Guild, << gihld, >> in the Middle Ages (A.D. 400’s through the 1400’s), was an association of people with a common interest. People formed charitable, religious, and social guilds. But the most important were associations of merchants and craftworkers.
Merchant guilds.
Long-distance trade declined after the end of the Roman Empire in western Europe during the A.D. 400’s. By around 1000, the growth in cities had spurred a revival of long-distance trade, making merchants more important. They organized guilds to protect their members when they traveled and to gain common privileges and greater profits . Guild members could buy large quantities of goods cheaply, and they could control the market for selling. They allowed no one to sell who was not a member. They set prices and standards of quality for their goods, and agreed on wages for their workers. They also helped members with charity, funeral ceremonies, and prayers for the dead. Most merchant guilds were found in towns . By 1200, such guilds were powerful in town government. The guilds built halls and market places, and contributed to church and town projects. They also provided soldiers and funds for wars.
Craft guilds.
Bakers, goldsmiths, tailors, weavers, and other craftworkers also formed guilds. To protect their members, they established rules much like those of merchant guilds. Craft guilds controlled the quality and quantity of production. They tried to keep individual members from getting too much business so none would take business away from other members.
Craftworkers who knew a trade well and had their own shops were called masters. A craftworker who knew most of a craft, or who could not afford a shop, was a journeyman. He worked at a daily wage for a master. A boy or young man who was learning a craft was called an apprentice. He usually received housing and meals from the master who was teaching him. It took an apprentice from two to seven years to become a journeyman. A journeyman who wanted to become a master had to show evidence of great skill. He had to pass an examination or make a product in his craft that would be judged a masterpiece by the other masters who belonged to his guild.
Guilds in later years.
By the 1300’s, guilds were losing their protective and democratic sides. Masters tried to keep journeymen on wages. Guild membership passed from fathers to sons, making it harder for new members to join. Merchants controlled both the production and the sale of goods. Powerful guild leaders ruled many towns and cities throughout Europe.
During the 1300’s and 1400’s, the craft guilds of the large industries became associations of hired workers. These workers often struggled with their masters for higher wages and better working conditions. Strikes often became civil wars within the towns, and the conflict spilled over into town politics. The craft guilds were rarely strong enough to win their fights, but there are many similarities between these medieval guilds and modern trade unions .
Medieval guilds were no longer economically or politically important by 1600. But many lasted into modern times in the form of ceremonial and fraternal organizations.
