. One traditional cleaning agent made the occupation particularly memorable: urine, valued because of its ammonia content.

Town Crier

Before newspapers, television, and social media, important information still needed to reach the public. Town criers announced proclamations, laws, market information, and other news aloud in public spaces.

Sin-Eater

One of the strangest historical occupations associated with later British folklore involved a person consuming food placed near or over a deceased person, symbolically taking on the dead person's sins. The practice is more strongly documented in later centuries than in the medieval period, but its eerie roots fit comfortably among Europe's old death customs.

Executioner

Medieval executioners carried out punishments ordered by authorities. The position could involve executions, torture, and other unpleasant duties. Although feared and necessary to the justice system, executioners could also face social isolation because of their profession.

The Jobs Behind History

Kings, queens, knights, and battles dominate our image of medieval life, but ordinary workers kept society functioning.

Some built castles.

Some made clothing.

And some cleaned cesspits in the middle of the night.

At Oakfield Publishing, we love discovering the forgotten details that remind us history wasn't just something people witnessed.

It was how they lived.

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