Daily Life for Peasant Women in the Middle Ages

The daily life for peasant women in the Middle Ages can be described as follows:

• The daily life of a peasant woman started at started in the summer as early as 3am
• She first had to prepare a breakfast, usually of pottage
• Work in the fields or on the land started by dawn and the daily life of a peasant woman during the Middle Ages would include this type of hard work during busy times especially harvest
• Preparations had to be started in order to provide the daily meals
• Peasant women were expected to look after small animals - geese, chickens etc
• Weaving, spinning and making and mending clothes were also part of a woman's work
• Preparing rushes for lighting
• Making preserves
• Tending the vegetable plot and collecting berries and herbs
• Women were also responsible for the children and need an understanding of medicines and herbs for basic nursing requirements
• Outside work finished at dusk, working hours were therefore longer during the summer months
• Women generally ate when her husband and children had finished and had little leisure time