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People in a castle; the constable's wife

60 second histories

This video covers:

A description, of the staff who work within the castle such as the house steward and the chamberlain and the duties they carry out.

Good day, I’m the constable’s wife. Some people think that as the lady of the castle all I do is entertain, sew and play musical instruments but that’s not true. I have a great deal of responsibility within the castle, I do have help of course in the shape of the house steward, he has a most responsible job too supervising all the castle servants and he has to ensure all the cellars are fully stocked with victuals as well as other supplies like lamp oil and candles. His biggest task is to work a year ahead working with the seasons, he records what food is harvested, when and how it is stored. Take apples for example, they have to be harvested, stored and turned regularly to stop them going bad. The house steward works very closely with another servant called the chamberlain, he looks after my husband’s and my chambers together with all our clothing and our food, making sure that the servants clean our clothes properly. Woe betide if any clumsy washer maid ruined one of my dresses.
Eras: 
Medieval
Topics: 
Castles
Domestic Life
Farming & Food
Character: 
Constable's wife
Key words: 
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