The grooms of a castle swept out the stables and had to look after not only the castles own horses but also those of guests and their retainers, who could be frequent and numerous. There might also be a master mason for repairs to the castle's stonework. The blacksmith made such necessities as horseshoes and sharpened knives, sheers and other agricultural tools, while the carpenter might be called on to make furniture and erect small buildings inside the castle. Here, too in the courtyard buildings, was the blacksmith and carpenter who could repair the carts and anything else in the castle. To assist the marshal in his duties of keeping track of everything, there would have been a number of clerks. Carts with two or four wheels were needed to transport supplies to and from the castle and came under the jurisdiction of the marshal who was in overall charge of the stables as well as the fighting force garrisoned at the castle if there was one. The MarshalĪ castle always had stables as horses were essential for the knights, communication via messengers, hunting parties, and any general travel needs. There, following a course of 6 to 12 months, they could acquire the necessary skills in accounting, letter writing, and knowledge of the law. Such were the demands of the steward's job that by the 13th century CE there were even training colleges for them such as the one at Oxford. He ought two or three times a year to make his rounds and visit the manors of his stewardship, and then he ought to inquire about the rents, services and customs…and about franchises of courts, lands, woods, meadows, pastures, waters, mills, and other things which belong to the manor… (Gies, 97-8) The seneschal of lands ought to be prudent and faithful and profitable, and he ought to know the law of the realm, to protect his lord's business and to instruct and give assurance to the bailiffs who are beneath him in their difficulties. The following extract is from one such manual titled Stewardship ( Seneschaucie): The aristocracy of medieval England read handbooks on anything from table manners to falconry, and so there were, too, helpful guides on how to choose and manage one's castle staff, including the steward. The steward did not act as judge, a role fulfilled by a jury or body of suitors (local men of rank), but his presence gave weight to the final decision. The latter steward was usually a knight, and he oversaw the local court ( hallmote or halimote) which ensured that the law was applied in all local cases except serious crimes such as murder. Such was the importance of the role and the weight of a steward's duties that by the 13th century CE a large castle might have two of them, one for the internal affairs of the castle and one for its estates. The steward was also responsible for all financial and legal matters concerning the castle's estates. The domestic staff of a large castle could easily exceed 50 people, so the role was not an easy one. The lady of the castle was in charge of its daily management and supplies, but naturally, the mundane task of procurement, logistics, and staff management was usually in the hands of the castle steward or seneschal. Well-paid & sometimes given his own property near the castle, the steward kept a close record of the estate accounts.
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